How to Raise a Good Roo

[Sirius452]

I have similar questions. At what age is a rooster considered mature? At what point can I say that my good rooster will likely stay that way?

My kids are very young, so I try to model the behaviors I want like petting and giving treats. I don't generally pick up or want to cuddle with my chickens. Once a week or so I will go into the coop to pick up and check over each one. I feel that they need to accept that, rather like the dog. I've never treated the roo differently than the hens. I can't find a single negative thing to say about my rooster and I want to keep it that way. I've never kept chickens before and it didn't occur to me before reading BYC that he could be dangerous.

Is going into the coop and picking them up a bad idea? I've read that can be considered a threat and lead to defensiveness. Yet there really isn't another way to check them over. So far I've never had an issue, but my chickens are about 8 months old. He's never dipped his wings or growled at me or shown any obviously bad sign. But, like I said I've never kept chickens before so I worry about what signals I may just be missing. Usually he's the first one to beg for food should you step outside, then will step back and watch the hens eat it. Sometimes I have to hold my arms out and herd them at a walk into the coop and he always moves quickly away. Other times I have to pick him up or a hen up and set them inside. He doesn't seem to mind that either.

 

[centrarchid]

I have similar questions. At what age is a rooster considered mature? At what point can I say that my good rooster will likely stay that way?

My kids are very young, so I try to model the behaviors I want like petting and giving treats. I don't generally pick up or want to cuddle with my chickens. Once a week or so I will go into the coop to pick up and check over each one. I feel that they need to accept that, rather like the dog. I've never treated the roo differently than the hens. I can't find a single negative thing to say about my rooster and I want to keep it that way. I've never kept chickens before and it didn't occur to me before reading BYC that he could be dangerous.

Is going into the coop and picking them up a bad idea? I've read that can be considered a threat and lead to defensiveness. Yet there really isn't another way to check them over. So far I've never had an issue, but my chickens are about 8 months old. He's never dipped his wings or growled at me or shown any obviously bad sign. But, like I said I've never kept chickens before so I worry about what signals I may just be missing. Usually he's the first one to beg for food should you step outside, then will step back and watch the hens eat it. Sometimes I have to hold my arms out and herd them at a walk into the coop and he always moves quickly away. Other times I have to pick him up or a hen up and set them inside. He doesn't seem to mind that either.

Mature enough to mate any hen by 10 to 12 months. Further maturation realized by 18 months but most people do not note those changes under typical management conditions.