How to raise friendly roosters?

[CalBickieMomma]

If you had an aggressive rooster in the past, you should have culled him. Some roosters are ornery, some are down right evil and need culled. some are big sweethearts.
act like you're the boss because you are. People who are constantly babying their chickens, end up with one's that don't respect them.

All my chickens are pets and I don’t cull roosters (I just can’t bring myself to do it. Sorry if it’s not the way most chicken keepers work, but I’m not a typical chicken keeper).

 

[nuthatched]

All my chickens are pets and I don’t cull roosters (I just can’t bring myself to do it. Sorry if it’s not the way most chicken keepers work, but I’m not a typical chicken keeper).

If you had a dog that you feared for your safety around, knew you couldn't turn your back to it, and was making your life miserable, would you keep it?
Some chickens are great no matter how they're raised. but problem critters need to be dealt with through firm training so at least there is respect or culled.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

If you had a dog that you feared for your safety around, knew you couldn't turn your back to it, and was making your life miserable, would you keep it?
Some chickens are great no matter how they're raised. but problem critters need to be dealt with through firm training so at least there is respect or culled.

I never said I feared for my safety. He was just an overly aggressive roo. Waaaay different than an aggressive dog. No biggie. Maybe my rooster shenanigans tolerance level is higher than others or I’m just crazy . I really don’t know why we‘re still discussing this, honestly. I offered my experience for the original poster, MaeM (I’m sorry this conversation has veered a little - that wasn’t my intent ), so that they might feel a little more at ease knowing someone has raised many friendly roosters.

I do agree that some chickens are great no matter what. But can we agree to disagree with how we deal with our aggressive roosters? You have your way, I have mine. I’m not here to convince anyone that my way is better or the ‘right’ way, only that it is another option to do something that might work for someone else.

Happy New Year to all, and to MaeM: I hope if your Little turns out to be a roo, he ends up being a sweet, friendly one .

 

[Smileybans]

Not a stupid question. I hand raised my first chicken who turned out to be a roo. An EE roo known for their aggression. He’s a sweetie. He protects his flock and has learned I am boss. I like to hand raise my chicks. Not a popular method but one that works for me and my family.
I now have three Roos that I hand raised and all three are friendly sweet boys. My EE I had to train and remind him who was boss but he finally got it. It is possible to have a sweet rooster. Whether you do as most suggest or go by the less suggested method. Do what you feel is right. In the end you need to show the rooster you are the boss. Not him. My EE, who is supposed to be an aggressive breed, is sweet but protective.

 

[nuthatched]

I never said I feared for my safety. He was just an overly aggressive roo. Waaaay different than an aggressive dog. No biggie. Maybe my rooster shenanigans tolerance level is higher than others or I’m just crazy . I really don’t know why we‘re still discussing this, honestly. I offered my experience for the original poster, MaeM (I’m sorry this conversation has veered a little - that wasn’t my intent ), so that they might feel a little more at ease knowing someone has raised many friendly roosters.

I do agree that some chickens are great no matter what. But can we agree to disagree with how we deal with our aggressive roosters? You have your way, I have mine. I’m not here to convince anyone that my way is better or the ‘right’ way, only that it is another option to do something that might work for someone else.

Happy New Year to all, and to MaeM: I hope if your Little turns out to be a roo, he ends up being a sweet, friendly one .

I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to come of argumentive or to ruffle your feathers.
I wasn't at any point referring to any of your animals (how would I know?!) when I made that statement. I was referring to what the op said that they had a rooster in the past that would attack their grandmother if she came outside.
When you're older, you may not have the agility to defend yourself and some older people's skin tears easy, so even minor injuries can get nasty and serious quick.
I also hand raise my chickens, I've never has a mean chicken, so I 100% agree that that's a great method to use and you rarely end with jerks.
But hand raising is not babying.
Surely you've seen all the threads that have something akin to " my friendly little roo that would snuggle is suddenly attacking me!".
I think culling is the absolute last resort in aggression. I've worked with a first time chicken owner (they got almost 40, talk about being thrown into the deep to learn how to swim) had a favorite roo they'd let their small (<6)children carry around and hand feed which was ok until it it got hormones, then she couldn't let her children outside because that roo would escape the pen to attack her kids or her, or beat the run fence like a beast possessed if it couldn't get out.
"Why don't you get rid of this rooster if it's making you miserable?" "Because this is how roosters are!" was her answer.
No. no it's not. The other 2 roosters that weren't babied while they were young since they "weren't as friendly" were good boys to their hens and people. When I finally recommending culling, they wouldn't even consider it. " we can't kill Minion Bob (yep) the kids would be heartbroken!" Considering y'all have scars from him and the kids can't even play outside within sight of that thing, I think they'll get over it quick.
It depends on the rooster, but training doesn't hurt.
Happy new year!

 

[Sherb74]

So, my mom is really worried because I got two baby chicks (1 month old now) and one of them is most likely a rooster. Today he's pecked her finger for the first time and it brought bad flashbacks from our previous flock, in which there was a really aggressive rooster that practically "held her hostage" in her own house (that's how she says it, because he didn't let her get out to the backyard freely, he attacked her). That rooster wasn't a real problem for me (he was nice at me), but I'd really like my new baby to be friendly, are there any tips to raise friendly roosters? Or if he happens to be like that, there's nothing you can do?

Sorry if it's a stupid question and thanks in advance for your help.

I purchased a Lavender Orpington Roo as an adult that had been handled his whole life and he is the sweetest bird ever. Raised a RIR and he was the meanest bird ever. I think it’s just a gamble with Roosters.

 

[Smileybans]

@nuthatched
Can you describe the difference between hand raising and babying? You kind of describe it in your last post but I’m not too sure. My roo never really got aggressive but danced at me. I hand fed him and carried him as chick. Once the dancing started all the hand feeding and carrying was done.

 

[nuthatched]

@nuthatched
Can you describe the difference between hand raising and babying? You kind of describe it in your last post but I’m not too sure. My roo never really got aggressive but danced at me. I hand fed him and carried him as chick. Once the dancing started all the hand feeding and carrying was done.

Hmm, let me think of a good way to explain what I mean by babying.

EDIT: What I (just me) believe the difference between hand raising and babying is:
Not addressing any behavior problems or encouraging things that may be adorable now but could turn into problems later such as:
Not teaching chickens to respect you as boss, baby chicks peck you, you peck them back. (gentle but firm) It may be cute and not hurt now but if they see you as peer/flock member, they'll treat you like it and chickens aren't always gentle.
A baby roo starts getting rowdy, like starts the 'I'm bigger than you' dance, don't start singing Alan Jackson's "Good Time", he gets held down for a moment to leave no doubt in his mind that he's not going to get away with stuff with you.
I'm on the fence on chickens riding on shoulders, I'd love for my favorites to ride on my shoulders to the feed store or hardware store, if people can take their dogs in there, I want to take my chicken! And my pet won't piddle on the merchandise.
However, there needs to be boundaries, if a chicken wants to ride and you're not expecting it, your face is located right (or left) next to your shoulders, and if her aim is off or you move, you could get pretty badly hurt since chickens are chock full of hard, pointy or even sharp things.
So it need to be your idea " do you want to ride, chicken?" and if it's their idea that they want to ride, they need to be taught some sort of secondary step, like ring a bell or sit on a certain crate, so they don't jump you when you're not expecting it.
I think chickens are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, I think they can be trained.
You want your chickens to not fear you and you want them to trust you so you need to 'speak chicken' (correct behavior like a chicken would so they get it)
The roo is boss of the flock, he's the protector and leader and maybe a daddy if you let him. that's his job, you don't want to replace or displace him, you defer to him as protector. I give my rooster treats first so he can pass them out to his women. He knows that he shouldn't try anything with me because I'll hold him down but don't seek him out to pet him. At night when I check their feet, faces and crops, I pet him then so he squats a bit and I can check his crop without him getting pecky.
Some roosters are just terrors no matter what you do, it could be genetic or hormonal or both.
Although, right now, I'm working on him around my dad and brother, he doesn't like men, think it's their deeper voices that he considers a threat.
I don't know how to explain it better, I think it boils down to training chickens to not take advantage to you.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I never said I feared for my safety.

Pretty sure nuthatched was refering to MaeM's mother

If I rooster is holding you hostage in your own home I do agree that culling is best. You shouldn't have to live in fear of a mean rooster, especially when there are so many sweet gentlemen roosters looking for homes.

Here's the quote

it brought bad flashbacks from our previous flock, in which there was a really aggressive rooster that practically "held her hostage" in her own house (that's how she says it, because he didn't let her get out to the backyard freely, he attacked her).

 

[JaeG]

Our bantam cockerel, now 8-9 months old that we got from a breeder as a newly hatched chick is the sweetest little guy ever and I never have to worry about him being around the kids. He was hand raised with lots of love and cuddles, and still puts up with being picked up by the kids. The worst he will do is growl if one of his hens makes a fuss when getting picked up.

Our large breed cockerel we hatched from shipped eggs, who was the same age and raised the same way, was recently culled because he was greedy, abusive (towards the hens) and had started to challenge our 9 year old son no matter how much our son would grab him and cuddle him and carry him around. I won't put my kids in danger and it was like day and night personality-wise between the 2 cockerels. One looks after his girls like they are the most precious things, politely finding them food and standing back until they are all eating before having any food himself. The other would scoff the food as fast as he could and if there were scraps he would nab the biggest bit and run off so that no one else could get a piece. He'd also make the girls combs bleed because that's what he would grab to mount them.

Some roosters have the personality to be nice boys, others do not. I never thought I'd be able to cull anything, but our flock is so much more relaxed and peaceful now.