I want a rooster but I'm worried about my pets.

[tinkerbell265]

I really want to get a rooster to help protect my flock. I've read a lot about them and i think i may be able to handle it

. I know the key is to NEVER hurt your rooster because he see you as "fightable" and takes it as your "challenging" him. So i understand that to tame him, i have to pick him up in front of his harem to humiliate him. I also know that it's very important not to be afraid of him. But my main concern is, my dog. My dog is sweet, friendly, and LOVES my flock.
Every time i let him outside, the girls all run to him and follow him around. So cute!

But if i get a roo, i don't want him to attack my dog. I know he really wouldn't retaliate against the Rooster or bite him, because hes a big sweetheart, but still, i don't want it to happen. Then, there is my cat to think about. Again, she's a sweetheart and also loves the flock since she helped me raise them when they were chicks. I don't want her or my dog to get hurt.

Can anyone tell me their experiences with roosters and family pets? Is there a way to show the rooster that my dog and cat are not going to harm the flock? And can he do damage to my pets? My dog is a mutt. Part German Shepard, part Boxer, and part Mastiff. He's a big guy but i don't want to see that cute face get scratched up. The same goes for my kitty!

Plus! I'm only 21 and i plan on having children very soon! I don't want my toddler to be playing on the playground outback and them all of a sudden BAM, he gets attacked.

My husband has heard horror stories about roosters but i know it's because those people didn't know how to handle it. But still, if the roo hurts my babies (family pets, or children), he's got to go. And i don't want to listen to my husband say, "I told you so..."

Can anyone help or give me some advice?

Again, i've never owned a rooster, and i don't know too much about them. I've read a TOn but reading and doing are two completely different things. Maybe i'm over reacting. But a little advice would be GREAT! Thanks!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

If you are mostly interested in a rooster for protecting your flock, I think your dog already does a good job in that role. It is cute that your hens follow him around.

I don't think your dog or cat would really be at risk from a rooster, but people usually advise not to have toddlers around roosters. Even well behaved roosters can react unpredictably around young kids.

 

[aart]

Agrees with scratch n peck.

There are alot of ways to protect against predators, depends on alot on what the predators are and how you house the chickens. Sometimes you just can't free range without predator losses, rooster or not.

I would not put small children or obedient pets at risk with a rooster. Roosters can be great or a menace, it's crap shoot, but life is definitely simpler without one. If protection is the only reason you want a rooster, I'd pass and find other ways to protect the flock.

You could always give it a try but be willing to eat him if he's problem or when the kids come along.

 

[tinkerbell265]

Oh, i should mention that i had no intentions on leaving a child alone with a rooster. That would just be a complete fail on my part!

Things do happen though, and i don't want him to get ornery with any future children of mine the second i turned my back. Roosters are beautiful, and i love their crowing - they are something i've always wanted to try, i'm just making sure it's not going to ruin my life in the process.

I would hate to send him to the frying pan after he gets too high on himself and hurts my baby... Of course, any future children i might have, i would educate on handling and behaving around a bird like that. I hope that eases some minds

 

[aart]

Wasn't concerned that you would intentionally put your kids in danger, just would be much simpler not to have to deal with it. But if kids are aways off in future then get one now before kids and see how you - and the dog and cat - like it. If you're going to have livestock, you have to be ready to cull them if need be......and rooster stew is delicious.

 

[DeniseB]

We're just out of the city but our houses are spread out a bit. My husband and I wanted to experience a rooster so 6 yrs. ago a friend gave us an adult black sumatra. He was beautiful and adjusted with our dogs just fine..We let him free range and i could handle him without a problem..the problem was..he was a better protector than our dogs!! He started chasing people..joggers,walkers,mail carriers,grandchildren.. Everyone around knew him well..lol.. After 2 yrs.. A hawk got him Then we got a buff Orpington because we were told they were gentle giants..HA! Not this one..he was in his first year but quickly took over the neighborhood..our mail was threatened and he had to go back to the farm..then we got a buff chick so I could hand raise him..to shorten this one a bit he became so obsessed with me,he too had to go. I'm a slow learner or determined.. So our last shot was to get 2day old chicks which I had to get a min. 3 so I ended up with 2roos and a hen..thought maybe a hen would take attention away from me but the older rooster acted out so he went..now I have hen and roo .(Sumatras)...the hen is sweet, but well.. you can guess by now ..the roo is leaving..my hen started laying eggs so she's staying indefinitely , and yes I finally learned a lesson.. My advise for you is skip the rooster or figure on him leaving when you have children...your pets can handle it just fine ,they will just have to find they're pecking order and its possible your rooster would be more occupied with your hens..but hey that's just my opinion...everyone should experience a rooster.. even children ..but maybe not till their older..... lol ... good luck!

 

[amnich]

We have had many roosters, mostly because I feel bad that no one else wants them. We have two Barred Rock roosters, one who loves giving hugs and has never been aggressive towards me, and one who attacks everyone in my family every chance he gets - both raised together. We used to have a Buff Plymouth Rock rooster who was really great, we got him at a couple years old. If the mean Barred Rock ever started to come after me, he would chase it off and protect me. Unfortunately, he was attacked by a dog when free-ranging. So we had one very protective rooster, one very friendly rooster, and one very mean rooster, all of the same breed. We also have a mixed breed bantam rooster, who cares about nothing other than his special hen. We have a sumatra, and contrary to most experiences people have with them, ours is alright. I wouldn't have gone out of my way to get a sumatra because of their reputation, but we won him in a fair. There is no telling how they will act once they hit maturity. If you were going to have a rooster, I would suggest a silkie. They are usually much more docile than other roosters, but even if they are aggressive they don't do much damage anyway. I have a few silkies now that I got as straight run chicks. I suspect one to be a rooster, and he is the friendliest of the bunch. You should try a rooster, they are really not as bad as many people make them seem.

 

[Zaxby's2]

I've had four roosters before (not at the same time) one was raised on our farm the other three we got as adults, but I've never had one attack anyone. I'm not saying all roosters are nice but if u wanted to I'd say you should give it a try. The rooster probably wouldn't offer much protection, as said before your dog is probably helping out with that. Roosters can make a nice addition to the flock but you might have problems, so it's your decision. You could get an adult rooster from someone that way you can know if it's nice or not.