Injuries from a Rooster?

[HeatherKellyB]

Ever since I've been dealing with human aggressive roosters, I've been getting this comment, "He's just a chicken!!!" and I've just read a similar comment here on BYC. In hopes of helping some understand many folks cautiousness when interacting with an aggressive rooster, I was hoping you could share some injuries you've suffered from a cockerel/rooster or injuries you know of happening. Maybe I am putting way too much thought into the possibility of my daughter and/or myself getting hurt, and this will help me realize that.
I ended up with a nasty bruise on my shin after being flogged while I was wearing knee high socks, jeans, and knee high boots. I've been bitten more times than I can count and my daughter was bitten on her lip, which was a pretty bad bite. Thankfully she wears glasses full time or I'd be worried about her eyes.
Side note - I had a very friendly, curious pullet peck me right in the eye before. She did get my contact lens so my eye was ok but it was quite painful. My rules on allowing them to hang out on my shoulder has changed because of this. I still love that sweet pullet though
Thank you for your time and for sharing

 

[Rainwing]

my roosters are friendly towards humans but i never let them on my arms because they have the sharpest claws ever.

 

[Acre4Me]

Ever since I've been dealing with human aggressive roosters, I've been getting this comment, "He's just a chicken!!!" and I've just read a similar comment here on BYC. In hopes of helping some understand many folks cautiousness when interacting with an aggressive rooster, I was hoping you could share some injuries you've suffered from a cockerel/rooster or injuries you know of happening. Maybe I am putting way too much thought into the possibility of my daughter and/or myself getting hurt, and this will help me realize that.
I ended up with a nasty bruise on my shin after being flogged while I was wearing knee high socks, jeans, and knee high boots. I've been bitten more times than I can count and my daughter was bitten on her lip, which was a pretty bad bite. Thankfully she wears glasses full time or I'd be worried about her eyes.
Side note - I had a very friendly, curious pullet peck me right in the eye before. She did get my contact lens so my eye was ok but it was quite painful. My rules on allowing them to hang out on my shoulder has changed because of this. I still love that sweet pullet though
Thank you for your time and for sharing

you can search the threads for stories. I remember one story where an ER visit resulted due to a leg injury from a spur to an adult. Then several weeks of healing. Sometimes those posters are no longer on here bc they get inundated with posters telling them “it’s only a chicken” and try to work with him. So, it becomes hostile. However, there are many chicken keepers on here with decades of experience and likely have their own stories. As for us, we remove cockerels/ roosters that show human aggression. We kept one moderately aggressive one bc of 2 reasons: first he was good to the girls and was head rooster. He was in place to teach the up and coming cockerel his manners (along with the older hens teaching the cockerel manners). Also, he was a good show specimen for the kid to show at the county fair. Then we sold him a few months later, when the up and coming cockerel was almost a year old. Although he was moderately human aggressive, he did not cause any injuries bc we were always on guard in the run and coop.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

This is what I am thinking. Yes, it's just chicken that is much smaller but I worry about eyes, and wounds can and do get infected and turn out really terribly. Yes, this is first case scenarios but they do happen, so it's possible. That's what worries me. I do have a bantam cochin cockerel that can't decide if he wants to be aggressive or not. He bites, but he's not attempted to flog anyone yet. He is very nervous, coming into maturity, and on the bottom of the pecking order, and I don't believe he wants to be mean. I feel like he is having a difficult time dealing with everything (I am probably humanizing his mentality) but whenever I am able to pick him up, he just melts into my arms and falls to sleep quickly. I'm sure a bantam with some size on them could certainly injure a person, but he's only biting so far.

Another question I have been wondering, are bantams more apt to fight? Is "Little Chicken Syndrome" an actual thing? My bantam cockerel is relentless in trying to fight my standard sized roosters, especially the head rooster. I hoped to add my bantam boys to my established bachelor Flock, but the bantams insist on fighting the big guys. My worst bantam for fighting is a Barred Bantam Cochin and the other 2, both silkies, are always trying to fight my standard guys as well. My standard guys seem baffled by these tiny terrors.

 

[aart]

Haven't had any serious chicken injuries, a few scratches and a bruise, because....
I keep birds away from my face, my wits about me, and do not tolerate any kind of aggression.
Most calamities happen more because of human behaviors than chicken behaviors,
and most of those are due to naivete.
Chicken are not kittens and puppies.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The worst injuries I've had has been from a broody hen, she pecked my hand and drew blood. I've seen chickens cut frogs and other critters into bite sized pieces with their beaks so I appreciate how much damage they can do. I do not give them an opportunity to peck my eyes and I wear glasses. I wear jeans and have never had any real injuries from a rooster attacking. Haven't had that many attack me anyway, they don;t get many second opportunities.

You have experienced first hand what kind of damage they can do and had a couple of what I consider close calls. Gathering information and stories is good, it can help you make decisions or know what to maybe expect. I rely on my experiences more than anything I read on the internet when I'm making my decisions. It's up to you to determine what is acceptable to you and what isn't.