Is adding a Roster a good idea?

[Birde]

again I my roosters. I have 1 that is 7 yrs. old. If you just want eggs & don't find pleasure in raising them, just stick with your hens :/ I have to say I'm shocked by some of the attitudes about roosters. I know the're some bad 1s out there but maybe they just don't have the patients to train them. Meal worms help

 

[Nicole01]

again I my roosters. I have 1 that is 7 yrs. old. If you just want eggs & don't find pleasure in raising them, just stick with your hens :/ I have to say I'm shocked by some of the attitudes about roosters. I know the're some bad 1s out there but maybe they just don't have the patients to train them. Meal worms help

I've heard that your not suppose to handle roosters as chicks. Is this true? I can't help, but hold mine through out the day. If my LB is a boy, will he be okay if I keep holding him as a pet? I'd really like to keep him, but I do have children and I don't want them attacked. My children are very good at respecting animals. Plus, my LB is not top chick of the three. He/she is at the bottom and my Maran is top hen.

I'm not worried about the crowing in the night. I have my coop 100% pitch black until I open the door in the morning.

 

[Tripp16]

I didnt have a rooster for about a year. Then just recently a stray guy shows up..... after a month I let him in with my girls and he has been great to them! Showing them treats! Scratching up bugs and all! Plus he is nice to my EE hen who is on the bottom of the pecking order.

I like roosters personally, plus you get fertile hatching eggs!

 

[Ole rooster]

Reading all the post tells me it all depends on the rooster as to a bad one or not. My GLW is super with the girls. He irritates me sometimes but he a rooster and just does rooster things. He does not crow from 3 to 6 in the morning. He will crow around 5:30 then again maybe at 6:00. That's it. You won't hardly hear him again till next morning. Plus every egg I get is fertile. He does produce some pretty chicks.

Funny thing, my wife don't really care for the chickens. The other day I told her I was thinking about swaping Billy Bob for another one to get new blood in here. She let out a what are you talking about. He's a good rooster. So I hope two can get along.

 

[Davaroo]

In a flock of four hens, I wouldn't bother with a cock. It wont offer much benefit and the hens will be stressed!
As for protection, that is a misnomer. A rooster may alert the others but will not heroically beat back hordes of predators, like some clucking Rambo. He is as likely to become a meal as readily as any other.
Go with strong coops and lots of predator offense. Take the fight to them.

 

[Birde]

Ive never heard you're not supposed to handle them as chicks. I usually raise 30+ chicks at a time. My best rooster was not handled much when a chick. When around 4 months he jumped on my lap. After that I gave him special attention. He is an awesome character. I've come to believe each is born with a personality waiting to be developed. Mr. Cogburn is my boys name & he knows it. I have another named Tango & he knows his name too. Tango was 2 when I go him & untamed- unnamed. He rules the hen house now. Mr Cogburn the yard. Unfortunately the 2 don't get along. I tried. I have many good birds. I've found that when they show aggression toward me they want attention. I hold & pet a lot. If I ignore them they get mad.

 

[Davaroo]

Ive never heard you're not supposed to handle them as chicks. I usually raise 30+ chicks at a time. My best rooster was not handled much when a chick. When around 4 months he jumped on my lap. After that I gave him special attention. He is an awesome character. I've come to believe each is born with a personality waiting to be developed. Mr. Cogburn is my boys name & he knows it. I have another named Tango & he knows his name too. Tango was 2 when I go him & untamed- unnamed. He rules the hen house now. Mr Cogburn the yard. Unfortunately the 2 don't get along. I tried. I have many good birds. I've found that when they show aggression toward me they want attention. I hold & pet a lot. If I ignore them they get mad.

It varies - each bird is a little different. Some will be "people birds," other never will. I've had a few that were, but most of them simply run in terror at the sight of me. I also don't "live" among chickens - they have their lives and I have mine. I keep away from them for the most part. I reckon it's my job to be their steward, not their bosom chum. I'm sure this has an impact on their behavior towards me.

I like the way John Henderson puts it (he's the guy behind Hendersons Chicken Chart):

(sic) ... "Chickens don't make good pets like cats and dogs, and chickens really aren't friendly like house pets. What some interpret as 'friendliness' is little more than not resisting human company, not struggling when held, or a willingness to eat out of a humans hand. Calm, docile birds can appear to be "friendlier" than flighty birds that squawk and scatter whenever a human gets close. Ditto for those birds that don't peck or assault other birds and humans alike, when compared to an aggressive bird that does."

John pretty much nails it.

 

[Nicole01]

I have very friendly chickens. As long as they are fed and cleaned up after there is no right or wrong way to raise them. My hens are friendlier then my own cats. I sit down, they come running to me and hop up on my lap. I do not hold them down. I do pet them and they fall asleep, even when free ranging. I do not live on a farm. I live in a rural area with a backyard flock. My hens respect me and are not at all afraid. I spend hours with them and they are therapeutic in some way. I am disabled and they make my life more pleasant. Plus we spent a fortune on their coop and run to make it perfect for them and us. They are better pets then my cats, much more friendlier. Everyone has their opinion.

Even the babies are friendly. They love napping on my lap.

 

[Birde]

I didn't want chickens. Had them though. my husbands thing. When I became ill with breathing problems, all I could really do was take care of them. Now they are my chickens better than ever & I'm much better too. I give them the credit for my health & love them as my pets. I perfer them over my cats & dogs. My husband has the cats & dogs & the chickens are mine

 

[red hen in the rain]

In my experience, "friendly" birds are developed through living in a low-stress environment, frequent contact, observation/ and respect of the birds' moods by the humans, and periods of open curiosity by the birds. I relate better socially to animals than humans. Birds, especially domestic species, are capable of affection and friendship that has nothing to do with treats or non-resistance to human holding. Its not expressed like a dog or cat or horse, but it is real for people who take the time to develop it. Roosters too. Some birds are more genetically able to be "friendly" than others, just like humans.
(Yep. Another Asperger's flockster here.)