Quote:
Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd leave a little kid unsupervised around any animal. Respectful behavior goes both ways; we have to teach and REteach our children to care for our animals and property, but not everybody does. Little kids will poke sticks into anything (and anybody!) and throw things (and pets!) or chase moving objects, often deserving whatever sharp, pokey protection a rooster dishes out.
We had to post No Trespassing signs and gated fences (as prescribed by the APHIS brochures), because other people's poorly behaved, stick-launching, rock-throwing, animal-chasing children have roamed unsupervised into our property to wreak havoc, uninvited. Police call it trespassing and vandalism. Their parents say, "they're just being kids". Some neighbors have no respect for privacy and property rights of others.
I try to protect myself from liability. Escorting unwanted "visitors" out of my yard, I have helped the children read the signs posted on my gates, and told them what the signs mean, that they may NOT enter our yard, because the poor kids have been told "you're just a kid" (or a version of "Get outta here, don't come back until dark!") and nobody's taught them how to be a respectable neighbor. I've provided photos of the signs and gates, compliance to the APHIS recommendations for Backyard Bird Biosecurity measures to my homeowners' insurance agent, and keep a copy of police officers' name/date of interventions for my own records.
Your point about the rooster around kids is a good one. The more people bring chickens back into the fold of family life, the more often roosters will be exposed to poorly socialized kids (and their parents!), and some roosters will have to defend themselves. Unfortunately, its something to think about. The last thing we need is somebody complaining "your rooster attacked my kids!", even if it's THEIR kids trespassing and vandalizing on SOMEBODY ELSES' PRIVATE PROPERTY. ...
