Just how dangerous can a rooster become?

[AHappychick]

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wow thats really interesting, I will have to remember the not letting them mate thing, although my one grow roo is a sweetheart and very friendly and has yet to mate in front of me he is to busy trying to get treats and pets from me

 

[riderbecky]

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Thanks RR. I've read your page several times. I found it to be very helpful and informative.

I've practiced many of your techniques. I seriously recommend it to anyone who wants to have roo(s) with their flock. It is because of those tips and techniques as well as others I've learn by practicing Pat Parelli and Cesar Milan techniques that I am confident I can help my DD deal with and conquer her confidence issues with this roo.

The interesting thing about this whole issue is that she use to be fine with the roos. She would come striding into the house carrying Kernal or Izzy but for some reason she never practiced this with Fred. (Note Kernal and Izzy were culled and we only have Fred left.) As I've already stated...I have no problem culling him if my daughter can't get past her fear and Fred doesn't change his 'tude around her. But I'll do my best to help her without sacrificing her safety.

Edited: To add that the reason I feel so strongly about her working on overcoming this fear is because I don't want her going forward in her life being afraid roosters and possibly broadening that fear onto other things (like aggressive bf's). She's in the formative stage of her life and I feel that the success of facing this fear will lend itself to other challenges she'll face in life.

 

[BorderKelpie]

Wow, this thread could not have come at a better time. I was formulating in my head how I was going to ask about the roo we just got this past week. He spurred me (although, he really doesn't have spurs yet - but it did't feel good all the same) the day before yesterday and pecked my DD repeatedly yesterday. Both times, we were trying to gather eggs (I guess in his eyes, steal them). I had absolutly no clue what I was supposed to do about that. Looks like Christian is about to get some obedience lessons, and just in case, I will purchase a nice little paring knife and a good sized hot water pan. Hopefully, if I have everything ready, I won't need it. He sure is a pretty little thing. Well, he will be, when his feathers grow back, but that's another post.
Thank you everyone for always knowing what to tell me even before I know how to ask!

 

[Kim_NC]

Years ago, I worked with identical twin brothers. They were so alike it was difficult to tell them apart from the back or side. BUT....one of them had been attacked by a rooster as a child. He was spurred in the eye. That eye was clouded over, and of course he was blind in that eye. Not difficult at all the tell the guys apart if you were facing them or speaking to them.

Be careful. I wouldn't keep an aggressive roo if there were children around.

 

[newmamma]

Yesterday, my rooster twisted one of my hens necks while trying to mate with her. She died from the encounter. I am relatively new to chicken raising ....about 5 months now. Are roosters dangerous to hens or was this a freak thing? I had 8 hens to my one rooster but 4 of those are young hens that haven't started laying yet and the rooster is the same age as the young hens. About 5 months old. He only seems to mate with the older hens, which are now only 3 after this incident. Thinking I should get rid of him before he kills any more of my girls. Thoughts?

 

[bobbi-j]

Yesterday, my rooster twisted one of my hens necks while trying to mate with her. She died from the encounter. I am relatively new to chicken raising ....about 5 months now. Are roosters dangerous to hens or was this a freak thing? I had 8 hens to my one rooster but 4 of those are young hens that haven't started laying yet and the rooster is the same age as the young hens. About 5 months old. He only seems to mate with the older hens, which are now only 3 after this incident. Thinking I should get rid of him before he kills any more of my girls. Thoughts?

In my almost 30 years of chicken keeping, I have never seen such a thing. I'd be willing to say that it was a freak accident. That having been said, your rooster is still a cockerel - he's at the age where they will mate anything they can catch (think hormone-filled teenage boy). It's a good sign that he's not trying to mate your pullets (your hens under a year old and not laying yet). Whether or not you get rid of him is a decision only you can make. Why do you have a rooster in the first place? Did you want to breed your chickens? For protection? Was he an accidental rooster? In my opinion, the only reason a person would need a rooster is if they wanted to breed and raise chicks. The whole "rooster for protection" thing... It doesn't always work out. Often times, a rooster will sound the alarm as he's running in the opposite direction of the threat. A dominant hen will do the same thing. If he does take on a predator, he may be a very short-lived bird - a speed bump or appetizer on his way to the chicken buffet. Hens also don't need a rooster to "find them food" or "put them to bed at night". Really - they can manage that all by themselves. Keeping in mind that chicken sex isn't pretty or romantic, does he seem unnecessarily rough with the others? (The neck-grabbing and sneak attacks are normal for one the age of yours - he hasn't learned any real finesse at this point. All he knows is, he needs to breed these hens. He doesn't know how, really, and probably doesn't know why. His body is just telling him it's his job.) Does he pick on them at other times? Peck them, chase them, attack them? If so, I'd put him in the freezer. If not... maybe pen him up for a few months and see how he is with some maturity, or keep him with the flock now and see how things go. Now if he were to become human aggressive, all bets would be off here, and he'd be in the freezer immediately.

 

[newmamma]

He was an accidental rooster. Bought 6 chicks that we're supposed to have all been female. Surprise! He doesn't seem to be mean to the girls except the biting of the back of the neck that comes with mating. We have two very large separate areas for our chickens so I think I will try the keeping him separate until he matures a little. Thank you for the advice!

 

[kconley]

Some roosters are so docile! Others simply have a mean streak and it's bad enough with other birds, but unacceptable when aggression is directed at people.

Your best option is to get rid of the bird if you don't want to contain him. It's amazing how scary little birds can be when they're at tracking you! They don't mellow out usually, so best to nip it in the bid before he seriously hurts someone.

 

[bobbi-j]

Some roosters are so docile! Others simply have a mean streak and it's bad enough with other birds, but unacceptable when aggression is directed at people.

Your best option is to get rid of the bird if you don't want to contain him. It's amazing how scary little birds can be when they're at tracking you! They don't mellow out usually, so best to nip it in the bid before he seriously hurts someone.

I need respectfully disagree. Once they get past that stage of raging hormones, they can settle down. That doesn't mean that every one will, but some will. You don't know until you've given them a chance to get through the "testosterone poisoning" phase.

 

[kconley]

I need respectfully disagree. Once they get past that stage of raging hormones, they can settle down. That doesn't mean that every one will, but some will. You don't know until you've given them a chance to get through the "testosterone poisoning" phase. 

If you plan on keeping him and waiting it out to see if he relaxes, it's worth caging him. Better that than risking the very real alternative.

Some aggression is normal when they're growing and figuring out the pecking order, but I'd say once they become aggressive towards humans, it's rare they'll grow out of it. The only time we've kept an aggressive rooster is after he'd been sent flying with a 2x4 after cornering someone in the barn- he always walked a little sideways after that but that got the message across.

It's not worth having to be cautious of your own animals.