Nice Roosters

[Island Roo]

Quote:
I'm curious about that comment. Does that mean they can be not-so-good to their hens when they are younger - and maybe get over it with age?

I have a 7 month roo old that I was planning to keep. He's fine around me but I think he's a bit rougher than he needs to be with the girls. Some are losing neck feathers and getting a bit bald.

 

[Fly Fisher]

I raise mostly roosters. I find that most aggression and non aggression are the product of the moment. Every day is different and every time you approach your flock, pen, etc. you are walking into a different situation. I have roosters who are the most docile animals on the planet when they are in their own pen and there are no other birds with them. You can handle them they will sit on you lap etc. The same rooster put into a breeding pen changes overnight. I would never turn my back a roo who is in this enviroment.

This is only one example but there a so many scenarios that can cause what people consider bad behavior but in realityi is just roosters being roosters. Other examples include entering their coop especially is it is small, cornering them intentionally or non-intentionally, moving between them and hens, this list can go on and on but the point is that a lot of aggressiveness is people induced.

One bit of advice that I have found to be really beneficial when keeping multiple roosters in most flock situations is the following.

Keep multiple roo's from the same brood. They can be several different breeds but hatch or buy them as chicks and never seperate them. As they grow they will decide the pecking order and most likely live a long time in harmony.

 

[donrae]

I'm curious about that comment. Does that mean they can be not-so-good to their hens when they are younger - and maybe get over it with age?

I have a 7 month roo old that I was planning to keep. He's fine around me but I think he's a bit rougher than he needs to be with the girls. Some are losing neck feathers and getting a bit bald.

Yep. Think of your roo as a teenage boy. Very little in the way of courting skills! As they age, and one year seems to be a good benchmark, they settle down and learn to be better to the hens. Plus, usually the hens are older too and things just work nicer when you've been together longer! My current head roo will be 4 this spring, and last year I hardly noticed him mating at all. When I realized that I got kind of worried......was he okay, etc. But all my eggs are fertile and he made pretty babies, so he was covering all the hens (over a dozen), just such a gentleman I never really noticed. Not like young guys with lots of noise and thrashing and stuff.

 

[DanEP]

I agree with Fred get your rooster from a breeder and let him be a rooster. I have 7 roos right now and haven't touched 6 of them in months. The only one I play with is the bantam cochin who follows me around like a puppy begging for food but he is also the most protective of all the girls. All of my roos free range together and get along fine but they come from breeders.

 

[20736]

I think breed selection is important. I just rehomed a hatchery Welsummer, and he was a nice guy about 7 months old. Not a problem in my yard, and when he got to his new home he was sitting in the owners lap in no time! And, if you check out the "My rooster killed a hawk" thread, that rooster looks like at least part Welsummer. I am becoming very impressed with this breed.

 

[iluvpeeps]

Thanks. There's a feed store near my house with a small selection of roosters so If I ever need one I'll buy him from there or on here!

 

[skunknchatter]

My BO roo is great. My toddler son can chase the hens around and the roo just watches (I'm always outside with son if rooster is out however, better safe than sorry). I did handle him a little as a young roo. Every now and then I'd grab him and pick him up. I didn't do it every day or anything. Just now and then. I never hand fed him or anything. I did kick him pretty good one day. He flew at me after I'd chased down a hen. I met him mid-air with my foot. Never had any other problems. He was a pretty young roo then so I think it was more his "teenage" behavior than actual aggression. When this roo has done his time I will be getting another Orpington for sure. I also like that he is a pretty big bird so he can (and has) defend the hens against smaller predators (like the neighbors shih tzu hahahaha).

 

[Spangled]

I see articles on here and people say that their roosters never peck at people and aren't aggressive except to predators. I won't be getting one for a while if I ever do get one but I just want to know what to look for if the time comes. So, does anybody know of a breed that produces nice roosters? Thanks!

Buckeyes. If I had to choose a breed that I think would have the best chance of the most percentage of non-agressive toward people, good at protecting and leading hens, good at producing more non-broody egg-laying chicks (hens), then I would try a Buckeye. I've had a few Buckeye roosters. Easy to work with. Their level-headedness is passed down even when mated with another breed of hen to make more good roosters.

I got my Buckeyes from a breeder in Ohio that doesn't frequent this forum and from Cackle hatchery. But many Buckeye breeders and owners will brag on how great the Buckeye temperment is, so I have a tendency to think that it is a breed trait. Of course, I could be wrong.

Second, there is an element in which this is also conditioning. From day one, we never, ever treat the young cockerels as pets. There's an old adage, make your hens your pets and leave your cockerels alone. Some truth in that perhaps. I want to largely ignore the young cockerels. I walk by them in an nonthreatening way. I'm just the guy who brings the feed and little else.

Yes, I too have been ignoring cockerels from Day 1. It also means that I ignore all the chicks because I can't tell the hens from the roosters until they are about 6 weeks old or so, depending. But it's worth it to me to have great roosters that don't see me as a threat and ignore me as much as I ignore them.

Other examples include entering their coop especially is it is small, cornering them intentionally or non-intentionally, moving between them and hens,

I totally agree with above statement. The hens and the coop and whatever land they are ranging on is theirs ... the roosters' (I almost always have two roosters running with the hens). That's their territory and their possessions (hens). I do not move through the area like I own it. I give the flock a wide berth. I give everyone time to move out of my way. I don't make sudden movements that could be seen as threatening. I also avoid looking them in the eye very much.* I am not afraid of them, but they know when I'm looking at them and in nature that's a threat. When I move to the back of the coop to gather eggs and a rooster is in there, I don't make a bee line to the nests, I take a step and give the rooster time to move out of the way, then take another step, giving him time to get out of the way. I try give the hens and roosters time and space/room to get out of the way ... cornering them is not an option for me because it stresses them and triggers their fight or flight response. There's no point in me working against their instincts, especially since riling them up once can start a habit or pattern.

I also think that two roosters keeps them focused on each other instead of focusing on me and then I can't go about my business more easily, plus maybe they know what another rooster is because they live with one and won't think I'm another rooster.

I've heard it said by an old timer to never wear anything but blue around roosters because the other colors (esp. red) could make the roosters think that you are another rooster. I don't seem to need to pay much attention to that, but I definitely don't wear much red or orange.

*I watch them after I've given them their feed/water and they start eating/drinking. Or I watch them from a few feet away as they forage. Basically, the only time I won't look at them is when I'm walking next to them.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Spangled that is very good common sense approach I agree with. Its important to observe your roosters and the behavior so you can get in their head and know them. It is the same for handling any livestock, be it a stallion or a bull or a cock, a person must learn what movements can be perceived as threatening to an animal, as well as understanding when he may be 'out of sorts' on a particular day. Given his job is to protect the flock, I disallow any chasing of hens by anyone at my place - though it seems a strong inclination of children. They must learn to entice the chickens to them instead. Quite often the cock will stand near and watch with approval and may pick up bits tossed his way. If i couldn't have ag I might go with buckeye for all their traits as well as temperament, I don't believe a truly human aggressive cock can reform anyway..that trait is hardwired in his brain. He may learn to respect his handler but will attack each new person he meets.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Given his job is to protect the flock, I disallow any chasing of hens by anyone at my place - though it seems a strong inclination of children. They must learn to entice the chickens to them instead.

Oh wow!!! if only this were a sticky plastered on the forehead of most beginning flock keepers, written in reverse, so that'd read every morning while looking in the mirror. LOL

There's a catch-22 with roosters that the nubie must grasp. Wanting a rooster for flock order has meaning. Doing anything around hens, in the presence of the rooster, must be thought out extremely carefully. There is a learning curve that seems too steep for many. We get a hundred posts a month regarding people's misunderstanding of roosters and describing them as "good" on one hand and "mean and aggressive" on the other. If adults haven't come to appreciate these matters, how can one expect children to be tutored properly in flock husbandry?

I've six yuppie grandkids that I instruct on these matters every time they visit. Unfortunately, it is not a daily part of their lives, but when they are at Papa's, they need to stay in my shadow closely.