POLL: Did your roo turn aggressive towards you?

[Beekissed]

I've noticed a trend in posts about the subject over the years and was curious about the actual numbers. Did you hand raise a roo from a chick, hold and pet him a lot and did he then turn aggressive to you or a family member?

 

[thewhyblockl]

I just came on BYC today because I'm upset. I have a very BIG BR roo who has just really gone rotten on me. He was selectively saved from what started out as 9 roosters (babies) because he was very sweet and mellow when the others were not. Each time I noticed one of the boys turning into a school yard bully I would..well...eat him. Xerox was the last of the roos, saved because he was a gentile giant of a bird. He is quite amazing with all but the one outcast hens. He calls them to food but never eats until they have finished. He leads them around the yard form spot to spot. The hens all adore him. But three times now he fully attacked me. The first time I was shooing the hens away from the under-hens food, so I understood why he came after me...but a couple of days ago I had to kick until I finally got him full-on in the face before he let up, and just now he came so full on I had to throw two bricks at him to get him to stop. Absolutely no provocation either. He's BIG. And scary. His head and tail feathers come half way between my knee and hip. And he can really fly up off the ground. I just don't want to loose my eyes!!!!

Sadly I know that the hens would NEVER forgive me if I put his mean butt into the pressure cooker. They just started laying today. They would go on strike.

 

[emvickrey]

I have a black orph roo that has grown to only like me. He used to like everybody but not anymore. Probably because I take the time everyday for him. He loves for me to talk to him. He just stands and listens and coos. My grey silkie roo is like a cat. He insists on attention. He'll fallow me and get around my feet and rug on my ankles like a cat. When I pick him up for some cuddling he just soaks it right up. My white, blue and partridge roos aren't mean but they prefer not to be touched.

 

[Matt A NC]

I have had roos that have fit into each catagory.

I have a rule that any Roo that goes mean towards the hens, me, or especially Mom will immediately be processed.

Matt

 

[cafarmgirl]

I'm going to say that my big RIR roo got a medium amount of attention growing up. When he was young he was very mello and friendly and could easily be picked up and carried around. Right around the time he matured, turned a year old, is when the rooster behavior started. But we have been very consistent in our handling of what I consider normal behavior for a rooster and he is now quite decent, very manageable.

But I'm also not really one to consider a rooster a pet. I expect rooster behavior from them and if they turn out to be more mello then usual it's just a happy surprise!

 

[allpeepedout]

I have a young BR roo that has been handled extensively since day one. He turned aggressive (pecking, challenging me upon entering his space) suddenly as he hit adolescence. I used nonviolent techniques from BYC posters to nip this in the bud before it became a habit. We had a few "encounters" (me pushing him down on ground, carrying him, following him) to sort out the pecking order and now he is quite the gentleman. I pick him up daily, hand feed treats. I remain vigilant as he is not fully mature. But creating and confirming a habit of good behavior makes sense to me.

 

[janinepeters]

I don't handle them much, and about half become aggressive towards people, and the other half do not.

 

[bakerjw]

I think that the breed has a lot to do with temperament. My White Rocks were not handled much as chicks and are not lap chickens. But they will come and take food out of my hand and give it to the girls. My Sebrights were raised right alongside of them and have no problem running after my SILs. Now that is a sight to behold.

 

[FLchook]

I've had several roosters.. A couple I have gotten as adults, others were chicks. Out of all of them, I've only had 1 rooster turn out to be aggressive. Come to think of it now, he is the only rooster that was not raised by a mamma hen. He was a very pampered boy.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't have the article right now but I had a great piece about how male goats, sheep, cows and chickens will imprint upon the humans who feed them, particularly if they feed them by hand, bottle, etc. and will treat them as the opposite sex when they reach maturity. Like that little chicken in the story that kept asking "Are you my mommy?"

That is why there are many stories about bottle fed ram lambs becoming mean and roos that were nurtured by humans becoming aggressive towards their human flock mates. From what the article stated, these animals are merely confused about species after this early imprinting. This is also one of the reasons they feed young birds of prey in captivity with life-like bird puppets.

If people are completely honest in this poll, I believe we will find the majority of these aggressive roos were nurtured a little much by their humans and, as a result, have become a little species confused and will treat these humans as equals.