Pros and Cons of Roosters...

[BandofBantams]

Out of my 11 chicks, I ended up with 5 roosters. I rehomed 4, 3 Polish's & a bantam EE, which I wished I'd kept. Anyway, my blue polish was very aggressive with all the other chickens & started fights w/ Roos & pullets, so he had to go & Polish are just too noisy. None of the chickens have ever been aggressive w/ me, DH or my kids. I kept my white Silkie, Liza, who is now Sir Lawrence & he is a sweetheart! He has 4 hens all bigger than him, lol, 2 BO & 2 SLW. My second flock is 4 bantam frizzles, which I wanted to integrate w/ the others but the larger hens are having none of it & chase the little girls away or jump on them & peck their heads.

 

[jak2002003]

I don't know about large breed rooster and children as I only keep bantams.

I have never had an aggressive rooster in all the years keeping chickens.

At the moment I have 5 roosters and about 20 hens.

I keep the roosters for their different beautiful colours (they are Japanese Bantams). I also like the crowing. I also love having my own hens hatch and raise their own chicks and I don't have to buy in new chickens - that might bring in diseases.

From post I have read here it seems most of the aggressive roosters are those that have been raised in a brooder and handles and petted since a young age. I think that makes them have no fear of humans and they see us as equal to them. So they will not hesitate to peck or attack us if something triggers them.

All my roosters are hatches and raised by a broody hen. I think that helps them know they are chickens not people. They can also learn behaviours off the other chickens and see how to behave around people.

My chickens are also friendly, and I can pick them up and handle them easily, with them staying calm. They will eat from my hand. But then had a natural fear of me - like to get out of my way as I walk past, and fly off the roost if I wave them off, etc.