Raising a friendly RIR Roo 🤔

[LizGio]

The RIR chicks have been exposed to my crazy 4-year-old's antics even before they hatched. He's very loud. He's around the birds all the time, sometimes interacting with them or just in their vicinity. Do you think this will help my RIR Roos transition into kid friendly birds or are they still likely to turn into overly protective/aggressive psychopaths once the hormones start? I know it depends on the individual. Just wondering if the constant exposure helps.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There are two school of thoughts on rooster raising. One is handle them, and the other is never handle them. I personally practice the second and never have aggressive roosters. I used to handle mine, but that was 50/50 on aggression.

Personally I wouldn't keep a rooster with kids around. It isn't worth the risks to me. Even the best of roosters can be triggered by kids running and having fun.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not keep a rooster around a 4 year old child. A four year old child will take the attack in the head. Terrible scratches to the face is possible, the child can be knocked down. Most inexperienced people vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack.

I would think that an active 4 year old will be very threatening to a cockerel if they are sharing the same area. He will be attacking the child first.

The thing with cockerels, is their behavior today is no indicator of their behavior tomorrow. Hence the darlings become the nightmares.

Mrs K

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Yes unfortunately roosters are not predictable. You might have the world's most friendly and safe rooster, until you don't. Now of course a non-aggressive rooster had less chance of suddenly going rogue, but it CAN happen. Chickens are very hard for people to predict. I think it's because we are mammals and they are not.
If you really really want the rooster I would keep the flock always penned in a run and away from your son.
I practice no-handling for my cockerels and roosters, well the entire flock actually. I haven't had a rooster issue thus far but I haven't raised a whole lot yet. I've raised 3 rooster to past puberty when they have settled down and I've raised 7 in total to the beginning of puberty.