Rooster behavior

[JohnTheChickenMan]

The best gamefowl breeders don't even keep "manfighting" roosters. They breed for gentle calm disposition. They do not tolerate roosters that are not sound in mind. It is a genetic trait that u can breed away from.

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

The best gamefowl breeders don't even keep "manfighting" roosters. They breed for gentle calm disposition. They do not tolerate roosters that are not sound in mind. It is a genetic trait that u can breed away from.

Yeah like I said, I'm sure there might be aggressive and territorial roosters and if they constantly attack I wouldn't keep one. The roosters we have and that our rooster has fathered are very calm and sweet natured, the rooster we have does allow us to take his chickens because usually we only take the ones that get sick and I can see in him that we knows we are going to help.
We have a chicken once that had chicks and one day two started to really fight and hurt each other (have no idea why) but she allowed me to take the chicks and separate them right infront of her; I'm sure it's because after all this time of interacting with her she realizes that we only do things like that to help, same thing with the rooster. I think interacting constantly with your flock is essential to getting to know what they need, when they are stressed, if they need or ask for help; animals and individuals usually don't react badly just because. They might be traumatized, we have a chicken that we no longer allow to raise chicks because she was traumatized a few time by predators so she will now just run and abandon the chicks if something happens, she'll also leave them young.
Don't think anything is completely black and white and one must be careful and mindful of animal behaviour. It's far easier to keep a small child safe by not allowing it to interact until they grow a bit more and learn how they should behave towards any animal.

 

[ValarieF]

I would not have any rooster, no matter how good tempered, roaming a yard that has young children. I always confine mine to the run when children or adults, are visiting.
That said, I have had a rooster come at me and even bite me, when I caught an injured hen. We came to an understanding, and he never did that again. I'm not sorry that he is still living, he is a very good rooster.

Thank you! Unfortunately the rooster is the pitbull of chickens and misunderstood. They aren't mean and aggressive, they are doing what they were were born to do and that's protect the flock. So naturally anyone or thing that comes close is the enemy. Some are good at it and some are not (and those are usually the "nice" ones). Think about it this way you have a watch dog that protects your home and is ok with you most times but when people come over has to be locked up because he barks and may get aggressive towards them Would you put all those dogs downn? No of course not.

 

[3KillerBs]

Think about it this way you have a watch dog that protects your home and is ok with you most times but when people come over has to be locked up because he barks and may get aggressive towards them Would you put all those dogs downn? No of course not.

I am not a dog person, but I would never keep a dog that is "ok" with me "most of the time". Such an animal is dangerous because he is unreliable.

 

[Shadrach]

I wrote an article that may help promote a better understanding of the rooster and hopefully a better outcome for those who keep them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[ValarieF]

I wrote an article that may help promote a better understanding of the rooster and hopefully a better outcome for those who keep them.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

Great article well done!

 

[Shadrach]

Great article well done!

Thank you.

 

[ValarieF]

I am not a dog person, but I would never keep a dog that is "ok" with me "most of the time". Such an animal is dangerous because he is unreliable.

Well alot of people do

 

[ValarieF]

Well alot of people do

Animals are unreliable unless trained

 

[ashcons]

I have a 4 year old that runs in the yard.

Freezer camp. That kid is at face-flogging height for the next several years and I sure wouldn't risk their eyes for a roo.

If it were just you, an adult, giving a roo some wiggle room to learn his place in the scheme of things would be tenable as long as he isn't aggressive aside from trying to "save" his hens.