Rooster chased my son *UPDATE pg 4*

[mrbstephens]

This morning my 23 week old Partridge Rock rooster chased my 6 year old son twice. I could see the roo was feeling very spunky. He just mounted one of the hens for the first time. He's now mating with 3 out of the 5 and he was dancing for them a lot. My son thought it would be funny to dance for the rooster and when he turned his back the roo chased him. I saw this and charged the roo which stopped him. Several minutes later I saw my son screaming and running with the roo close behind. I sprayed the roo with the hose and put him in solitary confinement. The roo doesn't mess with me because I've made a point of chasing him, kicking him gently and holding him from time to time, but my don isn't capable of this because the roo is very big and strong. For now I've decided that when I let the chickens out to free range for two hours in the morning that the kids will have to stay in the house. He's a good roo really. He finds food for the hens and warns them of predators. He does bite them from time to time because he's a frisky devil and is looking for some loving, but there are no bald spots on the hens. I'll keep him, but if he ever hurts my kids he'll have to live elsewhere. Does anyone have any other advice for me?

 

[Olive Hill]

My advice:

Chicken. Noodle. Soup.

Dumplings!

Bar-be-Que!!!

 

[Hoosiermomma]

We have a roo just like that. I just tell my kids to stay away from him, even when free ranging, because he does want comes naturally, he's protecting 'his girl's'. He has come after me on occasion but I have let him know that's not acceptable. When my roo tries to flog me I'll grab him mid air and hold him until he calms down. Once I put him down he knows he better not mess with me.
We've used the solitary confinement too but I like to keep him with his girls so he can protect them from predators while out free ranging.
Good luck with yours......

 

[countrygirl4513]

Cull it. It won't get any better, if anything it will get worse. He's asserting his dominance. We dealt with one for 3 yrs. We tried everything but no luck.We recently gave him a visit to the freezer. My girls are happier and so are we.

 

[The Chicken People]

My DH friend came over and wanted to see how the mating goes so DH let the rooster out with the ladies! Well friend decides to pick up one of my RIRs ( one of the roos girls!) My roo charged him and wouldnt give up so my husband took the rir and the roo kept going after our friend finally dh put the girl down and picked up the roo and put him in his cage! My grandson is my concern because heloves to pick up the girls so from now on NO ROO OUT WHEN GRANDSON IS OUT! New rules or stew pot!

 

[bigredfeather]

Two words - Freezer Camp!

If it were mine I would not allow this behavior w/ my children. The other option is to not allow him to be exposed to your son. It's a bad situation when you have to worry about the well being of your children when the roo is outside. I have been there, and I didn't like the thought of having to keep a constant eye out for a surprise roo ambush on the kids. If he is your only roo of that breed, it's a tough decision, but if you have other roos or a way of getting another one, IMHO it's not worth keeping him around.

 

[wildorchid053]

when my grandkids come over to spend the night the roo goes after them. so i hold my grandkids really tight and boot him away from them.. he gets the idea that these are mine and it is ok for them to be there.. it might take up to 3 x but then he leaves them alone and they can feed him and walk around the others while they all free range..

 

[Chickens in Elmwood]

Just culled my rooster recently for this same behavior. The kids could not go near the girls at all. They could not swing on the swingset, they could not run in the yard, they could not play ball, they could not walk to the garden to pick vegetables....all of these things would result in an attack by the rooster. I told them, "Don't run from him, kick him really hard until Mommy can get to you." But they are only 4 and 5, and that rooster seemed really big to them.

We tried to untrain the rooster to attacking, but he still did it everytime he got a chance. We tried leaving him in the run while the girls free ranged, but he screamed his head off the entire time, and really, the point of keeping him was to protect the girls while they were free-ranging. It made no sense to keep him when we could no longer let him free range.

I am not risking my kids safety, metally or physically, for a rooster, whether he is a "good" one or not.

Since culling the rooster, the girls are down right friendly and follow us around the yard for treats. My 4 year old is actually even teaching them tricks by using sunflowers for treats. Honestly, there are tons of good roosters who are nice to people who need homes to waste time on a rooster who can't learn to act nice.

 

[vtchickenlady]

I'm in the same boat. But, in spite of it all I love my roo and so does his girls. Frankly, I'm not willing to get rid of him just to get another roo that will turn that way once he goes through puberty. The broom works well for me and he stays in the run when the grandkids are around.

 

[momreda]

I am having a problem with my RIR. Our first one was called my stalker by brother-in-law because everytime I would come around that darn rooster mocked every move I made, he is no longer with us but now one of the other RIR is continuing the stalker behavior.
They behavior is as if he is agitated that I am around and going to watch every move I make.

Neither of these Roo's have done this to anyone other than me and I do not understand why I am considered the threat?