Rooster Chat

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wouldn't keep any human aggressive roosters, it spoils your enjoyment of them. None of mine are aggressive to me ever, and I cull based on treatment towards the hens. Nice roosters are kept in pens until I have room for them. One lucky boy gets all my broody hens, he keeps them from setting and helps me break them. All my young roosters are looking and acting great at this point. For now they are all keepers.

 

[microchick]

Thanks microchick! Do your roosters spend all their time in their run? Or do they get time with the hens?

Right now three of them are in the run because they are starting to molt and the cockerels from my Feb hatch are in charge of the girls and the 8 juveniles from a June hatch. I plan to rotate them once everyone gets through the molt. When the girls start, I'm planning to pull the young roosters and return the LO and Welly rooster to the main coop. The second Welly boy will not be returned to the main coop to breed because of his aggression when he is around hens. Funny, but away from the hens, he is a sweetheart. No aggression. He sits and lets me pet his back and scratch his wattles. Put him with the girls and it's open season on the treat lady. I don't want to kill him. I've watched two of my favorite boys die, one of natural causes, the other when I had to put him down due tto seizures. Better to live out his life with his buds, and he'll have quite a few once the boys from the June hatch mature. Plus I have a hen sitting on 11 eggs right now. 3 from my flock and 8 from an Amish neighbor who has OEGBs. I have a friend who wants some OEGBs.. Hopefully they will be what she is looking for. If the aren't? Oh well. Chicken math at its finest!

 

[suchcutenails]

Quote:
I agree! Life is too short. And I like hanging out with the girls!

I already find myself so on guard now, that it isn't fun to go into the coop. Do you think the one strike is all he gets? That was my feeling! But he is the one my husband likes...although I'm the one who primarily cares for the chickens, and the decision is ultimately mine. My gut says he should go.

 

[microchick]

So it looks like you have two choices. 1) he goes or 2) he goes to a bachelor pen to see if he settles down.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Quote:
I agree! Life is too short. And I like hanging out with the girls!

I already find myself so on guard now, that it isn't fun to go into the coop. Do you think the one strike is all he gets? That was my feeling! But he is the one my husband likes...although I'm the one who primarily cares for the chickens, and the decision is ultimately mine. My gut says he should go.

There seems to be two types of attacks by young roosters. One is he's serious and he wants to dominate you and take control of the flock. This is often a head on attack or one that happens as you turn your back to the rooster. You are seen as competition often and his goal is to chase you off or kill you. This rooster was probably handled a lot, and it seems when they are, they have trouble because they don't see you as a different species, they see you as one of the group. Handling them to move them or to look them over is okay, but petting and stroking them seems to make them think you are below them. I have seen hens gently grooming roosters especially on their face, it's a sign of submission. So it's best not to pet roosters or try to make them friendly. They should always keep a respectful distance of about 5 feet. The second type of rooster was also handled. He's not as sure of himself but will often try to see if he can take you. It starts out more like a sparing match, he will often thump you on the back of the legs than run off a bit. If you don't address this behavior it will slowly escalate as he gains more confidence. These roosters can often be turned around. My technique involves a plastic coffee can. After the first attack you must go on the offensive. If he's seen approaching you, you must toss the can at him and hopefully bopping him with it which will startle him and he should run off. Every time he gets within 10 feet of you he needs the can tossed at him. I keep it up for a month or two depending on the rooster. He should see the can and run cackling away. Eventually you stop and he never thinks of it again. The first rooster needs to be culled, the second should be okay. I've only had two bantam roosters ever come after me, one was culled the other is still around after 7 years. Large breed roosters are too big and potentially dangerous to keep if they show aggression. It's best to use a hands off approach to raising them. About half of handled roosters will turn aggressive. I prefer none turn aggressive. Mine are not afraid of me, I walk next to and among many roosters everyday without worrying about them. I love my roosters and it breaks my heart to cull any.

 

[newhamplover]

Quote: One strike & your out!! Good thing the human species didn't live or die from that assessment....we would be extinct. I do agree however that it won't work between you & him, that is evident now.

The most aggressive behavior I ever had from a chicken was a mama hen with her babies when I was a kid. I think that most all on here would agree that was justified....protecting her young. I don't think that many would say take her from her babies to the stew pot. But when a roos shows ANY aggressive behavior it is the stew pot. Seems to me like a double standard. Hers is acceptable, his is not. She is protecting her young, he is protecting his flock. Poor roos most of which would have been great guys if they had had a chance. But I think so many would be much better off with just hens.

 

[uzisuzuki]

I did not know you weren't supposed to handle/pet roosters.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I did not know you weren't supposed to handle/pet roosters. 

Most unaltered male livestock are dangerous, that includes chickens too. They haven't been selected and bred for friendly qualities like animals used as pets have been.

There are certain lines and certain breeds like some bantams that have been bred to be handled more. Most regular breeds still are bred based on production. A show breeder will breed calmer birds that can be handled more, so if you want roosters that can be handled without turning aggressive than you need to seek out lines and breeds that are know to be calmer, but again each one is an individual and they develop their own personalities.

As a general rule a hands off approach is best in order for the rooster not to become confused about your position in his life. My birds see me as a bringer of food, not as a member of their flock. But I don't have a desire to pet and handle my birds, if I did I would stick to petting the hens.

 

[microchick]

I handle my roosters as babies and until they are well fledged and then it is hands off. I want them to know that if I have to handle them I will, that is my right as their owner and they might as well get used to the fact. They are not pets. I just finished running down and catching one of my Welsummer roosters so I could put him in the main pen and take out one of the junior Welly/Buff O cross cockerels. When my roosters see me coming to catch them they run for their lives. It means they have either 1, done something to tic me off and are about to be chastised greatly 2, about to have some noxious medicine forced down their throats or 3, about to be separated from their beloved hens. Those are the only 3 instances when I handle my roosters.

I have to agree with oldhenlikesdogs.

When I was first nosing around BYC I found post by a very wise person who said: Do not make pets out of your roosters. Make pets out of your hens. Roosters are around for two purposes only. To protect the hens and to procreate the species.

But I seriously think that if people would just get over the high expectation that every rooster that pops his unsuspecting head out of his shell is going to be the best pet rooster since Lassie saved Timmy when he fell down the well, more roosters would be happily taking care of their flock of hens instead of doing the back stroke in a crock pot.

No, I do not advocate keeping the human aggressive rooster, especially when kids are involved. But then that is why fencing and pens are created. If you as an adult cannot enter a pen or coop without having Buster the Rooster swooping down on you like a hungry Pteradactyl. And if you do not have the desire or the ability to work with Buster or if Buster continues his reign of terror after all attempts to gentle him fail, then by all means, crock pot time.

There are as stated thousands of good, gentle flock masters out there looking for homes. If you have to separate Buster's head from his neck do so without feeling guilty. After all, first and foremost we were put on this earth to have dominion over the animals, not the other way around. But please do remember that there are good boys out there who will respect you and take care of your hens, if you so choose to have one.

IMHO my flock would be pretty boring if I didn't have a rooster or two driving me to distraction on a regular basis, but then, that is me and my choice.

 

[lcertuche]

MICROCHICK you are so right about roosters. I don't think roosters should be pets and I'm not sure about the hens. I like to grab one of my chickens now and then just to look them over and feel how they are fleshing out, how the bottom of feet look but other wise I let them be. Now if they would just let me be. I can hardly walk for them being underfoot.

My neighbors big RIR did spur my 13-year old son when he was at their house. He said he was running and it attacked him. Probably felt threatened and he (my son) healed up without a problem. He might have been trying to catch one of their chickens although he said no he wasn't. He is always catching ours and bringing them in the house no matter how often I tell him to leave them alone.

I'm glad our cockerels, all eleven of them are not mean, to us anyway just to each other because boys will be boys of course. They will be going to the freezer as soon as the weather cools a little until then they are enjoying free-ranging during the daylight hours and a cozy coup at night.