Rooster is nasty

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Next time don't handle your young roosters in an affectionate manner, no petting or carrying, they will develop a natural wariness of people, some become confused and think humans are a part of his flock when handled, so he will want to dominate humans as well as chickens.

 

[brown egg 25]

Makes sense i will not make same mistake twice i want to handle my birds. Not get scratched scraped and bit

 

[FloridaChick13]

My roo is a jerk too. I usually carry a rake and he stays away but the moment I'm not carrying it he comes towards me. Also waits til I turn my back. My husband thinks he is to pretty to be dinner. I disagree.

 

[Nupe]

Definitely get rid of the meanie. I had a rooster named Mr. Soup. He earned that name and he was delicious.

I'm guessing your entire flock is the same age? Without an older generation to teach, the roosters will tend to be bullies. I made the mistake of ordering a roo with my first batch of chicks. You have a couple of options. Look on craigslist or ask around your local feedstore for a 1-2 year old rooster that already has flock experience. Or, wait until your flock is at least one year old. Then, start looking on craigslist and asking around your feedstore for anyone trying to get rid of a young "oops, that's not a hen." The older girls will thump some manners into him before they will allow him to mate.

Since you're not squeamish about eating your own chicken, remember also that most hens (pullets) will only lay for one winter, the next fall/winter they'll molt and take a break until the days get longer. You can avoid this with supplemental lighting, or you can put your flock on a cull/replenish rotation. I keep around 20 chickens. Each year I'll add 4 or 5 in spring and cull 4 or 5 the next time I process meaties. (most awesome broth ever!) That way, the pullets start laying by fall and I always have plenty winter eggs.

 

[Nupe]

My roo is a jerk too. I usually carry a rake and he stays away but the moment I'm not carrying it he comes towards me. Also waits til I turn my back. My husband thinks he is to pretty to be dinner. I disagree.

Tell your husband he'd be much prettier with dumplings.

 

[Macis Papa]

A mean young rooster is dangerous to kids,a mean old rooster with 2 inch spurs would be dangerous to anyone. Consider yourself lucky your daughter just got a few scratches. Image if he would have spurred her in the eye. Most roosters and kids don't mix very well. Roosters want to protect their flock, kids like to chase chickens. I know a lot of people want their chickens and roosters to be pets ,not all of them can be. A rooster could really hurt a child, remember those spurs evolved to pierce flesh! When my granddaughter comes over my rooster spends the day in chicken jail.

 

[brown egg 25]

Well im rebuilding my whole coop and run so eggs are accessible from the outside. That way my daughter can get eggs without chickens bothering her. It was rookie mistake to build run around coop.

 

[Macis Papa]

I've got the same setup, coop is in the run, I have a small 10'x12' run that I stick the rooster in when kids and strangers come over. My rooster has only tried me once, I caught one of his hens and he didn't like that. I still wouldn't trust him around kids. I've had some roosters in the past that wouldn't hurt a flee,I still shut them up around kids though.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Even the nicest rooster will often go after children, not sure if it's the size of them or the erratic movements children make, but they seem to bring out the worst in roosters and some dogs as well.

Anyone that have a rooster should keep it confined if children are present, and never trust them around them, I'm a survivor of rooster abuse as a child, it was terrifying, maybe that's why I am now a dominant owner who wants all roosters to flee before me.

 

[ChickenHermit]

My little roos have always been fine, but then they're all cream puff silkies and bantam cochins. My most laid back little roo is a cochin who came to me from a family who couldn't keep him in town when he turned out to be a boy. They had 5 children under the age of 8, and apparently he was a favorite for carrying around. He's the chicken equivalent of a bomb proof horse- you can squish him, cradle him like a "baby" or hold him by one foot, and he doesn't bat an eye. Usually he falls asleep, actually- sweetest little thing. Pretty much lucked out with him!

I've had one aggressive silkie and one aggressive cochin bantam in the past, but all my other roos are super chill- they have made great pets. Definitely requires being totally willing to give up the bad, aggressive ones, though.