Rooster Question

[jersy87]

I keep debating over this more and more. All opinions are welcome.

My rooster who is wynadotte/australorp/buff cross just 1yr old. Have had him since he was a chick. He use to be really sweet, thats why he was one of the ones i kept. Well he is more aggressive now. He has went after a couple kids when they tried to pet the hens. He has came after me a couple times when ive been in their pen. So now i carry a stick with me. All my hens have bare backs, i have figured from breeding but i am thinking he is aggressive towards them. As I have seen him go after them.

 

[tsasquatch]

Is he younger than the hens? I had a rooster that kept trying to assert dominance over the older dominant hen and he had pecked her saddle feathers pretty badly. The other non dominant hen had no trouble at all. I wound up removing him from the flock (he was tasty) because I didnt want him stressing out my layers. As far as attacking you and the kids, its again just an issue of dominance. If you are assertive and go into his space and make him back down he will learn quickly, however if you back up he will continue the aggressive behavior towards you. If you have kids around, I guess it would be best just to let them know ahead of time what he might do and that if he runs towards them, the best thing is for them to actually step towards the rooster. At least this is what Ive picked up from my chickens.

 

[jersy87]

Some of the hens are the same age, and the others are just slightly younger. Not all the hens are as bare backed but I dont like my girls looking so rough.... I just dont know... I always make him back away... He dont like it, and when I go in the house I lock him out because I dont wwant him coming behind me when im collecting eggs. He gets ticked and starts crowing like crazy.

He is protective over the flock even the ducks.

 

[jjparke]

If you are thinking about it just do it. After it's done you will thank yourself and wonder why you put up with him for so long.

 

[Alabama ee]

I would find another roo. I don't like to have anything that is so aggessive it comes after my kids or me.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well...protective is good, but how he's being protective isn't, in my opinion. I'm protective of my hens, and ended up rehoming my rooster because he was overly hard on them; it was stressing some of them out, and they were looking rough. He was not aggressive toward me or my family, but I did watch him chase after a young girl who was at the house,and that scared me because all I could think about was a lawsuit...lol.
Personally, I would not own an animal that would act aggressively toward my family or friends, whether it be a dog, cat, or chicken. I think he went after her because she was running away from him. If she'd walked right over to him there wouldn't have been an issue. Some folks are fine with roosters like that, just as some people like having a dog that will growl and bark aggressively when people come to the house. I like neither of those.
Also, you can buy or make chicken saddles for your worst worn hens if youre insistant on keeping him.

 

[sourland]

Aggressive roosters around children is a recipe for potential danger. One flogging to the face and eyes could result in irreparable damage. I would rehome or cull the rooster.