Rooster questions

[EggSighted4Life]

My banty Cochin roo (Snugglebud, yeah, my 3 year old named him) was completely unaggressive until we had a major predator attack that wiped out 2/3 of my flock. Now he is more apt to challenge, but after reading some posts on how to approach them and handle them, he may posture, but rarely charges or spurs, only if I do something dumb like get between him and the ladies at food time - but that's my own dumb fault for not respecting his job as protector - like getting between a momma bear and her cubs - not smart! My now 4 year old walks towards him with authority with her arms up and out (like you're about to yell boo!) and he backs down (advice we got from BYC). His heavily feathered legs make him rather a lame spurrer, anyway, but since we have established ourselves as top dogs over him, he is good. So far he respects us and we respect him. If that were not the case he would not stay!

You have an interesting take on this... and I'm open to learning.

See, in my world... those hens belong to me and that boy better RECOGNIZE... In NO way EVER is getting attacked for being between him and the ladies acceptable to me! EVER! Especially not with a 4 year old around. EVER! He isn't mama bear in the wild he's little roo in domestication and if he can't be smart enough to tell the difference between the keeper and a threat than he's too darn stupid to stand watch on MY guard. If I can't walk through the yard without fear of being attacked even by a less than effective attacker... then how can I let down my guard and interact with the hens?

Even ineffective attackers get better as they practice. Especially because they get sneaky. That bird won't go after your kid to it's face. Attacks start subtly and they act innocent. When you're bent over or your back is turned. Anyways, I hope you guys never experience that. Maybe your boy does and will continue to respect you and your space. If he's already passed his younger hormonal transitions and full grown and mature, then you may have a good start with the kid. If he's still 4 months old and respecting your space, it don't quite count since hormones and even later protective hormones haven't kicked in yet.

Like I say though, I am open to learning... and you make a good point, that roo sees themselves as protector. I don't see them that way though (and even if I still expect to be treated as a non threat), and I guess maybe my boys will have to stay in their stag pen with only conjugal visits at my convenience.

Actually, things are different in a stag pen than protecting a flock of hens, come to think about it... Wonder if my boy who acts just fine in the pen will suddenly become a terror when allowed to hang with the ladies? Guess we shall see. Every day brings something new.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I never knew this, I had read somewhere to treat them like babies, like the hens...hand feed them and all. BUT I had 2 roos who were hen raised (both rehomed now) they were the sweetest! What did I do? Nothing, just let their momma's raise them. They never attacked, snuggled with the girls and each with each other. lol.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

How old when they were re homed? Doesn't count until closer to 6 or 7 months or even older, in my experience.

Anyways, broody's seem to teach their chicks to avoid contact too much. Would expect them to be some of the better ones. Interesting to learn and see the different dynamics!

 

[Diannastarr]

You have an interesting take on this... and I'm open to learning.

See, in my world... those hens belong to me and that boy better RECOGNIZE... In NO way EVER is getting attacked for being between him and the ladies acceptable to me! EVER! Especially not with a 4 year old around. EVER! He isn't mama bear in the wild he's little roo in domestication and if he can't be smart enough to tell the difference between the keeper and a threat than he's too darn stupid to stand watch on MY guard. If I can't walk through the yard without fear of being attacked even by a less than effective attacker... then how can I let down my guard and interact with the hens?

Even ineffective attackers get better as they practice. Especially because they get sneaky. That bird won't go after your kid to it's face. Attacks start subtly and they act innocent. When you're bent over or your back is turned. Anyways, I hope you guys never experience that. Maybe your boy does and will continue to respect you and your space. If he's already passed his younger hormonal transitions and full grown and mature, then you may have a good start with the kid. If he's still 4 months old and respecting your space, it don't quite count since hormones and even later protective hormones haven't kicked in yet.

Like I say though, I am open to learning... and you make a good point, that roo sees themselves as protector. I don't see them that way though (and even if I still expect to be treated as a non threat), and I guess maybe my boys will have to stay in their stag pen with only conjugal visits at my convenience.

Actually, things are different in a stag pen than protecting a flock of hens, come to think about it... Wonder if my boy who acts just fine in the pen will suddenly become a terror when allowed to hang with the ladies? Guess we shall see. Every day brings something new.

You have an interesting take on this... and I'm open to learning.

See, in my world... those hens belong to me and that boy better RECOGNIZE... In NO way EVER is getting attacked for being between him and the ladies acceptable to me! EVER! Especially not with a 4 year old around. EVER! He isn't mama bear in the wild he's little roo in domestication and if he can't be smart enough to tell the difference between the keeper and a threat than he's too darn stupid to stand watch on MY guard. If I can't walk through the yard without fear of being attacked even by a less than effective attacker... then how can I let down my guard and interact with the hens?

Even ineffective attackers get better as they practice. Especially because they get sneaky. That bird won't go after your kid to it's face. Attacks start subtly and they act innocent. When you're bent over or your back is turned. Anyways, I hope you guys never experience that. Maybe your boy does and will continue to respect you and your space. If he's already passed his younger hormonal transitions and full grown and mature, then you may have a good start with the kid. If he's still 4 months old and respecting your space, it don't quite count since hormones and even later protective hormones haven't kicked in yet.

Like I say though, I am open to learning... and you make a good point, that roo sees themselves as protector. I don't see them that way though (and even if I still expect to be treated as a non threat), and I guess maybe my boys will have to stay in their stag pen with only conjugal visits at my convenience.

Actually, things are different in a stag pen than protecting a flock of hens, come to think about it... Wonder if my boy who acts just fine in the pen will suddenly become a terror when allowed to hang with the ladies? Guess we shall see. Every day brings something new.

exactly ,and i found out years ago when a young roo starts with that crap ,it will never change i kept one for 4 year just to see if i could change him , but nothing doing , he was dangerous mean until the day we shot him.! so if this is happening to you and your kids , get rid of that bad roo , they never change believe me , and i can usually tame any animal , but not this time , except i was the only one he would never challenge, he always listened to me, but if he didn't i guess i would have to kill him with my bare hands right then and there,if the ever tried to attack me ..! but he always did what i said (( lucky for him ))) so when my husband was in the hospital for weeks & we live right on the Mexican border , i would keep him out free on my land to guard us night & day and put a bewared of mean roo on my locked front gates, because he would try to kill all others any one he could find & that's what made him dangerous ..!! and he had the longest sharp talons to do it with to...! i dont know of any animal that is so resistant to change then a bad roo..!!! and your roo is acting the exact same way as when mine started with his bad behavior and it wont end well believe me , but after he attacked my husband and farm hand , he went for their heads trying to get his talons into their skulls ,and those puncture wounds get infected believe me , so after that he lived in a chain link forever pen for those 4 years . thats about all i can tell you, except they never get any better..!!!

 

[Diannastarr]

It is possible to train a rooster to not be aggressive. My aggressive rooster is no longer aggressive to me, I chased him every time he flared his hackle feathers at me and held him down. It worked great. Though he definitely doesn't like being caught anymore. I will never hatch any of his chicks, because I don't want to pass down the aggressive traits. But I do believe almost every rooster can be trained to stop attacking people as long as you're persistent.

you are exactly right , my mean NHR i taught to respect me & listen to me or else...!!! i got into his head & he knew not to attack me if he wanted to live , but i had to run interference all the time to keep him away from visitors & other family , that was just to crazy to let that crap go on , so he was penned up until the day we shot him because he became so dangerous...!!!

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

no aggressive birds....sorry, as hard as it is, especially with little kids. not sure if it is the breed or the way he was raised. I have had a total of 60 some roos, no one was aggressive.
with my roosters, they all crow, I only have 9 atm. some started later though than others. one "crowed" at 4-5 weeks, some took over 7-8 months to develop.

 

[Nesi]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

How old when they were re homed? Doesn't count until closer to 6 or 7 months or even older, in my experience.

Anyways, broody's seem to teach their chicks to avoid contact too much. Would expect them to be some of the better ones. Interesting to learn and see the different dynamics!

They were around 9 months old.

 

[K.Riggs]

All these threads are making me scared about my roos now
I have never been afraid of them even once. They have an araucana mother and i don't know the father. I do pat the dominant one, he seems to like me but they were not hand raised they were raised by their mum who actually still does tell them what to do sometimes.

They are going on 7 months old. I have never seen them show aggression other than two fights to sort out who was boss, the non dominant one backed down fast both times and neither were hurt at all.

I have never even seen them look funny at me or my kids, even when i administer care to the girls and they hate it and are squawking the boys don't like it but have never attacked me.

My son comes in to get eggs with me and i don't put him down if the boys are in there but they haven't showed aggression to him either. Is it a matter of time

 

[centrarchid]

All these threads are making me scared about my roos now
I have never been afraid of them even once. They have an araucana mother and i don't know the father. I do pat the dominant one, he seems to like me but they were not hand raised they were raised by their mum who actually still does tell them what to do sometimes.

They are going on 7 months old. I have never seen them show aggression other than two fights to sort out who was boss, the non dominant one backed down fast both times and neither were hurt at all.

I have never even seen them look funny at me or my kids, even when i administer care to the girls and they hate it and are squawking the boys don't like it but have never attacked me.

My son comes in to get eggs with me and i don't put him down if the boys are in there but they haven't showed aggression to him either. Is it a matter of time

Look elsewhere to get advice on rooster care. Threads like this one are of discussions about domination.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Hand-rearing in itself does not promote aggression towards humans in itself. If that were the case nearly a third of my game cocks would be very difficult to work with, which they are not.

I'm going out on a limb here but I'm thinking your methods of hand rearing cockerels may be far different then some of these others.
I think they are raising them more like it's a child. Holding and carrying them in their arms like a baby. Lots of hugs, kisses, snuggles, whispering sweet nothings in their ears, etc.
Maybe I'm wrong but not picturing you doing quite the same as some of these younger girls/women are doing.
If I am wrong I apologize and think we would all love to see a video.

 

[K.Riggs]

I'm actually really freaking out now. I have never been sacred of my boys and i now i'm reading about people being mamed and flogged and knocked out and having to bash roos nearly to death. And them attacking having never shown aggression before. Now i have to go up and put the boys to bed and i'm actually a little frightened for the first time. I grew up around farm animals and literally never saw a rooster do any of those things. I am actually considering getting rid of them Please can someone at least point me to a thread about nice roos, i searched and only found posts of a negative nature.