Rooster Theory

[gritsar]

Quote:

Not really weird. Each rooster crows in his own time, just like every hen starts laying in her own time. I've had them crow as early as two weeks and as late as 15 months.

 

[magicpigeon]

My silkie roosters were very sweet, we did not handle them much as chicks and I avioded picking them up, et cetera because they would kick and scratch sometimes. It has someting to do with genetics and also the breed. Sometimes aggressiveness cannot be helped

 

[Mattemma]

I got a rooster off craigs when he was a year old and he has been great.Never attacked anyone. I will be shocked if he does.We have had him for 5 months now,and he has 7 hens in his flock. I think he is a RIR,but I forget what the previous owner told me. Hope you get a good one!

 

[GhostRider65]

Cute cuddly roosters turn out to still be roosters after adolescence, I treat them like the animals they are I'm the BOSS and too bad if you don't like it. That's just the way it is.
I accomplished this with mine by never letting them mount the hens in front of me, if they bite my toes I shove them away if they come back I pick them up and hold them until I feel they are quite calm and listening to me preach at them, that they best behave or they will be my dinner. LOL If they don't try getting away I put them down, but only if they stand nice while I do so, if they struggle or bite I hold them down like a hen being bred until they give up the fight. The girls eat first is also impportant not just for your safely but the girls as well, I had 1 white devil rock rooster that thought only he could eat and would not let the girls eat, so he was restrained the first few times he tried being a pig then he was left loose but pushed away if he tried to take food from my hand while the girls ate or even in the dish when I'm in the coop he waits until I allow him to eat. I feed them lots of treats and do pet them when I hold them other than that I leave em be and they leave me be, even if I'm checking over 1 of his hens he will allow it or else be carried around for a while. I have 1 nasty BO rooster that bites if you try to pick him up, so I old him against the ground until he gives, if he keeps fighting I grab his legs and turn him upside down. Seems to take the fight right out of him, then pick him up and carry him around. These guy are all pretty good, except that BO even my white devils have mellowed out alot.
The most important thing to remember is you are the boss if you don't believe it neither will he...........

 

[JHillgrove]

Quote:
Well they mostly attacked my children. I am not always out there to watch them. One of them attacked me when I bent over to do something in the yard. I have been walking towards him and making him move out of the way, and I kick him off the hens when he mounts when I am out there. I will have to start to keep him away from the food too.

But with our old rooster, I sent my kids outside with sticks and told them to chase the rooster away if he got too close, but that guy would just fight right back. He was horrible. But the most gorgeous rooster I have ever seen, I hated to kill him. But I dont want my kids afraid of their own backyard.

 

[DaughterOfEve]

cockerals are like teen age boys, showing off and fighting over girls, and generally not thinking with their brains. If you want a roo for breeding then keep him in a separate pen and run. We call it a bachelor pad. If you want him on grass then only let him out while you are not going to be out there like right before dark. Give them an hour or so before roosting time to be out foraging. They are animals you need to manage them don't let them run you.

 

[JodyJo]

one of my EE roos....

he is the alpha of the two, defends his girls, even against the other roo. My son likes to chase the hens, but not anymore...this roo stood up against him and reminded him he is boss
he didn't hurt my son, that is my final line he would cross, but my son now knows not to chase the hens...

so far he is not aggressive towards us, I take a lot of pictures, so I am around them a lot, even held them as chicks, but he never warmed up to me...(thought he was a she forever!)
I do keep an eye on him when I am on the ground getting shots etc...he just watches me, he knows I take care of them and bring them food...so I hope it stays that way!

Last year I raised 9 roos, not by choice, they were supposed to be pullets...all but 1 was nice...one we were always kicking away...they all got rehomed...and I started over. Now with a balanced flock, 16 girls, 2 boys, there seems to be peace.

 

[GhostRider65]

That EE is a very pretty rooster.......... Hope he stays nice for you he should give you some beautiful chicks if your planning on those. Kim

 

[phasian]

I would agree with earlier posters that a lot depends on your attitude/approach. When visiting my flocks I am in a mentally calm state, always speak to my birds, and don't move erratically. (I do think that roosters mistake children to possibly be another rooster since they can see their faces clearly due of their staturet and they are approaching their ladies at a quick clip. I have witnessed roosters friendly with adults be aggressive towards children. Since children move differently, and are diminutive, they are perceived very differently.)

Hundreds of roosters have lived at my farm and only one, a stately Wheaten Penedesenca was human aggressive. I did have to cull him as other people sometimes care for my flock and I don't want them to fear my birds. He also ripped open my hand, and as a taiko drummer, that outcome was not acceptable. It was a shame as he was very gallant to the gals, but one of my occasional flock helpers is my mother and I didn't want her to be harmed. I have a painting of him to memorialize his regal beauty, not to mention a few of his daughters.

I have 30 roosters right now, all peaceful (occasional sparring to test dominance-but not violent) with each other, the ladies and me. Most of them I hand raised. They receive treats daily.

 

[JHillgrove]

I feeling like a big bully. I dont let him eat until I say so. I chase him around for no reason, I held him down to the ground and picked him up and carried him around. He was looking at me with fear in his eyes. I felt horrible sense he has never done anything to deserve to be treated like that. Hope this works.