Rooster VS 8 year old

[kristinhennifer]

Good afternoon! I was wanting to get some opinions from more seasoned chicken and keepers than I. I have a rooster who is five months old. He is a blue copper Maran and up until now he’s been behaved. He does not like us picking him up, but if he is on the roost at night, I am able to grab him and hold him.
Yesterday my son was petting one of our hands and the rooster came up to him and was starting to do the feet attack motion, so he went away from the rooster and the rooster ran away.
I know that roosters go through hormonal periods, etc., but in your personal experience, would this be assigned to rehome? Should we give it awhile longer?

 

[kristinhennifer]

Good afternoon! I was wanting to get some opinions from more seasoned chicken and keepers than I. I have a rooster who is five months old. He is a blue copper Maran and up until now he’s been behaved. He does not like us picking him up, but if he is on the roost at night, I am able to grab him and hold him.
Yesterday my son was petting one of our hands and the rooster came up to him and was starting to do the feet attack motion, so he went away from the rooster and the rooster ran away.
I know that roosters go through hormonal periods, etc., but in your personal experience, would this be assigned to rehome? Should we give it awhile longer?

Wanted to add, we don’t have a need for him other than he is handsome and can be helpful with the ladies pecking order. He was supposed to be a sapphire Olive hen, but turned out to be a rooster.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

How long are you willing to take a chance with your 8 yr old. Me, adios, and I'm not talking rehome.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Good afternoon! I was wanting to get some opinions from more seasoned chicken and keepers than I. I have a rooster who is five months old. He is a blue copper Maran and up until now he’s been behaved. He does not like us picking him up, but if he is on the roost at night, I am able to grab him and hold him.
Yesterday my son was petting one of our hands and the rooster came up to him and was starting to do the feet attack motion, so he went away from the rooster and the rooster ran away.
I know that roosters go through hormonal periods, etc., but in your personal experience, would this be assigned to rehome? Should we give it awhile longer?

I am not writing this to blame your son, or to sway your decision one way or another, but your cockerel (he isn't a rooster yet, because he is not yet 1 year old) might well have interpreted your son's petting a hen (I think "hand" was a typo?) as a mating movement. In other words, a threat to his role as The Guy.

If you plan to have roosters (I know that this one was a surprise), I would strongly encourage you to read @Shadrach's article on understanding roosters and their behaviors:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

Chickens are not like dogs or cats. They are reptiles (yes, birds have been reclassified as reptiles), and their brains are very, very different from those of most pets. Cuddling is unnatural to them, as an example. Things that we instinctively do to calm or show love to our mammalian pets are often perceived as threats by chickens, despite our best intentions.

Good luck with whatever you do! I do appreciate that you don't put a top hat and tuxedo on your cockerel and post his picture on IG!

 

[Anon112]

I had a LOT of learning to do about roosters. My ignorance resulted in some aggression from my roosters, and things are much better now that I understand better how to interpret their behavior and how to behave myself in ways that don't make them feel threatened/challenged.

You should be VERY cautious if you decide to keep this rooster. I got a pretty deep puncture wound from a rooster attack (I still have the urgent care form that reads "Reason for visit: ROOSTER ATTACK" and my friends now lovingly refer to a tetnus shot as a "Rooster Booster"), and a child is closer to the ground than an adult.

When my niece visits my house, I don't let one of my roosters out to free range because he's more skittish, especially around strangers.

I agree with the above post that seeing your child reach for the hen might have triggered his protective instincts. When I pick up any of my hens, my roosters make upset noises and one of them will do a peck or two at my boot and occasionally some stomping.