Roosters--aggressive or nice?

[PippinTheChicken]

Probably depends on how they were raised. If they got lots of attention and love they probably grow up to be loveable!
My 6 week old silkie (I think he's a roo) is very sweet and cuddly- I hope he stays that way!

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Probably depends on how they were raised. If they got lots of attention and love they probably grow up to be loveable!

By the way, this isn't always the case!

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have many friendly roosters/cockerels.

I have 1 butthead silkie rooster.

And quite a few, that are friendly, but don't like to be touched.

 

[MamaBelle5]

We ended up with 4 cockerels and 5 pullets. Not a great combination.

We decided to get rid of our top two. They fought each other and terrorized the other two cockerels. One was always off by himself with a pullet or two.

Once we got rid of those two, the barred rock in my pic became the dominant cockerel. He was even worse than the other two. He mated so aggressively that all of my pullets lost their wing and back feathers, partly because he was a massive bird. My husband joked we could always get rid of him at Thanksgiving and sell him as a turkey. My favorite rooster, Bean, had to hide from him. He was aggressive and just plain mean to him.

We introduced a new pullet. A sweet buff brahma named Nilla. Boo was relentless in attacking her and the other pullets followed suit. We decided he had to go.

Now we have one rooster (Bean) and 7 hens in that flock and there is peace. When we let them free range they stay relatively near the coop. Boo had them wandering all over. We have 2 other hens that we got from @Jeri2911, 3 pullets and 1 cockerel (they were all supposed to be pullets) we got from tractor supply, and our hatchlings, out of 7 we may have 3 cockerels plus 6 pullets we have inside still because they're 3 weeks old.

So - we will be keeping Bean, and monitoring the other roosters for the ones that have the most desirable traits when they get older for us. We don't need aggressive or overly protective roosters, I only let my birds free range when we are around as we do not have a fenced in yard. I have no need for an aggressive rooster.

 

[JedJackson]

Any breed of rooster can be aggressive. Maybe there is more tendency with certain breeds, but generalizing won't help someone who has an aggressive bantam Cochin rooster to deal with.

From my point of view, too much coddling is a big cause of the problem. When roosters aren't afraid of people, even if it is only a little bit afraid, there is nothing to hold them back. It's a mistake to treat them as you would a male dog or cat. They are just fundamentally different, and they are hard wired to protect their hens both from predators and competition from other males. When you have roosters but no hens around, they are usually much calmer and better behaved.

People deal or don't deal with aggressive roosters in their own way, but one thing I am firm about is that such roosters should never, ever be around children. It's not worth the risk.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My rooster Dizzy, is a sweetheart. I can call him, he comes running, I can pick him up when ever I want. He used to be a stargazer, and got better, he is still loopy. He doesn't crow as much as a regular rooster, and mostly he romances hens but doesn't do the deed. He likes to tidbit for his special girlfriend and watch for hawks. And even sleeps on the roost with younger roosters.

 

[bcorps]

My rooster, The Thing...first attacked me when he was THREE WEEKS OLD (which was actually kind of cute). But I definitely had his name on a ticket to freezer camp as soon as he got older. Weirdest thing happens....my favorite roosters (same age) turned into jerks, while The Thing became the hardest working rooster ever. The girls love him, and he gives them food, watches the skies vigilantly, etc. So he got to stay, and the "lovable" roos had to go. Funniest thing is...while he hasn't attempted to attack me since he was a baby, he has never wanted affection or handling of any kind. But something seems to be changing. When the girls are all hopping on my lap, mobbing me for cuddles...he's been standing there, seemingly just itching to get in on the party. He seems to know he's missing out on something. Me being suuuuuuper nice to him helps too. He has actually jumped up on my lap a couple times now, but he just freezes with a reaction like "uhhhh.....did I just do that?".....He will slowly turn and then hop off.

I'm going to break this roo and make him friendly. Mark my words.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My rooster, The Thing...first attacked me when he was THREE WEEKS OLD (which was actually kind of cute). But I definitely had his name on a ticket to freezer camp as soon as he got older. Weirdest thing happens....my favorite roosters (same age) turned into jerks, while The Thing became the hardest working rooster ever. The girls love him, and he gives them food, watches the skies vigilantly, etc. So he got to stay, and the "lovable" roos had to go. Funniest thing is...while he hasn't attempted to attack me since he was a baby, he has never wanted affection or handling of any kind. But something seems to be changing. When the girls are all hopping on my lap, mobbing me for cuddles...he's been standing there, seemingly just itching to get in on the party. He seems to know he's missing out on something. Me being suuuuuuper nice to him helps too. He has actually jumped up on my lap a couple times now, but he just freezes with a reaction like "uhhhh.....did I just do that?".....He will slowly turn and then hop off.

I'm going to break this roo and make him friendly. Mark my words.

As a day old, my little roo, Pickles, used to try to attack any object you held at him (elastic band, paintbrush etc) but he was so cute! Now he is 6 weeks old, cuddly and sweet. Always up for a cuddle!

 

[Poultry mum]

This is Audrey and Houdini both boys (although Audrey as the name suggests was bought as a “pullet” long story)

they both get along fine... both are fine with “pats” and being picked up and placed in their blackout boxes... although Houdini does carry on a bit with the bocking and the screeching like someone is murdering him when he’s 1st. Touched....

neither has ever attacked me and Audrey still loves his cuddles before bed....
Audrey is a GLW and Houdini is a golden Sebright......

the silkie boy is even more chilled than these boys....

all 3 boys = grate big sooks.....

 

[RebeccaRN]

Spoil the roo, and he'll be mean.
I've gotten a lot of great roosters over the years who would never attack.
2/3 of my OEGB roosters were mean. It's probably part of their genetics, but I also spent a little too much time with them.
I guess it's kinda like geese. Ganders get mean during mating season like a lot of animals do during mating season. Now, everyone is scared of geese. My geese would come when called and ate out of your hands. They were fine till mating season. Even with on my first OEGB rooster, when he was young, he was only mean during breeding season and nice during winter. Eventually he out grew that, but he didn't have spurs, so no fear there.

As a first time rooster owner, im wondering how long is breeding season? My Austrolorp roo has been great until about a month and a half ago. He has flogged me several times since then and I am really concerned and don't know what I should do.