Roosters and young children

[TalkALittle]

I'll chime in and mention that I think that environment plays a larger role in rooster aggression towards humans than people give it credit for doing.

I wouldn't be surprised if cooped roosters are more likely to flog kids than free range. The free range roosters are just busier finding the girls food, watching for aerial predators, keeping tabs on where their ladies are, keeping a watchful eye for what might jump out of the bushes, etc. I think many times kids are probably assessed and written off as non-threats pretty early on. The rooster's attention is spread thin, so low level threats are not given priority.

The cooped rooster really doesn't have much to do. He still feels like he has a job to do but really doesn't have the same outlets for fulfilling that need. People that enter the coop take the brunt of all that rooster's instincts.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. Free range roosters tend to know more about what really constitutes a threat in his world and don't waste time on humans, particularly if that range is large and varied and his flock is larger as well. I've seen a few, though, that thought they were the boss even out on large free range simply because no one had taught them any different.

I think, too, there is a difference between human reared chicks and broody raised chicks...with the broody raised male just more respectful of elders in the flock and humans in general. There's just something about being raised by a proper mother of his own species that gives a rooster a better footing in this world and he seems more wise and less confused overall about social interactions within and without the flock. He seems to have a better grasp on mating rituals, is more gentle overall with his hens and is more accepted at an earlier age for his place in the flock.

Then too, I've noted a difference in reports of small groups of chicks that were not integrated with the flock early enough for proper instruction in social etiquette and both males and females seem to have more trouble with social cues within the flock as well as out of it. These chickens seem to struggle more when finally integrated with the flock, they struggle more with illness, with knowing how to properly free range/forage, with mating rituals, and with proper respect for the humans that care for them. The earlier one can get chicks in with the big flock, the better their flock lives seem to go.

 

[centrarchid]

I hen-raise, brooder-raise and hand raise roosters. Rearing method itself does appear to be factor in aggression, nor does confinement by itself. Particular events the rooster remembers do appear to play a role. The particular events jibe better with each rooster being different even when of similar gemetic background.

 

[Sierra67]

I"m going to be pretty plain spoken here, cause there's a little one involved.

I don't think it's your set up. I think it's your behavior and tolerance of the rooster's behavior.

You state he doesn't get out of your way when you move through the coop. that's the cardinal rule here---the lesser always give way to the dominant. I'm the dominant, I'm the human. Every animal on this place moves a step or two out of the way when i walk toward them.

Watch your birds. You'll see the dominant animal move through the flock, the others move out of her way. No fuss or drama, they're not terrified of her, she's not pecking or beating on them. It's a simple fact of life, you yield to the uppers.

I'd have a few training sessions with the rooster and see how it goes. Use a tool, like a handle/stick/etc. Something to make your arm longer and give you more reach. Feet work also, but trying to boot a rooster can put one off balance and that can end poorly

. Start walking toward him, but focus past him. You're going to walk through him, not to him. If he does not yield by the time you can reach him with your tool, swat/push him out of the way. He's not too dumb, trust me. Get him out of your way, but he has to move some himself, not just you pushing him. And continue your walk to where you were going. Wait a few minutes, repeat.

Hopefully, he starts giving way as you approach. that's the idea.

If he refuses to yield to you, you've got to get more forceful. I don't know if you've ever seen one of your birds go after another bird, but there's a lot of posturing and noise involved. I go that route, along with some physical interaction. If my young cockerels won't move for me, or act the tiniest bit aggressive, I make them think they're going to die. I become a crazy psycho woman. I yell, I stomp at them, I wave my arms, I might boot them or swat them if I have a tool handy, I chase them away-----for about 10 seconds

. Usually he hops into the air in alarm and takes off. I don't chase them down at that point. No reason, he did what I wanted. Lesson learned. I'll let him think on that for a while, but I'll be sure to re-approach him within say half an hour, to see how he reacts. Yes, some need more training than others, but pretty much all can learn.

It's not enough for him simply not to attack me. He's got to show submissive behavior, that of moving out of my way. No dropping a wing at me, no courting behavior--he has plenty of hens for that.

I've been doing this so long and it's so instinctive, it's kind of hard to type out instructions

. So, let me know if something isn't clear. I'm only on my first Diet Coke, ya know, the brain might not be fully functional yet.


And all that said.......littles and roosters often just don't mix. Littles are noisy, unpredictable, they move fast and oddly, and they seem to make roosters nervous. Nervous birds tend to attack. Even once you're comfortable with your bird's behavior toward you, you'll still basically have to have eyes on her the entire time she's around him, and I would be within arm's reach of her at all times. We like to think of our birds as pets, but the truth is a rooster is intact male livestock, same as a buck goat, boar hog, bull, etc. Just a smaller package, but every bit as hormone-fueled.

I wish you the best with your birds. Let us know how things go.

Now my rooster is a mutt, beautiful bird, got him as a young guy before spurs and stuff, we are a family of 3 adults and 3 children youngest being 1, we are always out around our birds, holding them, feeding them, treats from our hands. And for the last couple months the rooster has become aggressive towards all people except me, even knocked the 1yr old over and spurred the 7yr old in the back of the knee as well as one of us adults, when he knocked the baby over I ended up booting him in the butt and he stayed away from all of us for a fair while couple weeks without trying to attack anyone or even showing signs, then he started attacking the hens, so he got locked up in a bird house for a couple days, let him out for the day while most of us went to the city and he spurred the one adult again in the leg, so he’s now been locked up in the house again by himself for 5 days and we are thinking about culling him. However I’m not someone that wants to kill the bird if we can stop him from this behaviour. With the hens if there’s food he pecks at them and shops them away so he can eat if there’s a threat in the air he hides instead of standing his ground. But with us who take care of him and feed him he’s aggressive. What do we do? Is culling the only option? We have tried holding him to show dominance, walking towards him he always runs away (until you turn your back) he won’t eat from your hand at all. We’ve tried water, locking him up, as stated he was booted once. What do we do?

 

[Sierra67]

Now my rooster is a mutt, beautiful bird, got him as a young guy before spurs and stuff, we are a family of 3 adults and 3 children youngest being 1, we are always out around our birds, holding them, feeding them, treats from our hands. And for the last couple months the rooster has become aggressive towards all people except me, even knocked the 1yr old over and spurred the 7yr old in the back of the knee as well as one of us adults, when he knocked the baby over I ended up booting him in the butt and he stayed away from all of us for a fair while couple weeks without trying to attack anyone or even showing signs, then he started attacking the hens, so he got locked up in a bird house for a couple days, let him out for the day while most of us went to the city and he spurred the one adult again in the leg, so he’s now been locked up in the house again by himself for 5 days and we are thinking about culling him. However I’m not someone that wants to kill the bird if we can stop him from this behaviour. With the hens if there’s food he pecks at them and shops them away so he can eat if there’s a threat in the air he hides instead of standing his ground. But with us who take care of him and feed him he’s aggressive. What do we do? Is culling the only option? We have tried holding him to show dominance, walking towards him he always runs away (until you turn your back) he won’t eat from your hand at all. We’ve tried water, locking him up, as stated he was booted once. What do we do?

Update on my own case:
Rooster is being killed today. He was locked up for about 6 days because of his aggression. We let him out yesterday and within less than 2 minutes he tried to attack my daughter through a fence. And my hubby right after. So my husband is done trying with him now

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Update on my own case:
Rooster is being killed today. He was locked up for about 6 days because of his aggression. We let him out yesterday and within less than 2 minutes he tried to attack my daughter through a fence. And my hubby right after. So my husband is done trying with him now

Definitely the best decision. They do not often change and it's not worth the risks.