Should you hold roosters?

[NicsChics]

this is an excellent article on the topic by one of BYC's best contributors
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

Great article, thanks for that! I’ve bookmarked it so I can reference it later since there’s a lot of info to take in.

 

[SamLockwood]

I don't handle my birds unless I'm trying to treat injuries, etc. I haven't noticed it makes individual birds any more or less friendly. Some are flighty and will avoid contact, I have others that if I sit down on a bench or stool will hop into my lap if I let them. I think it has to do with the individual bird's personality more than anything.

That being said, it seems to me that most of the horror stories of "my rooster turned mean" come from people that frequently pet and cuddle their chickens. My theory is that given how with chickens physical contact is either aggression or mating, a rooster may interpret petting the hens (or him) as some sort of mating behavior and react as if you're a rival.

Of course, there are simply mean roosters. The second rooster we ever had was a polish bantam a neighbor gave us to replace a rooster that was killed by a raccoon. He seemed OK if a little high strung, then about a month later tried to spur my mother in the face while she was watering the flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

Roosters are a crap shoot. Some are darling, some are a nightmare, and some go from the darling to the nightmare in what seems like a second. The longer I am in the game, the more I am convinced that there really is no perfect way to raise a rooster. As in if you do this, and don't do that, you get a bird that is perfect.

I do think that roosters raised in a multi generational flock where there are hens that are older than them turn out better...kind of, sort of. All of my rotten roosters have come from flock mate only flocks. The cockerel gets bigger faster than the flock mate girls, sexually matures sooner than the pullets and becomes a bully.

Last year I introduced 2 8 week old cockerels to my mature flock, and seriously those hens took out a can of whoop ass and applied it frequently. Mrs. Feathers drug LongJohns around by the comb looking a lot like my 5th grade teacher taking a kid to the principal by the ear (you know, back in the old days). She adores him now, and he is a fair rooster.

THE BEST roosters you get with a sharp knife, as in you do not keep the rotten ones, and eventually you will get a really nice one.

Mrs K