So Rooster for protection good?

[tammyd57]

Quote:
If you handle a rooster a lot when he is young, it teaches him that he is at least equal to you or even above you in the pecking order. That makes it okay in his mind to attack you, flogging and spurring.

A rooster is only good as protection as far as sounding an alarm to get everyone under cover when there is a predator. Sometimes a particularly brave rooster will sacrifice himself for his girls, by facing the predator and getting killed, thus keeping the predator busy while everyone else runs and hides.

You know, I've been hearing that lately that handling a bird a lot makes him aggressive to you. But in all of my years people I knew always said the opposite, even myself when we had a human aggressive bird we would handle him more to gentle him down. I believe that attacking people is a sign of fearfulness, or distrust, which is why the cocks even attack predators at times.

That is one of the reasons I always suggested to handle the birds, at least 5 minutes a day when I hear of someone with a aggressive rooster. In my experience fighting with them only made it worse, but that could be because I have games and they couldn't be knocked out of it, they either were mean by fear (and calm when handled often) or mean by bloodline and should be culled. I do not count a cock hitting you because of the hen screaming as being aggressive, but protective, just like you would probably smack some guy around if he came in your house and grabbed your wife to take her somewhere. But- if the hens are scared they need more handling too, if it doesn't work they should be culled since the temperament is probably genetic. Any of my birds on the yard my 2 year old cousin can come out here and pick them up without a worry or having to chase them too much.

-Daniel.

You're right. If the rooster is already aggressive to people, then handling him more and carrying him around can change that in some birds. It's the over handling when the cockerel is young that can cause him to become aggressive when he gets older and the hormones kick in. In a way, that seems backwards, but it's what I have observed over several decades of chicken keeping. And it isn't that way with ALL roosters.

 

[Nystra]

hrrmm.. ok so overhandling is bad... 5min a day good. but still expect to get smacked if a hen doesnt want to be held and makes some noise.. But some of the roosters are real pretty. are there any benefits to having a rooster around?? other than a alarm clock and warning calls?

 

[speckledhen]

No, it isn't the actual handling that is bad. It merely brings out his temperament. If he is prone to aggression, it will make him think of you more as an equal and he will take you on one day. If he is even-tempered, then it only makes him more of a pet. Handling doesn't cause aggression, just brings what is already there to the surface.

I think roosters are good protection, only in the sense that they will give their lives for the girls. They may get the hens to safety and die protecting them. They usually aren't able to defeat something like a fox or dog, but they will give it their all. I have never lost a chicken to a hawk here in my hawk-infested woods and I credit it to my excellent roosters. A rooster will spend about 80% of his time just standing and watching out while the girls stuff their faces. They break up fights between the hens as well. I think they add a wonderful dimension to the feathered family. If they die protecting the girls, that is their destiny, their role in the life of the flock. I have four adult roosters, each with their own flock (except my handicapped rooster, Zane) and one up and coming 16 week old cockerel.

 

[Jasmine1998]

I have 2 Roosters, Bob & Roo. Bob is a dark brahma & Roo is a GLW. They are both 11 weeks old now. Bob will make a good rooster, Roo not so much. Bob has a sweet personality towards people, is definitely dominant over Roo & takes charge of his girls. He calls them over if he finds something good, if he notices me he calls the girls & leads the charge over to me, he helps lead them back to the coop at night & the other day when the barn cat Patches (who could care less about chickens) laid down underneath their favorite tree, Bob let out a noise that sent all of the ladies hustling back to the coop while he stood his ground & went to check out the cat (meanwhile Roo hauled his little butt back to the coop with the ladies). Roo is also very skittish & does not like to be touched.

 

[tammyd57]

My roo, Vern, is one of the best I have ever had. He treats the girls like the little princesses that they are.

He is not really skittish, but he doesn't like being touched or hand fed. He is always perfectly polite and respectful to me. He always steps out of my way when I walk by, doesn't make a fuss if I need to pick up a hen, and I have never seen him mate a hen even though I KNOW all my eggs are fertile (I have 15 chicks as proof), and he has never once even looked at me sideways.
I got him at almost a year old in a trade with a nice man I met at the feed store and can't help thinking I may have gotten a much better deal than he did.
And to top it off, he is BEAUTIFUL!

 

[Lofty Dreams]

I have heard stories of roosters attacking large animals one was Rusty and the other i forgot his name but they looked tough but turned out fine. They are sometimes hen savers.

 

[TomKat]

I agree with the others that having at least one roo is beneficial. They do spend most of their time watching for danger and when they see it or think they see danger sound the alarm. A good roo will sacrifice himself in the interest of his girls; however, you can't expect them to win against a fox or other wild predator. A medium sized dog; however, will keep most small predators away such as foxes, bobcats, raccoons, etc. Besides the "rooster dance" is quite funny.

 

[PoultryPedia]

I had a rooster, Lace (as in a boot lace) that saved our hens.

He was a production-quality large Columbian Wyandotte. He had some physical challenges (Build-up was harder to clean from his large cushion comb, his thick long spurs had to be shortened [usually via careful twist-off of ends] to not interfere with his walking, he got uncomfortable callouses on his feet a lot probably because his genetics which hadn't been aimed toward health and comfort for a long life, and for some reason mites of all kinds were much more attracted to him than the other chickens so he frequently needed baths and/or leg treatments.) but it was worth it.

One time I found a few of the rooster's tail feathers, and realized the neighbor's big dog had come over but Lace had done battle with it. There might have been some noise that helped scare off the dog, too, but I'm not positive.

Another time, the same dog came at our chickens again & I heard commotion so I came running & yelling. The dog ran off. I found some of the roosters' feathers but not the rooster. That evening, Lace was not in the coop. I found him hunched out in a pasture. He was missing a chunk of hackle feathers in the side of his neck, but was otherwise physically okay. I was very relieved. Though surely extremely scared, he had fought the dog again, and bought enough time for me to help, too. He was clearly very traumatized by how rough everything had been, though. I was so grateful to him and humbled by his valiance and self-sacrificing care for the others.

Lace would also tell cats off if they hung around too much in a way the hens didn't like. He'd stand between the cat and the other chickens & do a short charge, which quickly ran off the cat.

Lace was a wonderful rooster. Dignified and quite mild with people visitors. Understanding about being handled when needed. Allowed the integration of sequences of young roosters fairly well. Always fed the hens & made sure they were okay. Always kept an eye out.

I am sure he is in animal Heaven.

 

[PoultryPedia]

To contribute my experience with gentling roosters towards people:

Many roosters will challenge people for dominance starting when their hormones begin kicking in in adolescence.

Roosters that have been handled a lot previously will be more confident and persist longer in their challenging, but usually can be cured of excessive agression, is my belief. It might take a little longer, though (4-7 weeks instead of 1-3 weeks).

I believe a large majority of roosters can be cured of intolerable aggression toward people by methods that center on picking up the roo & carrying it around firmly but amicably any time it charges someone.

Most roosters that have had this method used to address aggression, once they figure it out I think don't ever go back to being really aggressive, though they may on rare occasion need an reminder for minor attempts at acting up.

One of these days before long, I'll post on my website some more details about methods I use for gentling roosters, in case they are useful for others.

 

[Stonerowfarm]

Even though some of my boys are a pain in the tail, I love having them around. I have a large RIR roo who I've had since he was five weeks old. He was never handled much and is very respectful of me. Since he comes up to my knees, he is a big boy and quite capable of inflicting harm on me. He warns the girls of hawks and ground hogs (not a threat but he doesn't know that). Love this big boy.

My bantys are a different story. I have two mille's who again have not been handled and are very respectful of me. They move when I go into their run and coop and never have challenged me.

The red cochin and silkie roos are my problem boys. Both were handled as they grew up. Not excessively handled, but handled daily. The red cochin is constantly chasing after me, pecking to the point of drawing blood and attacking me any chance he gets. He is 2nd roo in the coop. 1st roo is the silkie. He also is aggressive towards me but no where near as bad as the cochin. The silkie will advance on me and definitely peck if I turn my back on him. They are very protective of their girls and wonderful about setting up the alarm if there are predators around. I would never think of culling them, but it sure makes daily chores interesting. Just last night I was putting a hen back into the coop for the night and cochin didn't like my hand in the coop and sure enough, pecked hard enough to draw blood again!

All in all, I love having the boys around and put up with their annoying behavior.