Ok, that's good. From what I've seen, a rooster can typically tell if a hen is laying or not, so that might be why he's leaving them alone.
Some people hand feed their roosters, and I've done so myself, but yes, I'm aware of the horror stories. Most roosters won't attack if they're eating out of your hand, but you don't typically want the rooster getting that comfortable around you. Personally, I find it best that the rooster is taught to be submissive to you, even if it means he's not allowed to eat out of your hand.