Taming a rooster 🐔

[Folly's place]

My first rooster was a little Belgian d'Uccle attack bird, who had no trouble flying to face height, and would never retreat. He lived too long, and never again!
And yes, human aggression is genetically influenced, then management plays a role too.
It's been years since I've had a human aggressive cockerel, because I select my breeding stock carefully.
This week some chicks are coming from Cackle, and we'll see how the boys behave as they grow up!
Mary

 

[Acre4Me]

Agree with much said above.

roosters and little kids are not a good mix. Kids are at right height to get eye/face injuries. kids play outside and are not always aware of everything all the time bc they are playing. Many people have a dislike/hate/or fear of chickens bc of a bad experience with a rooster as a kid.


if you want a rooster, then have a separate enclosure for him. Get a different one that is over a year old so his hormones have calmed, but not until you have laying pullets/hens. You can see if a different one is better behaved. However, they are still unpredictable and not a good mix with young children.

we had males in our first batch of chicks, which was planned. They were 4 breeds, and 3 were culled by 16 weeks bc didn’t need that many. Kept 2. We’ve since gotten rid of those 2 due to aggression, one at close to a year and the other at 2 years old. Now we have other males that have been raised in our flock of mixed aged females with an older rooster (the one we got rid of), and they are better behaved, and so far no human aggression, but that could change as the oldest one is only just about to turn 1 year old.

 

[igorsMistress]

I'm sorry but chasing your rooster or hitting him with a stick won't typically do anything but make him mad. What happens when you go out without a stick? Petting them and carrying them around doesn't necessarily help either. The girls are his not yours in his mind. Try treating him and letting him call the girls for treats. If you throw out scratch don't call the flock, they likely already know you're the source of food and will come when they see you. Don't pick up and cuddle the hens etc. When you walk through the yard ignore him. Don't talk to him or look at him directly and wear pants and closed toe shoes. Keep children and visitors away from the flock. Eventually he may come around, but don't turn your back on him for a bit. If he's less than a year or two old he can grow out of it but right now his hormones are raging and you're competition.

I have a normally very sweet roo but he's less than a year old and we've had words a few times recently. I just act like he doesn't exist and go about my business.