I respectfully disagree. These pages are full of people with years - even generations- of experience and many of them simply will not put up with that kind of behavior, either. In my situation, I have a 4 year old disabled granddaughter. She has been in her wheelchair since she was 9 months old. My other granddaughter is 10. She is mildly autistic and she is the most reliable chicken caretaker ever - she has full charge of the coop and run when hubby and I are out of town, which happens frequently during the busy summer months. I cannot have any chicken out there, pullet, hen, cockerel or rooster - that I don't trust 100%.
We had a very special rooster that I worked for weeks on to save from frostbite. He respectfully moved of our way when we were outside working, even if they were just out free ranging and we were just doing yard work. Never had a moment's worry, although I'm also not stupid enough to NOT be aware of where he was or to leave Kendra out there unattended in her chair. I don't "love" my chickens. I save that very special emotion for the people I care about the most. But Scout was a special favorite and did a great job all the things a good rooster is supposed to do. He not only accepted the chicks I was brooding out in the run, he was very gentle with them and even showed them goodies to eat on the ground. I had plenty of hens (17 at that time) so I was stunned one day to see him grab one of the girls, get her down on her back on the ground, hold here there, and proceed to knock the stuffing out of her. He received similar treatment from me on the spot. The trouble seemed to stop, and months went by with no issues.
Then one day I was out working in the run. It was the morning of June 4th. I saw a piece of plastic stuck in the litter and reached out to remove it so none of the chickens would peck at it. He went for my hand and I still bear the scars. I don't know - was it the movement of my hand in a way he didn't expect? Did the plastic make a flapping sound and he reacted? Whatever it was, by the afternoon of June 4th he was in the refrigerator cleaned and resting before he went into the freezer. What happened could have been a one time reaction. I'll never know. I do know that Kendra in her wheelchair often drops things, or flaps her arms in excitement, and after what he did to me how would I ever know if he was going to react to a sudden move she might make? How could I trust that if we were gone and Katie was out feeding, watering, and gathering eggs, she wouldn't make a sudden movement that caught him off guard? I can't take that chance. When a rooster goes on the attack for any reason they are fast. Even if I was right there Kendra could never protect herself. And Katie loves every aspect of chicken keeping. I will not have her ever turn to me and say she's afraid to go out if the chickens are out.
Many very experienced, trusted advisers here and on another forum gave me great information, but ultimately I had to decide, and I did. And I'm now raising another rooster (cockerel if the term is more acceptable) and he was never hand coddled or given extra treats. Nor will he. When I'm out there he goes his way and I go mine, but if he's in my way I'll walk right through him. Truth be told, I often go out of my way to GO where he is or wants to be. So far so good, but since I don't need a rooster to get eggs and meat from the other chickens, at the first sign of aggression he's gone. I'd love to have a nice rooster and not be buying chicks every year, but I can get new chickens much easier than I can face one of my grands being hurt.
