what age will roosters turn MEAN?

[jjthink]

Sorry not to have time to read all the responses.
I have treated my roos gently, lovingly and they have been nothing but gentle and loving to people and to hens, in return. My sweet roo BJ (9+ years) died 4 weeks ago

, and not once in all those years was he anything but lovely and incredibly caring toward his lady friends, never negatively affected by touch and even hugs and kisses

One size does not fit all (in terms of 'management') when it comes to roos. They are as individual as we are so the best way of handling really depends on their particular traits. I do understand that some are very different than BJ, and his buddy Johnny before him, and 2 others before him, not one of which was anything but gentle and selfless. I have met a couple of doozies that others have had the challenge of caring for, so know they really vary......
JJ

 

[johnsons-r-us]

Yes, I do believe they all have their own personalities. I have 3 boys under a year, very different breeds. They have all been raised together, same treatment, fairly hands off, free range around people and dogs. They all 3 have very different attitudes!

or lack thereof.

 

[yomama]

Just a quick question, and not to hijack the thread, but if you are not to coddle roos, but it is ok to do so with hens, what do you do if you have a bunch of chicks? Do you just wait till it is apparent which may be roos, then start the handling? I like my hens to be some what tame, and I usually have to handle them alot as chicks, but I don't want to mess up with a roo. Just curious

 

[Beekissed]

I keep my roos for many years until they are no longer fertile or until I want a new bloodline, which is seldom. When I do order chicks, I only order the one roo and it isn't too long until I know just which one it is by the way it stands, feather growth, etc.

I don't coddle my hens either, so this just isn't an issue with me~all my chicks are treated equally. I love my chickens just the same as anyone else, but everyone shows that love a little differently. If I have a hen who seems to want to be near me, then I will encourage that. If I see hens moving away when humans approach, then I know they are not comfortable with that contact and I don't try to manipulate that situation. I've always felt that each creature needs to be allowed to be just what/who they are~within boundaries of safety and working relationships~so I don't force my attentions on those particular hens/roos.

Wanting to seem like Ace Ventura is a pleasant thought, with all the animals running to you and bouncing up into your lap...but with animals raised for food it is going a little far~I'll settle for mine just behaving calmly as I walk amongst them. Those raising chickens strictly for pets? Well, that's another ball game and not one that I play, so different strokes for different folks.

Having said that, I will say this: Roosters behave a certain way because they are supposed to and trying to "tame" it out of them when they are chicks is rarely successful....it happens, but not as often as the resulting "spoiled" roo.

 

[OnceAroundTheBlock]

I've always felt that each creature needs to be allowed to be just what/who they are~

Exactly!​

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
I'm the same way. Maybe folks who show would have an answer since they do need to handle their cockerels a lot.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

thanks for all the replys!
yea my roo has 2 inch spurs. I was thinking about taking the spurs off, but there his defense.
I want him to be able to keep his hens safe.

the new rooster just started crowing today! gosh I love rooster more then hens.
I know ,I know I should love the nice sweet hens, and I do, but I really have
a weak spot for roosters

 

[WendyGrama]

Great reading, kinda makes me feel guilty. I hand raised my first batch of chicks this year, they are a mixed batch with two Roo's I am hoping will be able to keep together. At 5 months everyone is maturing quite nicely and up until a month ago there were no issues. All of a sudden Big Roo started flying at me spurs first. He has since learned I keep a metal feed can lid with me when I go in the pen. Of late I have been soooo rushed with work and dark mornings and early eve's I have hardly had time to be in the pen when they are out and about. He was always the more assertive of the chicks from almost day one, had him figured as the Roo pretty quickly. I never coddled any of them, but did handle and examine them gently every day and he sure knows who brings in the food...

I have had lotsa baby chicks before but always raised by my banty's... At one point I ended up with 14 roosters out of 22 chicks... they were all taken care of before I figured out their personalities. The Big Roo of that batch never demonstrated aggression.

Two Banty Roo's I ended up adopting as young males were both agressive in the extreme, the first would attack me while I was milking the cow. The second actually went after the farmers tractor in the asparagas field beside us...

I can't keep this big guy if this keeps up cause I do children art classes and hope to have some young underprivlidged 4Hrs working with me and critters. The week before his first attack I had 4 young kids in with me feeding several of them by hand, at any rate, can't do that anymore.

I am working to divide the pen and Big Roo is usually the last one out of the hen house so if needs be I can lock him in when visitors come... We'll see.

He is a beauty, Welsummer. Also waiting to see how he is with the hens. I had to rescue a friend from her young RIR, he had nearly ripped the head open of all her hens. I'm hoping that won't be the case here.

At any rate I do follow the directions about meeting his challenge, not over aggresive but he has felt the metal of the can lid a few times, barely respectfully so I have had to seriously back him off and move him away from me, I never take my eyes off him anymore but thats no fun, and having to offensively challenge him at almost every turn is putting my friendly hens off which won't do either.

I am looking for a free range, lotsa hens situation for him and am not prepared to put him in the stew pot for now butttt.

 

[Beekissed]

He would be easily retrained and without the use of the garbage can lid. You need to re-establish your status as human/predator to this rooster. You can do this by walking confidently into his space and making him move away from you, continue to do this until you get the desired response each time. If he doesn't move quickly enough or pauses and turns to confront you, stomp the ground next to him and make a sudden move in his direction. This should make him leap up in the air and run away. Find a long, limber pole....like a fishing rod...and touch him lightly on the back or rump every time he gets in your range. This should make him move or jump to get away from that touch....keep at it until he is wary of your presence.

A normal roo will just vacate the coop or the premises and get as far from you as possible when you are around. Reinforce this training whenever you think about it or when you notice he is too relaxed in your presence. He should always be looking over his shoulder at you....not the other way around.

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
Beekissed is right! You don't have to get into a fight to show the roo who is in charge. In my opinion it can be a bad idea to get into a battle with your roo - it makes him think that fighting with you is okay or makes him see you as dangerous, making agressive behavior worse. I never manhandle my birds, but I sure as heck own everything, even them, and I make sure they know that I will go where I want, grab what I want and do what I want. I believe that my attitude and assumption that no roo will contest me is one that they understand from day one. I never have a flogging roo and all my roos get along with each other. Everyone has to get along.

Recently I aquired a Marans roo from another breeder. One day, he flogged me. I was a bit surprised, he had been very well mannered before this point. I was shocked, but stayed in the pen, and emplyed a similar technique to that shared by beekissed. After some time, I figured out what the problem was. Turns out he is afraid of feed bags and similar objects. He never was flogging me, he was flogging the bag! Since that time I have been keeping a feedbag in the pen, stuffed with other feed bags. It is my hope that this will reduce his fear of strange objects.

And one other thing, roos are not destined to "turn mean". Genetics has a lot to do with it, but so too does handling.