What are the happiest ending options for my Roos? Long and rambling post.

[casportpony]

I think you'll be fine free-ranging three roosters.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Ok, here's my experience. Take it into consideration with the other good advice you've received.... I have a couple of different coops that share one large (125 ft x 35 ft) chicken & duck yard. I routinely have 5 - 7 roosters all living together with 40-50 hens. I *try* not to keep more than 5 roosters which means I have to make some hard decisions each fall on which ones to keep and which to cull since my hens inevitably hatch more each spring. I tend to let mine get to 5-6 months before they become dinner. I also let my chickens free-range several days (3-4 minimum) per week which is *key* to a peaceful coop. If I keep them locked up, squabbles will inevitably break out over the girls. Free-ranging also keeps my girls from being over-bred because they have more space to spread out and get away from attention if they don't want it. I have more land but my chickens tend to stick within 2 acres around the barn & house where they have lots of shade & cover, if they need it.

Anyway, my roosters have a pecking order but they all generally get along and live peacefully with each other. I do not keep any aggressive roosters - either towards each other or towards humans.

 

[Morrigan]

Okay, so in this situation- is it a teachable moment for the roo, or is it like an immediate “you’ve got to go, buddy.”?

I guess that depends on how much time you want to invest in teaching a rooster and what your risk tolerance is. Personally, if a rooster starts to exhibit bad qualities, he goes. The flock is happier and I'm happier. Life is too short and there are too many good roosters to spend time and effort on those who really don't suit your goals and set up.

I also echo those who say the best way you can set up a rooster for good behavior is not handle/cuddle etc. As far as personal space goes, I make sure the cockerels know that it is my yard and they move out of the way for me. It is really more of an attitude/body posture type of thing, then a formal training or teaching session. Just calmly go about your business in the coop and run. If you need to get to something, don't step around the cockerel; make him move out of the way for you. You don't want them afraid of you, but you want them to have a healthy respect for you.

 

[NatJ]

I know I will obviously need to teach and prepare the kids too, before anything like that even becomes a thought for the roo, as well. It’s not just about teaching the roo appropriate behavior, they will need to learn to respect HIS space as well!

I'm not quite sure what you mean by a child respecting the rooster's space, but I can see that as good or bad.

If the rooster's space is inside a fence, definitely teach the kids to respect that (stay out of the fence unless you are there too.)

The child probably should not try to pick up the rooster, or chase him around, or interfere when the rooster is eating or mating, or anything like that.

But if the child carefully watches the rooster, and always avoids the rooster's area or moves away if the rooster approaches, that might be interpreted as acting like a subordinate, who the rooster is free to peck and dominate. That could cause problems.

 

[Mrs. K]

How old are your children? I have kept chickens and roosters for years, and been involved with this forum for years. I have seen countless posts where the darling became the nightmare in a second. If your children are young, you may not be aware of the impending attack until it has happened. I strongly recommend no roosters unless your children are over the age of 6.

Children under age of five, often are the first to be attacked. A rooster will fly up, extending their feet and beak, and flapping their wings hard, and with a small child hit the face or head. Then they move up, taking on women, and finally even men can be attacked. Each attack tends to get more and more violent.

Now inexperienced people will tell you that the darling, became the nightmare in an instant, but more than likely they were misunderstanding the cues of violence that he had been giving out.

• The seem friendly and approach you - they are in your space, and have no respect for you
• The fluff up, flap their wings, or crow insistently when you are present - he is challenging you
• He is curious and watches you, he is sizing you up, and looking for an opening to attack.
• He flies up on the roost when you come in, he is getting taller than you.
• He sneaks around you, trying to stay at your back, they will often attack from that position, especially if you bend over to reach for something.
• He bites you for whatever reason

Do avoid making excuses for aggressive behavior. Red shoes, wrong clothes, touching a hen, whatever, it is not your fault.

A great rooster is a treasure - if you get one, fantastic, but a huge amount of roosters are not, and often ruin the whole chicken experience. There really is not a lot you can do about it, they really don't train or learn correct behavior. It is more of the luck of the draw. One gets the best roosters with a sharp knife. In that you don't keep the rotten ones.

You need to be very aware, especially if there are young children.

Mrs K

 

[Shugercube]

What is your setup like?

Just starting out, and constantly changing! Lol.

Right now I have 13 5wks and older in a 12x12 enclosed coop with 2 external nesting boxes, an external brooder box being built that will be attached and accessible from both inside and outside the enclosed coop, and a 12x7 run. My babies (all under a week) are inside my house in the brooders. And I just realized I can’t math I have 33 birds, not 27. I ultimately plan on free ranging most of the time, but my yard is not yet fully fenced and I don’t want them to run off! We have just shy of 2 acres for them to roam once the fence is all done.

 

[Chicalina]

I second the great advice you've had here already. I would add, that if you are a confirmed non-roo-eater then if any have to go because they no longer fit or get on well, then there is another perspective to consider. These roos, when they grow up deserve to have individual flocks of their own. To be happy and content and not living in fear or uncertainty, dealing with others' aggression or their own. The deserve happy peaceful lives as adults, and that may need to be with someone else in another flock. So rehoming should always be a possibility, and one that is welcome.

 

[Chicalina]

A baby chick is a baby chick - while they're sweet little fluffballs it's game on for cuddles and kisses.

As soon as it's obvious it's a boy - he needs to stay out of your space and just - BE (ignored). Never chase or try to pick them up now that you know who's who. Draw a good 7ft circle around yourself and your family members and call that the rooster-free zone. That may mean any treats have to go away for a while - or be tossed to that distance. And again - ignore. Most baby roos mature sexually way before females - so they go from sweet 5 year old kid to raging hormones teenager in really a matter of days. Respect this about their physiology as young birds and set them up for success.

Of all the complaints about roosters people come to this forum about - they all involve a rooster coming into their space whether it's biting, spurring, flogging, doing the 'rooster' mating dance to their leg -- And all these things have one thing in common.

The rooster came into YOUR space. He felt just fine about coming right up to you and doing what he felt like doing. This is so often because cockerels who have been held and cuddled consider your space HIS space which he may then invade with impunity- because it's HIS space now. (remember: they view their time in your space differently than you do)

Trying to regain the respectful space bubble once that line has been crossed in an attack is the subject of hundreds and hundreds of threads and too often it's not a happy ending for the rooster.

And of course not all roosters will do this- but most horror stories start with the cutest cuddliest friendliest little guy who comes running every time he sees me and demands pets/food/attention.

I had two brothers who very much did this- they came running every time I came into the run even though they weren't handled/cuddled/pet.

Then one day I didn't pour the feed out of the scoop fast enough so one jumped 3ft in the air and bit my hand - hard - even though he'd never even been hand fed. Really. This with no history of bad behavior, but I did make a big mistake with them. I had acknowledged their attention to me and encouraged it even though it wasn't in the form of picking them up or petting. Happily in that case it just took one good well-timed whack and that was it- I stopped talking to them, looking at them and ignored them after that. They're both still here and are model citizens..

And some will turn into ****s no matter what you do, even if you do everything right. And some will be big sweeties even if you do everything wrong. The key is to set the boundaries. Cuddle the girls- and make sure the boys are indifferent to what you do with the girls under all circumstances.

As far as the kids go - remember children move differently than adults. They are quicker, more sporadic, and of course completely spontaneous. The more they can see the kids being kids, hopefully they will become desensitized. If you find a young roo starts approaching the kids, especially when say one shouts loudly or makes a sudden move- take that as a warning. It's not "oh that looks fun" it's "that could be a threat and I must investigate". Roosters can only think like roosters.

really informative post this. Like the bible of rooster keeping!

 

[MixedFlock23]

Okay, so in this situation- is it a teachable moment for the roo, or is it like an immediate “you’ve got to go, buddy.”? Like, would I be able to quickly teach him not to do that again? I’m talking about only the invasion of space- were any contact made towards any one of my children and it would *have* to be game over for the roo. Because while I totally love and am attached to all my feathered babies, my human babies and their safety comes first! I read the article from the main page about taming aggressive roosters, and thought I was prepared and would know what to do. But what to do with a not *obviously* aggressive roo, just while teaching him not to invade our space? The same tactics? (Getting in his face and flapping about, refusing to break eye contact or back down, etc) Or is all of that just not great advice?

Oh, and probably a stupid question, but does this apply to pretty much all Roos? I did a lot of research into friendly breeds, and so I have a couple silkies, one of which is cockerel. Do I have to always be wary of him also? It’s kind of scary to think any and all of my boys could basically turn on me at any second, even if that’s the truth of the matter.

I know I will obviously need to teach and prepare the kids too, before anything like that even becomes a thought for the roo, as well. It’s not just about teaching the roo appropriate behavior, they will need to learn to respect HIS space as well!

I give my roos about three chances then cull. In my limited experience (12 roos over the last 6 years), no roo has changed... anyone who got one bad mark against him, also earned two and three strikes and each attack got progressively worse. We raised most all of them from eggs or as day olds indoors for a bit, then in a brooder in the shed. Out of all of ours, only 2 have been 100% gentlemen. They are still in the flock. They were raised by broody mommas. I'm not sure if that made the difference or not. My lead roo Shushpop came out of the egg very skiddish and has grown to be the best roo. He will be a year old next week and one other roo is 5 months old next week. Others were culled between 3 and 9 months, so I guess there's still time for the little one to turn ugly, but so far, so good. About half of our roos were Silkies and one was a Orpington (also a "friendly breed"), so take that as a grain of salt, I guess. The two that are still with us are a silkie and a serama.
I don't think you'll need to worry about them turning on you at any second... I could tell who was thinking about being a jerk before they acted on it... and I believe that most of the jerkiness will appear as they grow... Once they are gentlemenly adult roosters, I think they stay that way, but that's only my limited knowledge. To be considered a gentleman roo here they must ask permission (dance) before mating and get the okay (no forced mating and running clucking girls here! no feathers pulled either), call the girls over for food before eating himself, not attack any human or any chicken (aside from regular pecking order stuff.) All of this, Shushpop the Silkie has done since his hormones kicked in over six months ago. So far, Raymond the Serama is behaving the same (though mostly he just crows because Shushpop doesn't let him breed as much. ha ha).
Good luck! I tried the bachelor flock and it worked for a few months, until it didn't! (Ended with fighting between roos and them going to live on a farm that free ranged all the time.)

 

[Shezadandy]

Okay, so in this situation- is it a teachable moment for the roo, or is it like an immediate “you’ve got to go, buddy.”? Like, would I be able to quickly teach him not to do that again? I’m talking about only the invasion of space- were any contact made towards any one of my children and it would *have* to be game over for the roo. Because while I totally love and am attached to all my feathered babies, my human babies and their safety comes first! I read the article from the main page about taming aggressive roosters, and thought I was prepared and would know what to do. But what to do with a not *obviously* aggressive roo, just while teaching him not to invade our space? The same tactics? (Getting in his face and flapping about, refusing to break eye contact or back down, etc) Or is all of that just not great advice?

Oh, and probably a stupid question, but does this apply to pretty much all Roos? I did a lot of research into friendly breeds, and so I have a couple silkies, one of which is cockerel. Do I have to always be wary of him also? It’s kind of scary to think any and all of my boys could basically turn on me at any second, even if that’s the truth of the matter.

I know I will obviously need to teach and prepare the kids too, before anything like that even becomes a thought for the roo, as well. It’s not just about teaching the roo appropriate behavior, they will need to learn to respect HIS space as well!

Don't be wary of any of them! No fear, no expectations. Every one, regardless of breed is an individual. It's about setting boundaries so your personal space is out of bounds. Ignore.

Just like you wouldn't like having someone eyeball you across the room every time you come and go - trust until they prove otherwise. So far you have no issue, i.e. don't create a problem that doesn't exist by watching them and making them uncomfortable.

The point is to be aware, because most issues that involve physical people/'rooster problems start with the little things, brash little actions like pushing back on you or trying to bite.

On the kids "fray" example - does he alert and watch, but not approach? If he makes a little sound to tell his friends that there's a ruckus to be aware of, that's good. Like a stranger at the pool watching for a minute to make sure your running toddler doesn't fall in the water while you're distracted. Once the 'event' is over, does he go back to what he was doing? If so, that's good. It will be much the same as when something big like a hawk flies overhead. They alert, evaluate, continue. If his inclination is to be confrontational and come towards them to "deal" with the problem (your kid)- that's the thing to watch for.

When it comes to kids and 'taming' aggressive roos, I put that on the no-go list. 1. obviously you don't want anything to hurt your kids. 2. when they have friends over- there's only so many 'rules' that will sink in, clearly you don't want the liability (moral or legal!). Just like you wouldn't have a dog that bites around, because he "only" bites if you (fill in the blank), but not if you (fill in the blank)... (you get the point, you just wouldn't).

No getting in his face, flapping about, staring him down. That's engaging him on a rooster level, and it will never end- at that point you're an adversary - that's already the end in my book. Now- that said- if you find yourself in a bad scenario- never run and do not back away- if it's that bad... I'm catching him and that's it for him. That doesn't usually come out of the blue.

Good rules: 1. No crowing at a rooster at any point. It's one of those things you have to enforce with everyone, the kids, their friends, any other visitors. People think it's fun- the rooster not so much. 2. No chasing/following a rooster. This goes back to trust- predators and rivals watch/follow/chase.

Maybe a good way to think of it is roosters are always on the job. Their whole being is about mating, keeping other roosters away from his hens, keeping his hens in order and safe, and that is 24/7 for him.