What behavior to look for?

[leighks]

What do you look for with rooster behavior that shows he is getting agitated and may attack a person?

And is there an age that you can feel fairly comfortable determining he is generally “people friendly”? Obviously if his flock is threatened he will react, but I mean just being comfortable with him around while doing coop chores and not feeling like you have to keep an eye on him the whole time.

 

[Welshies]

You should always feel comfortable around a rooster. If he ever runs at you or pecks you he may want to attack, you'll tell if he's feeling aggressive. You can just flip him upside down by the legs and within a couple times of that he'll stop.

 

[sourland]

When young cockerels are starting to get antsy, they will stand body parallel to you, lean towards you and peck at the ground maybe shuffling their feet. They may graduate to wing dancing at you and flaring hackles. Stage three is flaring hackles and flogging at you. It's a good idea to modify their behavior at step 1 as it generally escalates. Some roosters are just good and do none of this - they are the ones to breed from.

 

[azygous]

The first sign that a cockerel may not trust you is if he does the "dance" next to your leg. A good boy will move out of your path as you approach him. A bad boy will wait until your back is turned and come flying at you like a feathered bowling ball. That type is one you do not want to keep around.

From age five months to one year are the months to keep your guard up, ready to dish out discipline if necessary. If you have a good boy, and he's never given you any trouble during these first critical months, you can probably start relaxing after he turns one year.

 

[sylviethecochin]

X2 and X2.

I generally feel pretty easy around a boy who still hasn't attacked after ten months.

I'll just add this--cockerels are much nicer when raised with adult birds, including a dominant rooster. It keeps their testosterone levels down.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't make 'pets' of my cockerels, rather I expect them to respect my space and get out of my path at all times. I 'walk through' the birds instead of around them when I'm out there.
It is much easier to raise cockerels with adult birds! The little guys learn to respect their elders, as it should be.
I'm watching their behavior; they aren't to sidle up to me, stare into my face, or act in any way as though I'm another chicken to try to push around.
I can pick up any bird, wear anything, whatever, and I'm still not to be challenged.
I'll give a cockerel 'three strikes', if one that I thought would be a keeper, tries something at me (not a full out attack!), but then it's over, and the idiot is on the dinner menu. Many cockerels are hatched, very few make it to be a flock rooster!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I have had two bantam boys who decided to mount a challenge at age two! It didn't go well, for them. Almost always, you will know by the first spring, and usually sooner.
Mary

 

[leighks]

Thanks all who replied. There is surprisingly little info about rooster behavior online, as in actual papers on behavior studies and findings. I know behavior studies are slowly being done on hens and chickens in general, maybe at some point I will come across a study on roosters. Chicken behavior is actually pretty fascinating!!

 

[bobbi-j]

Chicken behavior is interesting. You have gotten good information from some experienced chicken keepers. Better than any "study" you can find, in my opinion. These people have had chickens for years, and have spent those years observing their behavior.

I will add my two cents' worth. I won't say I never feel comfortable around a rooster, but I do keep my eye on them at all times. Maybe after the first year if they haven't attacked or gotten too cheeky with me, I'll trust them a little more. I still keep an eye on them, but maybe not every second. I think rooster training needs to start the minute you are sure you have one. It's time to step back, not handle them, don't hand feed them, and don't let them in your space. Keep them on guard at all times. Move through them. If they are where you want to be, make them back off. If they come toward you, you move toward them and make them move away. Make them move away even if they don't come toward you. Look them in the eye until they move a way. If they even think about challenging you, meet that challenge and win. A couple of years ago, I had a Buff Rock cockerel who figured he was the "cock of the walk". He would look me in the eye, and I would do exactly as I stated above. I made sure he knew I was the boss. One day I was encouraging one of the pullets to go in the run (she was the only one still out, and I was ready to lock them up). She, of course, made a fuss and the cockerel came a-running. He came straight in my direction, and I gave him "the look". He decided he had better things to do on the other side of the run. I think he would have been a good rooster, but he didn't get to grow up to find out. He died a month or so later, defending one of the hens from what I think was a hawk.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I have one out of my three cockrels that is a problem. He likes to come up and do his sideways wing dragging dance. At this point I always grab him and hold him in a defenceless position, however, he refuses to learn a thing. I have been hit once from behind while walking through the yard and I'm sure it was this guy. I know he is going to continue to be trouble, but value all of my roos as we harbor most of the nations raptor population during winter and the three of them have done great work protecting the flock. For me I choose to keep this problem roo as he is doing his job pretty well otherwise.