When is a rooster too aggressive?

[EllieandOlive]

We have 1 rooster. He is a 1 year old blue australorp that we got from a local breeder at a day old. We had two but rehomed the other as we didn't need two and it was overtly dominant.

My children (6, 5 and 3) are terrified of our roo, and won't play outside without me beside them unless he is locked up. We have 1.5 acres fully fenced and the birds free range. I have a large coop but no run. It's either in the coop or free range. He has never spurred, scratched or pecked them. However, he does run at them and occasionally 'flap attacks' them. He also constantly and very deliberately will stalk them and hover near them which scares them because then they are fearing a flap attack. If they go outside he will sprint across the property to stalk them even if we are just walking to the car. Again, he has never physically hurt them. (He would have been long ago eaten if he ever had.)

He leaves me alone generally but occasionally with rush at me and stalk me also. If I feel he is out of place or he keeps coming at me I kick him away. Sometimes he runs at me again. I usually stomp and wave and run him off so he knows I'm the boss.


Anyways, is this normal, or is he overly aggressive? Would you cull this roo?

Is there such a thing as a nice rooster that won't bother my kids? We originally got rid of the second because he was dominant and would do the same and worse to the kids. As soon as he left this guy took top spot and started acting out also.

 

[Smileybans]

To me this sounds normal for a rooster. He’s acting normal. He’s the protector of the flock. Your kids are probably too young to be alone with him, in my opinion. Anything can happen. But if you find ways to teach them to handle the rooster they can be more confident around him.

My rooster, the head one, does the same thing. My kids are afraid of Fuzzy. They actively avoided him all winter and now he challenges them. They’re 9 and older than your kids so I taught them how to handle him. They’re still scared but not as much, and once Fuzzy figured out that he’ll get pinned to the ground by these small people he stopped his crap.

One of my sons will handle Fuzzy and pick him up. If picking him up doesn’t calm Fuzzy down he pins him to the ground and holds him there. That works the best. My other son won’t go any where near Fuzzy. So I told him to carry corn in his pocket. When Fuzzy comes around throw the corn down and distract him. This isn’t the best way to deal with a rooster but it gave my son confidence to at least be around Fuzzy.

Fuzzy has his days where he will come out of the coop spitting nails, even at me, but one quick pat on his back stops it. Roosters, at least in the little experience I have with them, will always challenge for dominance. It’s your job to remind them who is boss.

 

[aart]

Would you cull this roo?

Yes, especially if I had tiny kids like you do.

 

[AOrchard]

If he makes you uncomfortable that is too aggressive for your farm. It might be common to normal, but that does not mean it has a place on your farm with your kids. There are plenty of roosters out there that don't do this. You won't know the rooster's personality until he's the dominant rooster, so you may need to trade out roosters a few times, until you find the right one for your family. This is not something you have to live with.

I have a cochin roo who is excellent. Both my neighbors got one too, and one neighbor has kids. They are very friendly, will eat out of your hand, and are great with the kids. They learned quick who was part of the family and who was not. So their rooster will go after me, but not their 2-year-old. My rooster doesn't go after anybody unless they bother the hens (in which case deserved).

To help the kids be less afraid, it may help to get a small bantam roo for a little while. They are not necessarily any better behaved, but they are way less threatening to children because they are so small. Even if they are aggressive, that's 2 lb of chicken coming at you instead of 10 lb, much more reassuring!

It also does not hurt to teach your kids to defend themselves. If they're growing up with animals, at some point they will need to learn to stand up for themselves. Done so carefully and wisely, but none the less.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I would not let kids that young be alone outside with the rooster if you have to have one keep him locked up when the kids play. With children this small a peck or spur can do a lot of damage. If he kicks or pecks at them they will get cuts, possible eye damage or broken bones. I’ve had a rooster take a chunk out of my leg before biting and have had large bruises from where a rooster kicked me through my heavy duty boots.
Since he hasn’t done anything yet I wouldn’t get rid of him just yet but I would keep him locked up when they go out to play. But if that isn’t possible I would rehome him and get another in a few years when the kids are older.

 

[Ridgerunner]

he does run at them and occasionally 'flap attacks' them
He also constantly and very deliberately will stalk them
If they go outside he will sprint across the property to stalk them even if we are just walking to the car.

With me he would be gone. It wouldn't take much of an escalation for a kid to be injured. To me kids or grandkids are much more valuable than any one individual rooster.

Will all roosters act this way? No, not at all. The kids should not chase his flock and all that. That's kind of asking for trouble. With free ranging chickens 1-1/2 acres is not a huge area but it's big enough they can play separately from the flock unless they train the chickens to come to them expecting treats. There are some things to think about when free ranging. But for a rooster to actively stalk the kids, no way would I accept that.

Is there such a thing as a nice rooster that won't bother my kids?

Yeah, I grew up on a farm where the flock free ranged. We had more room than you but the henhouse wasn't a huge distance from the house. They were livestock, not pets. We did not try to play with them or cuddle them, we left them alone. We did not feed them treats. We were not afraid to go into their area, I did every day as it was my chore to gather eggs. That became my chore about the age of your eldest.

We didn't interact with them that much. The more interaction you have the more opportunities for incidents. I don't know how you manage any of that but yes, it is possible you can find a rooster that leaves your kids alone.

I'd also consider why you want a rooster. The only reason you need one is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I have a few myself. But there is a difference in a need versus a want.

You don't have a run. How important is free ranging to you? How important is having a rooster? Sometimes you have to make choices as to what your top priorities are. You may need to change your management techniques to give you a better chance to succeed.

Good luck.

 

[Folly's place]

This bird is a real danger to your family, and will it take an actual attack, with injuries, to have him gone? Your children should be afraid of this guy, and are too young to be able to even attempt to modify his behavior. When he hits one of these children in the face, it will be really ugly.
Some cockerels will grow up nice, and some won't, because it's both genetics and management that matter. And small children, running around, screaming, and just being active, will be too much for many chickens in general, and cockerels in particular.
Your rooster needs to be gone ASAP!
Mary

 

[50-45-1]

My children (6, 5 and 3) are terrified of our roo

This alone should make up your mind.
Backyard chickens should be enjoyable for everyone in the household.
This roo will start growing spurs soon and then the flapping will draw blood whenever someone does not see it coming.
Cull this bad rooster, there's alot of good roosters culled everyday for lack of a good home.
Do you actually want a rooster?
With small children I would recommend not having one.

 

[EllieandOlive]

To me this sounds normal for a rooster. He’s acting normal. He’s the protector of the flock. Your kids are probably too young to be alone with him, in my opinion. Anything can happen. But if you find ways to teach them to handle the rooster they can be more confident around him.

My rooster, the head one, does the same thing. My kids are afraid of Fuzzy. They actively avoided him all winter and now he challenges them. They’re 9 and older than your kids so I taught them how to handle him. They’re still scared but not as much, and once Fuzzy figured out that he’ll get pinned to the ground by these small people he stopped his crap.

One of my sons will handle Fuzzy and pick him up. If picking him up doesn’t calm Fuzzy down he pins him to the ground and holds him there. That works the best. My other son won’t go any where near Fuzzy. So I told him to carry corn in his pocket. When Fuzzy comes around throw the corn down and distract him. This isn’t the best way to deal with a rooster but it gave my son confidence to at least be around Fuzzy.

Fuzzy has his days where he will come out of the coop spitting nails, even at me, but one quick pat on his back stops it. Roosters, at least in the little experience I have with them, will always challenge for dominance. It’s your job to remind them who is boss.

It seemed normal to me also. Other than stalking the kids he doesn't both me or my husband ever, unless we encroach on him. We are largely hands off with our poultry. He hasn't flapped at them in months, he just hovers and stalks when we are outside. But the one or two times he did flap has made a huge impression on my kids.
I've taught my older to girls to stomp and flap their arms and yell at him when they feel intimidated until he backs off or turns around and leaves. They are also allowed to carry a stick or broom with them.
They don't have the confidence to do that unless I am beside them, understandably.

Anyways he is a good rooster, the kids are just afraid. I breed full blue australorps which is why we need him around. They're hard to find.

 

[EllieandOlive]

With me he would be gone. It wouldn't take much of an escalation for a kid to be injured. To me kids or grandkids are much more valuable than any one individual rooster.

Will all roosters act this way? No, not at all. The kids should not chase his flock and all that. That's kind of asking for trouble. With free ranging chickens 1-1/2 acres is not a huge area but it's big enough they can play separately from the flock unless they train the chickens to come to them expecting treats. There are some things to think about when free ranging. But for a rooster to actively stalk the kids, no way would I accept that.


Yeah, I grew up on a farm where the flock free ranged. We had more room than you but the henhouse wasn't a huge distance from the house. They were livestock, not pets. We did not try to play with them or cuddle them, we left them alone. We did not feed them treats. We were not afraid to go into their area, I did every day as it was my chore to gather eggs. That became my chore about the age of your eldest.

We didn't interact with them that much. The more interaction you have the more opportunities for incidents. I don't know how you manage any of that but yes, it is possible you can find a rooster that leaves your kids alone.

I'd also consider why you want a rooster. The only reason you need one is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal preference. Nothing wrong with personal preference, I have a few myself. But there is a difference in a need versus a want.

You don't have a run. How important is free ranging to you? How important is having a rooster? Sometimes you have to make choices as to what your top priorities are. You may need to change your management techniques to give you a better chance to succeed.

Good luck.

I think we will be moving our unused dog kennel to near the barn to use as a blue australorp area during the days we are outside.

I breed blue australorps so we definitely use him. I should add he hasn't flapped at the kids in a couple months, but he consistently stalks them. He leaves me alone unless I try to back him off the kids play area. I'm,definitely the boss but he likes to see how committed I am occasionally by not backing down (only when I instigate an showdown).