Which are the nicest roos?

[Mortimer]

Hello all,

We have one BR and one Delaware roo left. The Delawares it seem as they get older (about a year old now) have been getting meaner and meaner, I have disposed of two in the last month. My kids have to be able to play in the yard without fear of getting attacked by roos.

We need a couple roos to keep us with fertile eggs so we can replenish our flock. About 30 hens right now with only 2 roos.

What's the "friendliest" breed of rooster, if there is such a thing? Our BR roo is very docile, I wouldn't go so far as to say cuddly or friendly but certainly isn't aggressive, whereas the Delawares this summer have been outright mean.

We raise chickens for both eggs and meat (hopefully, if I get the processing part down right)

 

[jemagsy]

I have heard cochins are very docile. We have a bantam brahma roo though that is extremely tolerant of humans (he's not a lap chicken or cuddly, but he has never attacked us either) yet very protective of the flock. We free-range some and he always warns the girls of hawks, barn-cats, you name it. So it's a nice line, he doesn't bother us, but he's not afraid to protect his flock from wild animals and warn off other roos.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I had a speckled sussex that was friendly and liked to be picked up. If I could I would get another on in a heatbeat.

 

[BeardedLadyFarm]

I have no personal experience, but I'm reading everywhere how nice Salmon Faverolles roosters are.

 

[Judy]

Buff Orps tend to be docile, too. In the end, though, they are individuals, and you just have to grow them out and see who gets allowed to stay.

Henderson's has info about how friendly each breed tends to be; might be of some help:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

[cybercat]

I would go with a Speckled Sussex for since you are harvesting them for meat you need the size but not the feather of chochins. They are very nice chickens also. But you might just have to work with the kids on them training the roos not to go after them. Get the kids on your level of dominance. Right now it sounds like they are not so the roo is going after them.

 

[BlackBart]

I had a Black Jersey Giant (Black Bart) that was a big sucky baby.

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

Buff Orpington Roos are great you just need to spend some quality time with them and not to be loud when they are young. Mine doesnt like my daughter and wife.

My wife did not spend time with him and my daugther was to loud around him. My son and I are the only ones he likes.

 

[milleryardchx]

We have an EE rooster and he is a sweet heart very gental with the ladies great protecter when the hens go in and lay,cuddle his girls on the roost with wings out over them. He loves being loved, when we go give treats he sticks his head to the side up aginst you to pet or hold him and he lets my 17 month old son pet and hug him. the guy who we got him from hand fed him since he was a day old but couldn't keep him in the city. i love our rooster.

 

[Mortimer]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Cybercat -- you mentioned "training" the kids around roosters, how do I do this? I established dominance myself with the roos early on, several times last summer they would puff up around me and I just kicked at and chased them to beat the band until they backed down, never had one come at me. They're respectful now but still get froggy around my little ones sometimes (daughter, 6 and son, 4)

We have one Delaware roo left, and I heard my daughter screaming bloody murder last night while she was riding her bike in the back yard. I looked from the window and he wasn't attacking her, but was in "aggressive" posture and it scared the bejesus out of her. I whipped him with a long stick once or twice and ran him off.