Young children with roosters...is it a good idea?

[DanyyChicken]

Hi all,
So here is my BIG dilema....I made the foolish mistake of taking the chance and buying some straight run chicks back in May most of them were 5 weeks old at the time. Of course they have since grown and I am now figuring out who's who and what's what. They are about 13 weeks now. It seems I have ended up with 6 roosters to 5 hens. I now need to make the difficult decision as to who will stay and who will go. Now to complicate things my 5 year old son has his favorites which include three of the roosters. I have to decide what to do. Would it be possible for two bantam roo to live harmoniously with 5 standard hens? I will post pictures. We are all partial to these three roos because as of right now they are still friendly manageable and petable. Will they remain that way over time or will the hormones just kick in? The safety of my two small children are paramount to all decisions. I have a 2 1/2 year old and a five year old. I didn't really want a rooster initially but these ones right now are so nice so I'm considering it. Please chime in with your thoughts!Could we keep the two bantams together or just pick the one standard barred cochin to stay if any? If I don't keep a roo with one of the hen take the roos place and become a mean girl? These chickens current live in a 6 feet x 10 feet coop with an attached 9x11 by 7 foot tall totally enclosed run. They will not be able to free range. Not interested in fertile eggs it doesn't matter. The 5 hens will consist of an amberlink, golden comet, two easter eggers and a barred rock.The local SPCA near me has a poultry program and I have already contacted them and they will be able to take any or all of my roosters for potential rehoming. I am thankful for that! Otherwise I don't know how I would potentially rehome six roos as I know most people have trouble rehoming just one.Should I just cut my losses now and bring them all down there?

bantam polish/silkie cross (alpha roo right now takes care of things with a cluck only no physicallity necessary to get point across) He clucks and the others move.

bantam salmon faverolle cross ? nice bird (small) as well my son's favorite right now anyways...

standard barred cochin my favorite but would he be to big for the hens eventually?
BTW: This is my first flock...yikes...what have I done?

Since this picture they have an appropriate ramp for coop. They love mash!

 

[satay]

While ever you have a rooster you will always have to watch young children around them. Most roosters should be fine with children but you just never know when you are going to get a nasty roo. They can jump up and scratch and kick and peck if they are annoyed and that is no match for a small child.

 

[DanyyChicken]

Will some hens do that as well...or is less likely statistically?

 

[Sassafras]

Welcome to the BYC fellow southern granite stater. The roosters scratch with their spurs generally. Hens don't have spurs and I have never heard of one attacking a person, unless she is a broody protecting her nest. More than one roo to that many hens would not be good for the ladies. You can keep the roosters together in what they call a batchelor flock. There really is no way to tell if they will turn mean or not.

 

[Mrs. K]

many children have had the whole chicken experience ruined by a rooster. CHILDREN are who a rooster will attack first. The rooster brain is very small, and CANNOT be counted on to use logic. A very nice rooster today, can become a night mare tomorrow.

IMHO I would not keep a rooster with children under the age of 8. You are risking scarring, blindness, or just an attack, that will scare them for the rest of their lives. As an adult, I am MUCH bigger, and most importantly taller than a rooster. His first attack is not going to be at my face level.

If you have no interest in fertilized eggs, then this is not a time for having a rooster. Just start mentioning to your son, that those are going to go, or be dinner. Talk about it matter of factly, and if he gets upset, don't argue, but say that you know it is tough, but life is tough, and these are decisions we must make. If you remain matter of fact about it, they will follow your lead. If you are very emotional about it, they will follow that too.

Telling my kids from the get go, these were to be butchered, helped them get through it.

MrsK

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I think, in the first pic, that's a pullet. No stringy saddle/hackle feathers and a nice wide back. My cochin cockerals are only 11 weeks old, but they are sweet as can be. My daughter spends alot of time carrying them around (and sneaking them in the house for tea parties

she's 4). Anyhoo- the cochin may be too big for your girls if they are bantam mixes. You could just not keep a rooster at all, or keep your rooster in his very own bachelor pad away from the hens. Good luck with your decision, its tough when you become attatched.

 

[33yardbirds]

I don't let roos out when children are around or coming over. I've noticed that the quick hap hazzard playing and shrilling of kids seem to excite the roos (mine). Plus you are dealing with an animal so you never really know when the wheels fall off in that brain. No matter how much of a (gentelman) he seems my first rule of the yard; NEVER TRUST A ROOSTER.

 

[sixinva]

Never Trust a Rooster................sound words. How bad would you feel if that rooster hurt your son. Its just not worth it in my opinion. Life has been so much grander for my flock since we got rid of the mean ole roo......

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Roosters should always be watched carefully around young children and in general I would not recommend mixing the two. Older kids I make it perfectly clear to them that the roosters are there to protect the hens. "You don't scare the hens and the roosters won't scare YOU."

But young children are not responsible so they must be carefully supervised or kept away.

 

[DanyyChicken]

Thanks for all your comments. I appreciate it. I am especially excited to think that the polish cross could be a hen. I am running another posting under breeds and gender to take a poll. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!