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

[taprock]

I agree you need to watch roos with young children. That said, you will be able to tell if your roos start to get attitudes. It is possible to find them homes, I rehomed 11 in the past year - bought straight run! My son also has his favorite roos. He has handled them almost every day and can carry them like babies on their backs. It's hard to give a blanket answer because it just depends on the size and temperament of both the kids and roos involved. Whichever you keep you need to be comfortable with it. I love your Polish and Salmon Faverolle crosses. I agree on the Polish it looks like a pullet tail to me.

 

[Squishypuff]

I agree that caution is a must with any small child and a rooster, but there are roos out there that are good family pets. I have a Silkie roo (for making me more Silkies and some Sizzles) who adores my four year old. She can handle him, carry him, feed him, and dress him up in doll clothes and he stands there with a sigh and takes all the indignities she puts him through. She's not allowed to be in the coop without me though, because Even Thor will defend his ladies (feebly, LOL) if he feels they're in danger. The guy can't see well enough to put up an attack, but he will give me the occasional peck in the foot if I wear sandals.

 

[Arielle]

My boys are 7 and 9 and carry a stick at all times when the chickens are free ranging. That is their comfort level because it is scary when a rooster runs up in attack mode. Mostly my roosters just jump around, hackles up still deciding about an attack. This is enough to keep my boys watching their backs. With my boys home for summer break, the chickens stay in the run most of the day with a limited time at the end of the day. SAFETY FIRST !

If you are determined to keep the roosters, you can put them in a bachelors pad that is off limits to the children. I'm considering this for my sanity.

My hens peck our legs and feet--it hurts!

 

[DanyyChicken]

I love the pictures you guys. Thanks for sharing! They are wonderful.
I am so happy that the polish cross (fluffy top) is a pullet so that now we can keep the salmon favorelle (pajamas-well because he looks like he's wearing pajamas) as our rooster. Well see how it goes especially once the three big Roos are removed from the coop the entire pecking order will have to be reestablished. Hopefully he will stay as nice as he is now.
I do feel badly we aren't able to keep the standard barred cochin. He was one of my favs. They whole time he was growing I was hoping he'd be a hen.

 

[feliciamckee]

My rooster LOVES my kids. I have a 6 yr old son, 8 yr old daughter and 13 yr old daughter. He is a Jersey Giant though and they are very friendly and docile. He is a big sweet heart and always calm. I guess it depends on the temperament of the rooster AND the child...

 

[chics n more]

We are teaching the kids to keep an eye on the roo-we have a pet roo from a breeder friend and the kids can pick him up and carry him-that being said he does act stupid sometimes I think he is frustrated because all our hens are just a few weeks too young yet! Hello to Johnson City TN from Boone, NC!

 

[mysweetgypsy]

Wow! I'm a little shocked at how many parents won't keep a roo. I have 3 kids, 3, 2, & 1yo, and I was thinking of keeping one roo this year. I've never seen a rooster attack. My family had a few when my sisters were little, I had a couple before I had kids. I have to say, now I'm really worried!

Are roosters THAT aggressive? I have a silkie roo (about 14 weeks), who seems a little spastic, and goofy, and a few BLRW roos (just 2 weeks). One of them seems aggressive already, but at a few ounces, it's more comical than scary. Any bad stories about these breeds? I certainly don't want my kids to be afraid, or to have to fend off a crazed rooster!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

No, only some roosters are really aggressive. Most are peaceable

But it's about risk/benefit. If you're not breeding there's no real purpose to having a rooster so if you've got small kids then it's an easy decision for some folks to make.

I've got kids myself and have had birds, to include roosters, all of their lives. But I don't let the roosters free-range around small kids if I'm not out there keeping an eye on things. When the bird can be as big as the child they represent a greater risk than they would to an older child capable of defending themselves. A Silkie rooster would not really concern me. A big Rhode Island Red would.

My youngest is now six and has been well trained about what is and is not OK around the birds when they are out. She's not afraid of our roosters. But I also do not keep any cock birds that show any signs of aggression to people. Male birds are too easy to come by to put up with that.

 

[satay]

Quote:
No they are mostly docile. I have 6 large roosters and a few bantam roo's as well. I have never had an agressive one but have seen so many that have. I think you can keep a roo with younger children but never trust children that small to be alone with a rooster and you will be fine.

 

[Mrs. K]

Read these boards, many adults are afraid of their rooster that was just a pet a week ago. My husband saw his Uncle, a full grown man attacked, and he had a stick, and he said the attack was awful.

IMHO, WAIT to do the rooster thing until your children are bigger. Kids should be able to play outside and run and holler with out the chance of them being attacked.

MrsK