The neighbors behind us raise American Game chickens, so I've been around them my entire life. As a child, my sister and I had two hens and they were great mothers and good pets. We also were given a rooster who was a nice bird - not aggressive towards us at all and his feathers were so gorgeous. Many of our chickens descended from these hens and rooster (mixed breeds).
As an adult, I rescued a chick from a stray cat and nursed him back to health. He had a large swelling on his side (probably from the cat), that eventually went down. He turned out to be the only rooster who would attack me, even when I held him. Perhaps he was just too comfortable with me or he just had a streak of aggression in his genes. As a baby, he would perch on my shoulder and was sweet.
I currently have one game hen (rescued from my dogs) and she's in with my bantam rooster. She is comfortable with me, but not nearly as friendly as the laying chicks I raised this summer (probably because I didn't raise her from a chick).
As an adult, I rescued a chick from a stray cat and nursed him back to health. He had a large swelling on his side (probably from the cat), that eventually went down. He turned out to be the only rooster who would attack me, even when I held him. Perhaps he was just too comfortable with me or he just had a streak of aggression in his genes. As a baby, he would perch on my shoulder and was sweet.
I currently have one game hen (rescued from my dogs) and she's in with my bantam rooster. She is comfortable with me, but not nearly as friendly as the laying chicks I raised this summer (probably because I didn't raise her from a chick).