4 Roos

[Mrs. K]

I know you are thinking we don't understand, we do. We have been there. Wishing they would all just be nice. You might get by with that idea. You might need to look around and see if someone else could feed their family.

Inexperienced people often vastly underestimate the violence of a rooster attack until they see one. It can be a lot more than just being jerks.

If you have children under the age of 6, they can take the attack in the face. Roosters often times attach children first, then women and eventually men. Inexperienced people often times do not pick up on the cues that a rooster is becoming violent. They tend to excuse the roosters behavior, and often blame themselves for the roosters behavior.

This forum is full of stories where the darling becomes the nightmare over night...not really, but they did not see it coming.

If you get this to work, good for you. They are animals and strange things happen. Just be very careful around them. Keep children away from them.

Mrs K

 

[pond_ripple]

I'm the youngest one at our home and I'm 30! So there shouldn't be any kiddos in peril if the roos turn nasty. I'm mostly the one dealing with the chickens and often try to spend a lot of time with them. If anybody has to deal with them it will be me and currently they come running when they see me at feeding times bc they know I bring treats like wild strawberries and fresh sprouted seeds.

Plus the area that we're thinking of putting them is in the back corner of our 1.5 acres handily by the shed where we keep our chicken supplies and far enough away that they won't be able to see or hear the hens. I've read that can be a major factor in rooster aggression. If they get difficult with me I plan to be able to just lock them out of their portion of the shed to fill their feeder etc without going into their yard.

 

[CatWhisperer]

I have multiple roosters and just keep everyone together until there is a serious problem, which rarely occurs. They have plenty of room but seem to stick together according to breed. I would suggest investing in saddles for your hens.

 

[pond_ripple]

I would like to add that I do know what you mean about mean roosters and little kids.

When I was a small girl my Grandma had chickens free ranging all over her property. She also had a huge black dog named Singet. I distinctly remember getting chased by this rooster and Singet thought either the roo or I was running from him... so he started chasing me too! (just picture this 7 ish year old girl, a fluffed up angry chicken, and a dog following behind running across this huge yard) My Grandma was about to die laughing when I made it to that screen door screaming for her to let me in bc I was pretty sure I was going to get caught by those two! The next time that roo went for me she punted him across the yard. We didn't have problems after that. I never stopped being afraid of her dog though.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is so hard to give advice, when the situation really makes or breaks the difference. Roosters take more space. Some people have a very romantic view of roosters. Good luck.

 

[pond_ripple]

I don't know about romantic, I'm mostly trying to be practical. I know there is a high probability that I will have to keep an eye on their aggression as they mature, and I'm willing to be flexible with their living situation. I still have them up on Craigslist and I've posted an ad here, along with asking around with people that I know. The possibility that no one takes them off my hands exists and I know myself well enough to know that culling them isn't something I can do or something my family would support. So I'm trying to make plans because at the end of the day their safety is my responsibility. If I end up with 3 or 4 separate rooster runs coming off the back of my shed by the end of this, then that's fine. We have the room. And my neighbor apparently loves the sound of a rooster's crowing and thinks our predicament is hilarious.