How do you get a good rooster????

[Darius123]

In my case i ve had 2 batches this year (first two, new to this). I ve got 4 cockerels in the first batch, i gave the first one away at 3 months old to a friend (that said that he is starting to get agressive, like his father, he is now over 7 months old) the rest from the first batch i gave them away at 6 months but never had a problem, especially cause the flock is big and the old ones were taking care of their manners. In my second batch i have 5 cockerels, 2 brahmas , 3 naked necks all 5 months. The brahmas are so gentle and calm, i adore them. The naked necks are afraid of me, even tough i hand feed them stuff and i tried to make everyone from when they were little ok with me, but they also are more agressive with the pullets and also with the older hens, i dont think they will turn on me or something, but i can definitely see a behavior changes between breads.

 

[centrarchid]

I can start with hen-hatched or incubator-hatched as well as hen-reared with rooster present and brooder reared with no adults and get a good rooster, or a bad rooster depending on how I interact with him. My roosters need to be people friendly as I use them to educate the public where the birds and humans come in close contact without restraints. I have raised a lot of roosters, as in the hundreds, over almost 50 years so have experience on this matter.

Below is link to article I wrote compiling how I think roosters operate and how you can make adjustments to manage against aggressive behavior directed at humans.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...hicken-directed-at-humans-man-fighting.75750/

 

[McChooky]

Yeah we decided a little while ago that a free ranging rooster and kids was not a good fit for us. My husband is in the process of fencing in a chunk of one of our pastures for the chickens. I've decided to wait until my kids are older to raise another rooster. Just seems safer to me. I should probably view them the same way I view bulls or bucks around the kids. Hard to remember that since they are significantly smaller!

Yeah we decided a little while ago that a free ranging rooster and kids was not a good fit for us. My husband is in the process of fencing in a chunk of one of our pastures for the chickens. I've decided to wait until my kids are older to raise another rooster. Just seems safer to me. I should probably view them the same way I view bulls or bucks around the kids. Hard to remember that since they are significantly smaller!

That sounds like a good plan as they'll be much happier if they can do their own thing. I had at least 5 roosters on my farm and a hundred hens and none of the roosters flogged me until I sold the hens.I assume he got pissed he didn't get to go with them so I called the guy back and gave him to them LOl They really aren't bad if you leave them alone.

 

[MountainWoman73]

Recently we had to cull l one of our 5 month old cockerels due to aggression. Tonight our remaining cockerel flogged my son, twice. I know I have little experience but how on earth do you get a rooster who isn't human aggressive? I would really like to be able to hatch my own fertilized eggs. I also want my hens to be watched after. Is it just luck of the draw with roosters?

You're doing the right thing. The best way to get a nice rooster is to cull the aggressive ones, and wait.

 

[OzarkChooks]

So the cockerel, Bruno, is still around for various reasons. We are just waiting for my husband's day off.

Since I have taken over all chicken chores, to keep my son out of harms way, I have noticed some behavior I find interesting.

Every time I go out to feed them, Bruno rushes up to me and circles around me making that noise he makes for the hens when he finds food. He is also constantly trying to corral me with his litle shuffle dance. I am on high alert with him because he flogged my son. I keep expecting him to try it with me but he just acts very weird. He runs right at me, stands on my boot and does that dance. He will then attempt to chase me with a wing out when I turn to leave. I turn to face him every time and he stops and just keeps making that "I found a treat" noise. I'm just interpreting all of this as aggression or maybe a prelude to aggression .....but I am very curious what he is doing? Why is it always when food is involved? If I am not feeding them, he loses interest and leaves me alone.

 

[McChooky]

Sounds like he considers you as part of the flock.That's not aggression.Thats the "rooster dance lol

 

[McChooky]

So the cockerel, Bruno, is still around for various reasons. We are just waiting for my husband's day off.

Since I have taken over all chicken chores, to keep my son out of harms way, I have noticed some behavior I find interesting.

Every time I go out to feed them, Bruno rushes up to me and circles around me making that noise he makes for the hens when he finds food. He is also constantly trying to corral me with his litle shuffle dance. I am on high alert with him because he flogged my son. I keep expecting him to try it with me but he just acts very weird. He runs right at me, stands on my boot and does that dance. He will then attempt to chase me with a wing out when I turn to leave. I turn to face him every time and he stops and just keeps making that "I found a treat" noise. I'm just interpreting all of this as aggression or maybe a prelude to aggression .....but I am very curious what he is doing? Why is it always when food is involved? If I am not feeding them, he loses interest and leaves me alone.

Hand feeding and giving them a lot of treats can cause them to get too friendly and peck your feet or legs for attention or more food. I refill my chickens food in the run while they're in the coop and refill the coop while they're out in the run to avoid this behavior.

 

[centrarchid]

Hand feeding and giving them a lot of treats can cause them to get too friendly and peck your feet or legs for attention or more food. I refill my chickens food in the run while they're in the coop and refill the coop while they're out in the run to avoid this behavior.

I can had feed without issue, it is the how you do it that needs to be addressed.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I can had feed without issue, it is the how you do it that needs to be addressed.

Care to elaborate?

 

[McChooky]

I can had feed without issue, it is the how you do it that needs to be addressed.

"Why is it always when food is involved? If I am not feeding them, he loses interest and leaves me alone"

The OP is clearly stressed by the rooster at feeding...