How do you get a good rooster????

[McChooky]

Honestly, it's probably their age. Most roosters go through a nasty phase when they first get their hormones and are in that difficult teenage stage. It passes pretty quickly.

A small child might do any number of seemingly "innocent" things that could trigger a cockerel (etc,child swinging a stick around chicks and hens)Its best small children aren't allowed around cockerels unsupervised until they're older and more confident .I'd much rather see people give a cockerel time to grow up before its put thru tests with kids when its only a kid itself.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

A small child might do any number of seemingly "innocent" things that could trigger a cockerel (etc,child swinging a stick around chicks and hens)Its best small children aren't allowed around cockerels unsupervised until they're older and more confident .I'd much rather see people give a cockerel time to grow up before its put thru tests with kids when its only a kid itself.

I agree. Heck, I'm an adult and occasionally with my more hands off males, I'll forget and tick them off a bit. Nothing besides peck and grabs thank goodness, but if adults can forget and trigger a male, small children certainly can by accident

 

[McChooky]

I'm unsure where the teaching was involved.
You had two roosters. One mean and you ended up killing him.
The other was docile and he stayed that way? Is that correct?

The mean rooster was the only one that showed aggression before his execution.
I'm guessing killing him in front of the flock and displaying his body was a display of aggression and domination meant to instill fear but it could have caused more aggression in the flock. Not sure if the lesson was intended for the docile rooster or the hens or both since they all were forced to watch it.

 

[_Moon_]

It's luck of the draw, but aggressive males will not make sweet sons

I've been doing experiments with that, and it's actually not true. I have a VERY mean silkie rooster, and I got three rosters out of him last year. All three are mature and do not bully the other birds, or me.

 

[Momma hen quack]

I had an Ameraucana rooster for 3 years and he was only aggressive towards me not my kids or my husband, but my kids are 15 years and older. I got rid of him due to me finding out that I am not supposed to have roosters. The farm I gave him to, he cowered quickly to another young, but aggressive rooster. My leghorn mix between a leghorn hen and the Ameraucana rooster was the best except for his big comb that almost covered one of his eyes. He was the never the alpha rooster and he never came at anyone plus he loved his hens. I hand fed him as he struggled as a chick so not sure if that had anything to do with it, but he was the sweetest and best rooster. I gave him away to a beautiful farm and he has 6 lovely hens. My last rooster was a mix between a buff orpington and the Ameraucana rooster. He tried at times to herd me, but would stop and never tried to attack me like the Ameraucana. He went to a new farm with one of his sister hens that grew up with him and 2 other roosters because none of the hens would accept her. I had to Cull other roosters who came at my kids and different ones are just mean even if you don't interact with them as we found that out with the last bunch of chicks we raised. The mixed roosters that we held and gave more attention to were better behaved except for Luna the Ameraucana who hated me. So sad that I can't raise any more chicks as I had to get a permit and can only have 6 hens no roosters. Wish I could have given you one of mine that were "good," as I was lucky to find all 3 a home including Luna the mean one.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Buy a 1 year old roo from someone else that you've seen be kind to humans. Raising them and hoping one is good is a time sucking crap-shoot. Especially when there are so many roosters out there to adopt.

 

[Chickin Out]

Inexperienced children have no way of knowing that their actions could be perceived as a threat by a young cockerel .This is what causes most small children to be attacked .Children who've never been around chickens should not be alone with roosters .

As I said, they must be taught.
But yes, I agree, the idea that the rooster and the children should both be roaming everywhere with no restrictions is not a good idea. Either or both should have boundaries.

 

[Chickin Out]

The mean rooster was the only one that showed aggression before his execution.
I'm guessing killing him in front of the flock and displaying his body was a display of aggression and domination meant to instill fear but it could have caused more aggression in the flock. Not sure if the lesson was intended for the docile rooster or the hens or both since they all were forced to watch it.

I'm sorry, but that's not only unwise and bound to cause problems, it's actually sick. I don't know where anyone would get the idea to do a thing like that, but it's really really wrong and disturbing. If you thought that was somehow going to give you points with the flock, big mistake.

 

[OzarkChooks]

A small child might do any number of seemingly "innocent" things that could trigger a cockerel (etc,child swinging a stick around chicks and hens)Its best small children aren't allowed around cockerels unsupervised until they're older and more confident .I'd much rather see people give a cockerel time to grow up before its put thru tests with kids when its only a kid itself.

This why I never let our 5 year old out alone with them. Our 10 year old was always very good though. He always filled their food and water, checked for eggs and then walked back home. Didn't chase them or try to pick anyone up.

 

[McChooky]

This why I never let our 5 year old out alone with them. Our 10 year old was always very good though. He always filled their food and water, checked for eggs and then walked back home. Didn't chase them or try to pick anyone up.

Me and my brothers were just kids when we chased the chickens trying to catch some chicks we'd seen in the yard. The broody hens flogged us first then the rooster .He left marks on one of my brothers. Dad came home and immediately knew something was up. We were all scratched up and his hens and chicks were hiding instead of hanging around in the front yard like usual. We all got a whipping we never forgot that day and never messed with his chickens again.My brother still hates roosters to this day.