Rule Your Roost
Lucky the Rooster
Since it is not necessary to have a rooster with your hens in order to have eggs, many families choose not to raise a one. Roosters can be a problem. Roosters charged with testosterone are aggressive. Armed with a sharp beak and even sharper spurs and claws, they pose a threat to anyone or anything.
We decided to raise a rooster for two reasons. First, I read that fertilized eggs are more healthy for you to eat. Second, roosters protect and look out for their hens. As our chickens free range in part of our yard, we were worried that they would be easy prey. After all, God equipped roosters with weapons for a reason.
With our first rooster, Robbie, we made a huge mistake. We were nice to him. As he matured, he was very mean to us. I think Robbie thought he was the boss. He started running after my children. Then one day Robbie escalated his violence. He was jumping up in the air trying to peck Jake’s eye while simultaneously trying to tear the skin on his legs with his claws.
Witnessing this act of aggression on my small child enraged me. I ran out to Jake’s aid. Armed with a baseball bat, I hit the rooster which allowed time for Jake to get away. Robbie then came after me! His claw tore my leg. I still bear scars from the fight. To spare you the details, it was safe to go outside again.
Later when an egg hatched and the chick survived, we were so excited. As it grew up, we realized that it was a rooster. We decided to correct our past mistake. We weren’t going to play nice guy.
Everyone in our family was instructed on how to behave toward our new rooster, Lucky. We explained how we had to be the head cock. The rooster might be the head of his flock, but he answered to us. How did we accomplish this? We were not nice to him. Whenever Lucky got too close to any of us, we kicked at him.
Doing this really worked. Lucky certainly rules his hens, but we rule the roost. There is not a child in my family who is scared to go in the yard. We were not abusive to him. In fact, I can’t remember ever touching him. But he was raised knowing that we were his boss.
So if you are raising chickens or thinking of raising chickens, please learn from our mistake. Be the alpha-rooster of your flock. You’ve got to rule your roost!
Our little bantam rooster Zeus loves to ‘stalk’ me. When I hear him coming up behind me I turn around and he begins to nonchalantly peck at the ground! It is really funny….he has flogged the back of my legs a couple of times and startled me, but fortunately he isn’t big enough to do much harm.
We had a rooster at home that would only attack me! My mom did finally do away with him when he scratched up my face when I was out feeding the hens on day.
If Zeus ever draws blood he will be no longer with us….He was a rescue chicken and was probably kept caged with his 2 hens most of the time. Now he runs free most of the time. I will remember the “don’t be nice” to the rooster if we ever have another one.
[...] Texas Homesteader added an interesting post today on Rule Your RoostHere’s a small readingLucky the Rooster Since it is not necessary to have a rooster with your hens in order to have eggs, many families choose not to raise a one. Roosters can be a problem. Roosters charged with testosterone are aggressive. Armed with a sharp beak and even sharper spurs and claws, they pose a threat to anyone or anything. We decided to raise a rooster for two reasons. First, I read that fertilized eggs are more healthy for you to eat. Second, roosters protect and look out for their hens. As [...]
Very true!
[...] because we did train him that we are the head rooster. If you want to read more about that click here. I just wanted to show that “desperate times call for desperate measures” and in a [...]
Seriously, this is “advise”? Here’s a better plan. Every time you are in the chicken yard. Pick up the young rooster while you are doing chicken chores. (I do this before I open the door for the hens to come out.)This teaches the rooster that you are the head rooster, he can trust you are not there to harm him or his hens. He watches you feed and tend them and change the water. If he is very agressive hold him backwards on your hip, but do not shy away because he might bite. One in a while hold him and “groom” the incoming feathers on the back of his neck just behind the head. Once he trusts you and learns you are not there to fight you will have a well behaved rooster who is eager to work with you in caring for the flock.
Rhonda,
Thanks for teaching us how you tame a rooster. You must be a very caring person. Nurturing a rooster into being well-mannered is a technique that I have never heard of. Again, thank you.
Lara
I have found red roosters to be the most aggressive, so we stick to black(Astrolarps,Black Giants, etc), black and white(Barred Rocks), or Buff Orpingtons. We have never had problems with these colors. I’ve wondered whether this was dumb luck or really a breed issue???
I’ll never forget the time those two guinea hens we put in the pen cleaned house on our mean red rooster.(Heh, heh) What a blood bath! I had to save him before they ripped him to shreds.
No, I am not mean.
I had saved my boys from that rooster more than once, and after whacking him with a shovel, he looked like he was just getting warmed up to fight. It’s amazing, Lara, how they just come right back at you when you knock them with something!
It almost gives a new meaning to the saying, “mad as an old wet hen.” Don’t mess with guineas. Adrienne, it seems to me that almost any animal charged with testosterone and aggression will keep coming back for more. As always, I enjoy hearing from you.
Lara