Hi all!
I had a naked-neck/silkie rooster ( yes, he was quite the looker! Called him Medusa until we realized he was a girl. Then we called him M'Duder) who was so sweet when he was little, then grew up and attacked us to the point where we had to give him to a friend to eat. ( 'Duder-noodle soup as my husband called it.)
A friend is giving us their "Bonus Specialty Chick" from McMurry soon, and we want to be prepared for another rooster.We have all hens and pullets now. Is there anything we can do to gentle a rooster? I know it is in their nature to be aggressive. Any advice or thoughts? For the future are their any breeds that are better than others? Our chickens are mostly pets and for fun, so we want to be able to come near the girls without fear of death via rooster!
Is there ever such thing as a gentle rooster?
Brahma roosters are supposed to be gentle, but I think it really comes down to individual personality. I know so many people who try rooster after rooster before getting to one that is just gentle by nature. Doesn't hurt to handle them lots, definitely, but it's no guarantee.
Some are and some aren't.
Meanies should go in the freezer.
Most roosters I've seen are kinda ornery. I have one young one now that I have hand raised..........hatched him in the incubator, so he was being handled long before he even hatched. He's pretty sweet for a roo. He comes up to me and dosen't mind being petted. But he's just now old enough to crow, so that all could change soon. Seems that when they get to breeding age, that's when they become stinkers.
The thing is, the ornery rooster is often a really good protector of his hens. He overreacts, yeah: my kids are not the enemy, buddy! But when a hawk or something else is around, he does his job. He faces down the enemy until every last hen is safe. Got to admire that instinct. Unfortunately, it becomes a problem when real enemies are scarce: that drive is still there. Poor guys.
We have roosters that are not mean. I wouldn't keep one that was. We had a Millie Fluer once who would jump and hit you on the leg with his wing if he wanted attention. Then he would play hard to catch for a while. But he would continue the behavior until we finally caught him and petted him for awhile. A hawk got him.
It is a tough call. I love the idea of having a rooster around to protect the ladies. I love the crowing and my neighbors don't mind. I just can't be a prisoner in my own home due to a rooster's overzealousness! :)
We've had a few roosters, none of them docile. As far as I understand, caponizing (neutering) at a young age will docile them because testosterone will never do it's thing. But the testes are inside, beneath the ribs in the back. You have to do minor surgery (no anesthetic), or pay a vet. McMurray sells a caponizing kit. It certainly doesn't seem worth the effort, and it may affect the rooster's appearance too, I'm not sure. I've never done it, but it is possible.
We keep roosters as long as they behave. When the aggression gets beyond a low threshold, into the pot they go.
I just asked my local vet if he would neuter a rooster and he looked very insulted!
I might see if I can get someone to do it, since cutting a roo up without anesthetic, to look for organs ( I assume smallish ones?) doesn't currently sit in my list of skills. :)
You are right Kent, it does seem like a lot of effort!
Just for reference. Another story from long ago. My father always kept a rooster. He and I were normally the only ones to go into the hen house or pen, and the rooster never bothered us at all. He was familiar with us, and knew we were no threat.
One day, while I was in school, my mother needed an egg for baking, so she went down to get one. He nailed her badly in the calf of the leg with one of his spurs! So, judging from that, he saw her as a threat because he did not know her personally. That is worth a thought. BAM