9/26/06
I have a question for everyone....
I have 2 Barred Rocks; one is a rooster who has just started crowing (and mating) in the past 2 days. (I have 10 chickens all together)
I also have 6 grandchildren, all 5-1/2 years old and younger, and I was wondering if I need to be afraid of having a full size, free ranging, Barred Rock rooster around the yard? I have heard that Barred Rocks are very docile, but has anyone had any problems with a Barred Rock rooster trying to attack you?
Please let me know YOUR experience with this breed of rooster. I sure appreciate the help!!
Glenda
HELP PLEASE! Regarding a Barred Rock rooster.
I've known sweet BRs and nasty BRs. I really don't think you can go by the breed. The aggression, should it begin, will do so gradually so you should have some time to see who will be a problem.
i dhave not had barred rocks. but i read in Backyard Poultry that it helps to move slowly around the roo so as not to give it reasons to protect it's flock. that is hard for kids to do. we have two cockerels that are leghorns, and early on the kids would follow the flock around, which to them felt like chasing, so now my boys, 5 & 8 years old, don't play outside when those particular cockerels are out. but the buckeye cockerels, which are a docile breed, haven't given any signs of agression, expect with the leghorns to protect us from the leghorn's attacks, and with each other playing around and re-setting their pecking order. and they have been crowing./mating for months now.
i hope things go well and you get to enjoy your beautiful barred rock rooster with ytour grandchildren
I have had a lot of experience with attacking roosters. The secret to not get attacked is, You be the head rooster.
Never let your rooster cover a her in front of you. Chase him off.
When you are near him give him a nudge with your foot.
Always show you are the Leader and he will be docile towards everyone.
When I'm feeding and my rooster forgets and comes to close I give chase. Not far just enough to make him run away. or I give him a boot in the tail feathers.
I also have him named Food so if I am not close to chase him I yell food and him looks and sees me and stops what he is doing.
I have been doing this for about 6 yrs. now. And every child that comes in my yard is safe. The rooster I have now is about the 15th Food lol. Food 1 became food when he attacked my granddaughter.
when they run do you call them Fast Food?
sorry! sorry!
LOL Fast Food, Good Food, Safe Food. All the same Foods groups lol.
Thanks farmgirl21! I will heed your advice.
Unknowingly, I've already taken a step in that direction. Last week, my Millie Fleur bantam rooster chased my 26 year old daughter across the yard. ...He's little; she, at the time, thought it was funny. Well, a few days ago, I was leading the flock back to the coop for cracked corn - about 6:30pm, and all of a sudden I felt my Millie Fleur rooster attack the back of my jeans. It didn't hurt at all because he's so small and denim is so thick, but I knew that I had been attacked. It (instantly) made me mad, and without even thinking for a second, I turned around and gave him a kick. When he landed, he shook his head, and made a beeline for the space under my husband's truck. For the record, he's fine, but since then, he keeps his distance from me, which is fine with me. I will work on my Barred Rock rooster with an occasional nudge of my boot and hopefully I can prevent an event like the one I had with my Millie Fleur. But... If anyone gives me any problems or shows any signs of aggression from here on out, you can bet we'll be having chicken and rice for dinner!
You mentioned that Food #1 attacked your granddaughter. Was she hurt badly? THAT is my greatest fear....
Thanks again farmgirl21!
I absolutely think you should get rid of your rooster. I have had three in the past year, and it has turnedo ut badly each time, even though I hand raised two of them! If you have young children, I wouldn't press it with a big rooster.
The last thing you want is your grandchild hurt, or even afraid ! THat would be so bad if she was afraid to come to your house!
I mean, you could wait and see what happens and if he turns aggressive.....
My granddaughter was fine he got a little close to her eye. She fell and he attacked. She's been around after the "Head Rooster Method" and has never been hurt again. They don't even go near her.
Since showing the roosters who is the boss they have never touched another person, even though it has always been my boot.
My flock was so large at one point I've had 8 to 10 roosters walking with another 50 in the pens fattening up. I never fear going in the pens even in shorts they do not go near the boot. It doesn't hurt with jeans but it sure does in shorts.
WEll I tried that too, and I must have done it wrong, because no matter what I did, my naked-neck cross would always keep attacking. He's attack me and my husband, and we both thought we were doing a good job being head roos!
My husband still has a scar on his had from a particularly vicious bite he got trying to feed the girls!
we've just had no luck at all!
Darn, that is a mean rooster. I've never owned a naked-neck cross but it sounds mean lol. I have heavy breeds. RIR. Black giant, Lt brama, and such. Maybe they are more docile? I was breeding for size. I wish you lived close I would let you have one of my roosters, All I can say is I started teaching them very young. Maybe it's the pens that scare them into being good. lol
wish i could give you advice, i just know nothing about barred rocks. just can't compare mine to barred rocks or any other large breed. mine are about the size of jersey giants. i have 18 roosters and 42 hens that free range every day. actually i guess they are cockerels since they just turned six months old. maybe it gets worse with age? one is getting raffled off this weekend, ten will go in the freezer, two for sale, and one to give away. maybe i am just lucky, or picked a good breed... i can't imagine having hens out without roos to watch over them, and call them in...
It definitely got worse with age for us! So keep a weather eye out TamaraFaye! :)
are barred rocks the same as plymouth rock
Yes, they are, at least around here.
Well, the Barred Rock saga goes on. ...But not for long......
Today, I discovered that BOTH of my Barred Rocks are roosters :( . When they came outside this morning, both BRs started terrorizing the whole flock. My little Millie Fleur rooster was doing his best to stand in-between some of the hens and the 2 BRs brutes, but it was no use. At this point I have 3 roosters and 7 hens. You can imagine what "the girls" were thinking about this ratio! Plus, as if that wasn't enough, the biggest BR "came at me" but stopped, turned and ran, when I charged right back at him as he was coming my way. It was then that I decided enough is enough. After weighing the risk to my grandchildren, the aggressive behavior towards me, and the rooster to hen ratio, I put my 2BR roos in a large cage and tomorrow they will make their trip to the chicken processing plant just 2 miles from our home. As I drive there, I'll be singing "Happy trails to youuuu, until we meet again...."
Maybe next spring I'll order some female BRs and give it another try.
Thanks everyone for your help and willingness to share (your) experiences with me. All of it has been helpful and a good learning experience for me. Y'all are the best!! :)
Glenda
GOod plan. I'm sorry that it had to end that way for them, but safety first!
How large is the cage you put them in? If they can stay in the cage for at least a week or 2 you will not be sorry with the tenderness of the chicken when you go to cook them. Happy Eating.