# How do you keep your roosters friendly?



## Paige

I tried to keep a rooster once but he just got really nasty to the point that I had to take a big club out with me when I went to feed them. The roo I had was a Cornish cross and I have 4 red comet pullets. I was going for a meat/egg cross. Are laying roosters more mannerly? Or are they all mean to some extent? I would really like to have some baby chicks that I don't have to get from the feed store. I think it would be do cut to have mama chickens running around with their babies! Also, could I just barrow a rooster from a friend for a while or would they not want to mate to a rooster that they don't know? I really am not able to keep a big loud rooster around all the time. I would love to but I have too many close neighbors. Thanks for the help!


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## Mini Goat Lover

We have a Silkie rooster that we raised from a chick and he is very sweet and has never tried to attack us. I would recommend a Silkie rooster to anyone.


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## 4hmama

Honestly, I think they either are or they aren't. We have standard size layers, and I have hatched some that have been great, and others that should be tender for the pot...we have whacked them so many times! Hatchery chicks have been the same way...some good, some bad. Weed out the bad ones...it's not worth getting hurt over, and you CAN get hurt!


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## JessaLynn

I agree..regardless of the breed or you raise them yourself..it doesn't matter. If we get a mean one they go into the stew pot.They can do some serious damage so nothing to mess around with. So far I have never came acrossed a mean barred rock roo and I have raised over 15 different breeds and to me they seem to be the most docile and dual purpose.


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## KatieT

I do think that the breed has something to do with it, although there is ALOT of variation between individuals. I would look for a larger dual purpose breed that's known for being docile, such as an Orpington or Brahma. You can often find very cheap roosters for sale on Craigslist (some of very nice quality), or you certainly could borrow one, although you would need to keep him for quite awhile to make sure that your hens' eggs are fertile, and to wait for one of them to go broody. The hens might beat up on him a bit in the beginning while they get their pecking order worked out, but after that he should be able to breed them without a problem. 

I have three roosters: one Orpington and two Wheaten Ameraucanas, and they have never behaved aggressively toward me. I make sure to treat them with respect, and I don't really handle them that often. When I'm out at the barn, they ignore me and I ignore them. A rooster that is chased or kicked at will see you as a threat, and that will make their behavior worse. Of course, some roosters are just mean. I have no tolerance for aggressive roosters and I would certainly cull any. 

Good luck!


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## Dodge 'Em

I raise Old English Bantams and Blue Red Wyandottes. I had one Bantam that flogged me EVERY time I fed him.....after about the 3rd week of scratched up, bleeding arms, he went to the sale barn. The man setting next to me bought him, after I had talked about how mean he was. He said he could break him from being mean.....a month later, he brought him back to the sale and said "That was the MEANEST rooster he had ever seen!" LOL To be a tiny little thing, he hit you like a ton of bricks!
My Wyandotte is a big boy, and comes running to you , but he just wants a handful of feed. I think some are just mean, and some are not. I have a OE Blue Red Bantam that follows me around the barn when I do chores.


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## freedomstarfarm

I have owned all breeds of bantam roosters an never had a issue. maybe I was lucky and they were just well mannered.


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## Dodge 'Em

That was the only Bantam roo that was so bad. I did have one OE Blue Red Millie Fluer that would flog me when I wore my pink Fatbaby boots into his pen. Guess he didnt like pink! LOL


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## Mon Reve Farm

You have to socialize them. An older farmer told us pick them up and carry them around as much as possible when they are young or you first get them.

We had a gorgeous Buff Orpington and we had to put him in the freezer. He would chase the girls/women. He came me one too many times.

Currently we have a mixed rooster - Tiberious and a Welsummer - Dickson. They coexist with each other and us. Tiberious or Mr. T for short is my favorite.


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## cdtrum

I have an almost 5yr old White Leghorn, we have had him since he was little and he has been great! He has never gotten nasty with us. We try and respect his place in the hen house......I have found that early morning is when his hormones are at high levels if you get what I'm saying......he will chase every hen first thing.......so if I have chores to do in the coop, I wait until later in the morning when he has gotten it out of his system some what! I do not ever pick him up, but my husband does....he got sick this winter and we had to give him antibiotic injections every day for for a week and he was great about it.


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## nubians2

I have had two light brahma roosters. The first was nice with us but was beating the girls up pretty good. We kept one of his sons and I have not regretted him at all. He is smarter than any other rooster I currently have, I have two rhode islands reds also, he is docile and he likes the goats. They are a dual purpose bird, very large in size and tolerant of the cold. I have had only one rooster get nasty with one of us and that was a rhode island red. He went after my husband while I was on vacation. I do think the key is to get them when they are young. I don't handle mine when they are young but they are used to me feeding them and being around.


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## PznIvyFarm

Knock off the naughty ones in public to keep the rest in line :laugh: 



Seriously, i would never do that. I think they know anyway, but I always take them out of sight. But I don't keep mean roosters, there are so many roosters to choose from, there is no point in having mean ones.


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## potentialfarm

I've had roos in the past that were nice at first, but then decided that the hens needed to be protected from me. :shrug: They ended up in the stew pot. I now have a Light Brahma roo that is very gentle.

I'm trying to do the same thing (breeding halfway decent meat birds). I raised slow-growing broilers last year & kept 4 of the girls. They are great layers, and I'm hoping that mixing the broilers w/the Brahma will create something on the meaty side, while still laying those jumbo eggs. I have 22 chicks that are a Brahma/broiler cross. It'll be interesting to see what they grow into.

It seems to me, that breed has a lot to do with it, but even then, you'll still have individuals that are just rotten.

I don't think think that you'd find your girls opposed to a little male company. I would borrow one if I was you, especially if your neighbors would be offended with listening to crowing for too long.


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## mrs. lam

:slapfloor: I like knock the naughty ones off in public.

I have 2 roos at the moment. Both very nice. One is a redblue whyn and one is phy/yoko mix. He has a long tail! Cogburn (redblue) has a leg problem. Hubby wanted to name him Hitler because he goosesteps. My mix came from my phnx roo. Johnny was one of the best we have ever had. Besides my Sammy.  

Sammy drowned in a bucket and Johnny was killed by my mom's dog. Both are buried in our yard.

Gina


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## coltrule

It all depends on the rooster..even tho red iland reds tend to be more mean haha..Are best roster we ever had was a Siler Laced Wyandott But its brother was MEAN...lol


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