The White Roo

by Jessica S
(Lady Lake, FL USA)

Hello and thank you for all the information you provide.

Our White sex-linked roo is absolutely wonderful. He will only allow me into the chicken yard we have for them. If anyone else enters the yard, he will chase them out. lol.

When he was a baby roo, I would hold him, sing to him and he would perch up on my shoulders as I walked around cleaning out the chicken house.

He does this funny dance thing when the hens move to far away from him, where he puts one wing down and stomps in a circle. He has even done it toward me at times when I try to walk away from him in the morning.

I never thought I could love a rooster such as I do him. His name is Vanilla roo and he is amazing!

Louis the fearless

by Jessie
(Benoni South Africa)

Ok so this morning as I was leaving for work Louis our rooster got out again and all I saw was him running into the house with a line of dogs behind and hubby behind them.

Then they all came shooting back out with hubby running at the back again. I screamed at the dogs and managed to get them to bugger off and hubby got Louis in his arms and saved his little cotton pickin' socks again.

Oh mornings are such fun.

Foghorn

by Dave
(nova scotia)

Our rooster is very gentle with his hareem. While they are all well bred, he does not seem to do much damage.

Foghorn really does look after the hens, we have 2 1/4 acres and we allow the chickens free run of it. Foghorn keeps all the hens together where they are easier to watch.

If a hen wanders off, he brings them all back together. If he finds a nice tasty morsel, he will call the hens to eat it while he watches over them.

At the end of the day, Foghorn even chases the hens back into the coop for the night - all I have to do is close it up.

When I check on them at night, Foghorn even likes a back scratch from me or my wife.

Mr. Rooster Moved In

by Jean Armstrong
(Austin, TX)

Three years ago in October my neighbors moved. As they were moving their rooster escaped and no one can catch him despite trying numerous recommended methods. As I feed the birds and provide them with water, he started living in my yard, sleeping midway up in a live oak tree. When I tried not feeding the birds for a week, he left - but came back as soon as I started feeding them again.

Mr. Rooster makes a lot of noise. In addition to crowing he started pecking loudly on the back door if I was late feeding the birds. He was especially happy when a very cute black hen escaped from another neighbor was hung out with him for a few days. Sadly, she had to return home.

The following winter we had a heavy rain storm and then the temperature dipped down close to freezing overnight. I was so worried about Mr. Rooster who had become part of the family. But he is a survivor and started sleeping on the top of a storage unit on a covered patio. He enjoys eating with the other birds and terrifies the cats if they try to get close to him.

We almost lost him to a hawk last spring during the hawk migration. He started screaming like I had never heard him scream and I ran outside to see a hawk on top of him. I spooked the hawk and Mr. Rooster stayed under the bushes for almost a month.

For last two weeks the temperature has been close to or above 100*F. He is losing a lot of feathers and seems quite uncomfortable. I am not quite sure what to do for him. He has a dust bath area with some DE in it but isn't using it so I don't think he has mites. He has lost most of the feathers on his feet so I can now see that his spurs are extremely overgrown. I do think he needs some veterinary attention but he is so afraid of people he is not likely to get it.

Meister Eckhart said that every creature is a word of God. Mr. Rooster has helped me to know that this is true. I feel blessed that he came to live with us despite what a pain in the neck he can be.

Brahma vs German Shepherd

by Stacey
(Carman IL USA)

After a few years of caring for hens, I introduced a pair of dark Brahmas. They were only a couple days old and handled daily.

My hen, Pebbles, is very sweet. But the roo, BamBam, has been showing his dominance the past 2 weeks. So much, in fact, that he tries to go a round with my good natured male German Shepherd.

So far, he has just attacked through the fence. He is a big bird! Hopefully they don't get the chance for a full attack. Not sure the roo would win that match!

My rooster Threeve

by Amy
(Arizona)

He was a suprise. We got him from s hardware store with other chicks.

He turned out to have beautiful plumage and he’s an Easter Egger. His crow is pretty constant but it’s a cool sound and he’s not aggressive to us.

We have 13 hens and 1 roo. I kinda love him so we are keeping him. Maybe we’ll want chicks when the girls slow down a bit.

We will see.

Coleman's Story

by Judi E.
(Indiana)

The first rooster I had vanished shorty after I had gotten him. We hadn't even named him yet, but he was getting along well with the girls.

I kept hearing him crow but when I looked for him I couldn't find him! I would think the sound was coming from the barn but when I approached the barn it sounded like he was somewhere else.

I finally gave up and went to bed. The next morning I heard him crow again! Where was that darn rooster? I looked off and on that day with no luck.

On the third day I decided to check a cooler that we had had draining in the yard. There he was! Somehow he had managed to flip the cooler over and the lid shut on him.

He was very happy to get out and appeared no worse for the wear. His name became "Coleman" and he was a good rooster for the rest of his natural life.

Bad endings

Ben and Cindy bought a rooster to amuse their children during the pandemic. Ben and Cindy forgot to ask their neighbors for permission.

The rooster made "one of the the most joyful sounds in the world." It made that sound all day long. City regulations prohibited that sound.

Litigation ensued. The sheriff came. The children cried.

The neighborhood was silent again.

The Start of Kayda's Journey

by Micky
(Lakebay, Wa)

I picked his/her name from the Japanese word for Lil Dragon, so Kayda (KI-Duh) came to be the name for our suspected Roo.

He is a Buff Orpington Golden in color. He was the first outta 5 Chicks (One did not survive after 2 days) to grow a crown of sorts, and the one who loved being around Me...always getting to me first....hmmmm.

A real Sweetheart...I had a suspicion, but being a First-Timer, I didn't know for sure. I've learned so much in 15 weeks.....seriously from this wonderful blog, the Western Washington Facebook page, and every YouTube chicken owner out there.

Kayda's cock-a-doodle doo first materialized at about 8 weeks when he & his 3 hens went into their new house for the first time....we heard the oddest distorted KAWWWW!!! It then evolved into a "did you just hear a Rooster??!!" That's when I was totally certain he was a he & not a she!

I am very open-minded on keeping him, as he's bitten me 4 times, and my husband, Joe only once....uh....Right....

I saw on YouTube a Fella showed how to place an aggressive roo (you're gloved up & nice thick sleeves) face down in the dirt, holding his body firmly, so he can't get away.

Stroking the back of his head down the back of the neck while talking to him.

Joe did this after the bite.....it worked!!

I need to do it now, but have not as yet. Joe told Kayda looking at him after he let him go..."You're boss of the hens...BUT I'M THE BOSS OF EVERYTHING!!!"....

Apparently Kayda has understood this message as he watches Joe every time Joe enters the run without any aggression at all.

Kayda's been a good immature roo so far to his hens, but I see he's attempted mounting a hen a couple times, without success....Hen said "WHAAAATT??!!!" I think he's really learning to watch his girls...and he'll have a half dozen more hens introduced to our flock in a couple weeks....that may help him out.

I will remain watchful & open to options if he shows more aggressiveness or attacking....Me!

He is very pretty!! He loves sitting on my lap & listening to music. I'll enjoy him for however the good Lord allows, hopefully many years.

Little Big Man

Many people are afraid of roosters, with good reason. Many large-fowl, and some bantam, roosters can be extremely aggressive, and while flogging and pecking may do little damage, those spurs can give a nasty puncture wound.

My roo is a bit different from that. He's a Serama, a breed specifically bred for bold, confident, friendly personalities. He may be from the smallest breed of bantam - a very little fellow - but he has big personality.

I've seen him take on a 100lb dog for getting too close to the coop. He didn't do any harm, but landed on the dog's back screeching. That dog took off like his tail was on fire, and stayed away from the coop after that.

But when it comes to people... well, you might get flogged, and maybe get some scratches, but they aren't from an attack. They're from him trying to land on your arm or shoulder, so he can cuddle up against you. When I hold him, he snuggles against my chest, lays his head down and closes his eyes, cooing. This isn't a chick - he's about two and a half years old.

So, if you want all the big attitude and protective nature of a rooster, without the risk of having him try to chase YOU away... have a look at the best little big men. Seramas.

Just don't expect him to fertilize any of your large-fowl hens eggs... Try, yes. Succeed? Well...