Uh-oh. One of your Barred Rock baby chicks has turned out to be a rooster. Naturally, you’re too attached to rehome or cull your beautiful baby, so you’re now considering raising it with your flock.
Whether this fits the bill or not, many people who are raising or who are considering raising Barred Rock chickens often wonder about a Barred Rock rooster’s temperament.
Here are all the wonderful characteristics of Barred Rock roosters, their general temperaments, whether they are aggressive by nature, and everything else you ought to know.
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Characteristics Of A Barred Rock Rooster
Barred Rock roosters stand out amongst others, rocking several trademark features that make them so desirable amongst chicken lovers.
Of course, Barred Rock chickens are a variety of Plymouth Rock chickens so they share some of these brilliant characteristics, but they do have some unique traits of their own.
Here are the notable physical characteristics of a Barred Rock Rooster (just to make sure it’s going to match your flock’s style!).
Plumage Pattern & Color
Barred Rocks represent the very unique black-and-white stripes across their whole bodies, referred to as “barring”, hence the name.
Although Barred Rock hens have this same pattern, many Barred Rock roosters often grow an all-black tail, and often grow some yellow or orange feathers around their bodies.
They typically have yellow skin, legs, and beaks, and sport a five-point single comb and large red wattles (with roosters having larger combs and wattles than the hens).
If you know your chickens you might also recognize that the Cuckoo Maran shares this same plumage too.
Height And Weight
Ahh yes, the sheer size is another characteristic of Barred Rock Roosters, being categorized as large chooks with long bodies and well-developed chests.
They’re quite clearly strong and very active, great for protecting and leading their flock!
An adult Barred Rock rooster can weigh from 7.5 to 9.5 pounds and stand as tall as 30-35 inches tall.
Temperament Of A Barred Rock Rooster
It’s important to first note that the temperament of any given rooster can vary considerably based on its genetics, raising conditions, and the environment – no matter what breed you’re looking at.
Still, it’s in the consensus of the broader chicken community that some breeds of roosters can have a larger tendency for aggression over others, while others hold the tendency to be more timid.
When it comes to Barred Rock roosters, their ultimately confident and smart creatures. Although they generally do pretty well with their primary caretakers, they can be a little protective of their flock when it comes to strangers.
Are Barred Rock Roosters Aggressive?
Generally speaking, Barred Rock roosters are considered more gentle and friendly towards their flock and humans.
Though they get a bit unpredictable around strangers, so they should be if they’re wanting to protect their flock!
This unpredictability is often misunderstood as aggressive. In reality, it’s very rare that a Barred Rock rooster will suddenly latch out in aggression towards its flock or its caretakers – or even strangers!
Again, every chicken has a different personality, so there’s always a possibility that you’ve drawn the short straw with your rooster!
Other Behavioral Traits Of Barred Rock Roosters
Of course, these beautiful roosters also show some pretty awesome observable behaviors too. In general, Barred Rock roosters are the feathered epitome of zen. They’re friendly, pretty chilled out, and don’t mind sharing their backyard kingdom with other chickens, poultry, or pets.
Despite being so chilled out and generally friendly, they will often end up at the top of the pecking order due to their sheer size and presence amongst the flock (even if there are other roosters present too!).
Barred Rock roosters aren’t known to crow the loudest either, which is great for those wanting a little bit more peace and quiet around the property. Still, they aren’t considered to be the quietest roosters though.
Managing Aggressiveness In Roosters
If you’ve unluckily copped yourself an aggressive rooster, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, there’s a fair bit you can do to lessen its aggressive tendencies and make it a little more approachable.
The first strategy is a bit of a preventative measure. Give your roosters plenty of space, a balanced diet, and minimal stressful disturbances to keep them as happy as Larry.
The second is to reinforce gentle or friendly behaviors with treats. This works particularly well if you’re raising your rooster from a young age, as you have more time to develop strong habits.
The more comfortable you can get your young roosters around humans, the better for their overall temperament towards us!
Quick Summary
In any normal circumstance, there’s no way Barred Rock roosters are aggressive. They’re brilliantly intelligent and friendly beings (as far as roosters go at least!).
If you’re raising your own Barred Rock chicks and you’ve found one or more to be a rooster, don’t stress. Simply treat them with love and care and you’ll be sure to raise a kind, but valuable leader for your flock.
If you do pull the short straw and get stuck with a temperamental or aggressive rooster, give them plenty of space and time to warm up to their environment!
For those raising Barred Rocks hens too, check out this guide for everything you need to know about Barred Rocks egg laying!