Aggressive Silkie Rooster

[LittleWhiteDove]

I was given 2 silkie roosters the other day. They are brothers and hatched this April. Neither of the boys have been in with girls yet. They are kept together away from any female. One is a total sweet heart and loves to be picked up and handled. The other is really aggressive. He pecks,e jumps and runs at me.Even when I pick him up he is aggressive and try's to go for my hands,face what ever he can reach. I am scared that when I put him in with hens he will get worse and jump up at my young nephews face when he goes to collect eggs. The rooster has no past history of aggression

Is there any way I can break him of this behavior or do I just need to re-home him?

 

[PeepersMama]

Hmmmm, sometimes what a rooster needs is a farm where he can free-range with little "intrusions" from people. We had a BO who was a bit like that. I picked him up one time and he pecked me in the face! He wouldn't attack unless he thought he was being provoked, though, but when he grew up he became the best rooster I've ever had. He would go after any dog that dared to chase his girls, but he wouldn't go after us if we tried to hold one of the "squawky" ones.
First step to curbing his aggression? Leave him alone. Don't try to hold him or pet him at all. I would stop cuddling the nicer one, too.
If he does go after you, boot him out of your way, hold your foot in his face, and if he pecks it then give him another *gentle* kick. Don't walk away from him once he's challenged you. He will interpret that as a sign that "he can beat up humans!" As long as he behaves himself, ignore him.
Try to teach him to eat from your hand. Roosters don't share with other roosters, so in time he will realize that you aren't competition for him. Don't kick him off the hens once he's loose either, unless he's being a total jerk and you think he might hurt the hen.
Banty roos are notorious for being "all that and a bag of chips!", so if you do rehome him, try to send him to a home with a standard sized rooster to keep him in line.

Good luck with him!

 

[LittleWhiteDove]

He has acess to an 12' bt 24' run. There are no hens with him or with in sight. He has no past history. He broke a nail off last night could he be attacking because he is injured?

 

[PeepersMama]

I doubt he's attacking cuz he's injured. Just let him have his space and see if he calms down any. If he'll let you catch him, then rinse off that nail and put a dab of neosprin on it. If it'll just freak him out, then don't. He'll live.

 

[chickens really]

Lol.......You have one mature Cockerel....More aggressive.....Stop handling them......Roosters are not pets....Neither do they want to be....They are Breeders and protectors of Hens.........Chase them off every time they come close to you..........Best way to deal with Cockerels....Then the soup pot if things get out of hand...........



Cheers!

 

[theoldchick]

Never, ever, trust a rooster with a young child. Those toddlers are built low to the ground and the face is the perfect height for a rooster to get at. Be safe and get rid of the cockerel/rooster.