Has my sweet Golden Comet rooster gone bad? Should I get rid of him?

[meghan713]

I have a golden comet rooster named Oliver and he is one of the most docile birds I've ever met. I believe it's because he was the yellowest, fluffiest, cutest chick and therefore he was handled the most. He is nearly one year old. We got him in batch of a dozen chicks last year, and being naive we didn't have them sexed. We ended up with 5 roosters and 7 hens of different breeds. We have narrowed down our number of roosters to Oliver, one other Golden Comet rooster named Lyle, and two male bantams. Recently we killed two highly aggressive RIR roosters we had, and since then Oliver has become a little bit more aggressive. He now does the mating dance in a circle around me whenever I'm outside, and recently he used his spurs on my 5 year old sister! He used to be so docile I could hold him and stroke his waddles. These days he is a little bit mean. When I get ahold of him he immediately calms down and doesn't peck, but the fact that he attacked my little sis really disturbs me. Right now,due to some marten attacks over the winter,our male to female ratio is even. Is this why Oliver has been acting up? We have an order of ten female chicks arriving in April. Will Oliver calm down once we have more females? Or should I get rid of him? Oliver is my baby, and I really would like to keep him if there's any way to keep him from attacking a human again.

 

[Break an Egg]

He sounds like he is going through a teen phase. I would advise your sis to carry a stick with her and show oliver who's boss next time he tries to be mean.

She doesn't have to hit him, she can just swing and he will respect her space a bit more.

 

[midget_farms]

Right - he is just now maturing & that makes him fiesty.

The best way to deal with this is for you to be the head rooster. Catch him & hold him upside down by his feet. Hold him there until he gives up & stops throwing a fit. This is a quick easy way for him to submit to you as the leader. As long as he thinks he is in charge he will get meaner & meaner.

Make sure he isn't eating when you catch him as it can be easy to choke a bird being held upside down.

Once upside down when he calmes down you can let him go & he won't mess with you or your sister. You should do this every so often ( every month or so - even more if he is still mean) until he calms down.

He can still be a nice rooster - but he should be the only one.

There should be 10 hens to every rooster. Too many less than that & the roos will fight.

 

[lovinlife]

I do exactly the same thing. I wait until my roo is on the roost at dusk to pick him up. He is a very large splash Ameraucana and he struggles when I hold him upside down. He's pretty strong, but I hold him like that until he calms down and quits struggling. I'll walk around a bit while i hold him, it disorients them, which is the whole point. Then, I'll lay him on the ground and make sure he sees me holding him there before I let go. He gets up a little dizzy, but he's fine and has a very healthy respect for me. In fact, I can't catch him unless he's on the roost because he runs from me. I was giving the hens some scratch today and he got very curious. I chased him away and made sure he knew I didn't want him there. Absolutely do not allow your rooster to eat when you are around. As far as he is concerned, he's at the bottom of the pecking order when you're there. Period.

I gave up the idea of having a sweet rooster a long time ago. I have had quite a few mean aggressive roos and don't want to go there again. My current roo is very respectful of me and I will be sure to keep it that way. Good luck with your boy!

 

[valeriebutler]

Oh man I'm so glad to hear this. I'm doing this tomorrow. I using hold my roo this way but it's been a while. He thinking he is my boss. He came over today and pecked my foot either tried to mate or just attack. Not bad more like a warning but he's getting bold. Dancing around me and my daughter web we let them free range in the back yard. I'll make sure to hang him upside down more often. Lol we have three hens and two bsl chicks we just got 4 days ago. How soon can I take them outside. I think they are a week old now?

 

[biophiliac]

Here is a classic post by @Beekissed on dealing w/ aggressive roos.

"I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby."

​

 

[bobbi-j]

Oh man I'm so glad to hear this. I'm doing this tomorrow. I using hold my roo this way but it's been a while. He thinking he is my boss. He came over today and pecked my foot either tried to mate or just attack. Not bad more like a warning but he's getting bold. Dancing around me and my daughter web we let them free range in the back yard. I'll make sure to hang him upside down more often. Lol we have three hens and two bsl chicks we just got 4 days ago. How soon can I take them outside. I think they are a week old now?

Please read the post above containing Bee's advice. Your rooster has no clue as to why you're hanging him upside down...