Rooster shaming

My name is Luke. I’m a a-hole who keeps attacking my owner. Then she picks me up & holds me for 30 min. It's humiliating.

He doesn't look ashamed. Not one bit

I'm trying to dominate him but I'm getting beat up in the process. I'm covered in bruises & scratches. Well, more bruises than scratches. Every place he hits me with his wings leaves a bruise. I bruise easily but he is strong!

If you look at the size of his head, and realize that the brain controlling this animal is even smaller, it will make sense that there is not a lot to train. A lot of posters on here are sure that behavior is largely genetic. Do you want to breed a mean rooster?

I may also be making an assumption, but as you just recently joined the BYC, perhaps this is your first flock, and this rooster was raised with flock mates. I think that roosters raised in a flock of just chicks are much more apt to be aggressive to people. No person sits and interacts with chickens 24/7. So the vast majority of the time, the rooster is the biggest bird in the flock, he grows faster than the pullets, becomes sexually active before the pullets, and is able to bully them. In years to come, if you raise up a rooster under older hens, they WILL school him in proper manners 24/7. You get much nicer roosters raised in a flock.

I would strongly suggest, a do over. Cull this rooster, he is not going to get better. If you ever have anyone else visit your coop, he is very liable to attack them. Do not feel guilty about this, even if you raised them. Why should you be abused? If you do not feel able to harvest him yourself, post on craigslist and don't ask questions. If you want a rooster, find your local poultry club and find someone who has a nice rooster.

Be done with this bad boy, and enjoy your flock again. The training idea is vastly over-rated, and these birds tend much more often to get more and more aggressive.

Mrs K

SillyRooster said:

[COLOR=141823]My name is Luke. I’m a a-hole who keeps attacking my owner. Then she picks me up & holds me for 30 min. It's humiliating.[/COLOR]

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If he is an indoor or otherwise small flock bird you are an ideal candidate for an approach to break his aggression without be aggressive in response. First a little background, if you were to dominate him through aggression you will more likely have to do him physical harm in a manner that is not acceptable when it comes to pet care. You would have to beat him up and your currents efforts are likely causing you more than simply discomfort, you are making him more inclined to attack later. Note he does not attack things like furniture or other inanimate objects. I suggest you begin ignoring his attacks. Wear heavier clothing and let him attack until he can do it no more.. Put on some sweat pants under your genes and if need be wear gloves. He will tire. Do not recoil or withdraw and do not look at him. Sit / stand in a position where he can not hit your face or exposed skin. Do not handle him either. I know he can hammer you with wings (including the little spurs they contain, his leg spurs if he has them and by pinching (sometimes drawing blood) with his beak. It is not too hard to defend against those using clothing especially once he tires. Also note his vocalizations and subtle changes in body posture. If nothing else this effort will make you better prepared for the next rooster. My assumption is your interest in chickens is not a fly by night thing.

centrarchid said:

If he is an indoor or otherwise small flock bird you are an ideal candidate for an approach to break his aggression without be aggressive in response. First a little background, if you were to dominate him through aggression you will more likely have to do him physical harm in a manner that is not acceptable when it comes to pet care. You would have to beat him up and your currents efforts are likely causing you more than simply discomfort, you are making him more inclined to attack later. Note he does not attack things like furniture or other inanimate objects. I suggest you begin ignoring his attacks. Wear heavier clothing and let him attack until he can do it no more.. Put on some sweat pants under your genes and if need be wear gloves. He will tire. Do not recoil or withdraw and do not look at him. Sit / stand in a position where he can not hit your face or exposed skin. Do not handle him either.


I know he can hammer you with wings (including the little spurs they contain, his leg spurs if he has them and by pinching (sometimes drawing blood) with his beak. It is not too hard to defend against those using clothing especially once he tires. Also note his vocalizations and subtle changes in body posture. If nothing else this effort will make you better prepared for the next rooster. My assumption is your interest in chickens is not a fly by night thing.

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I've come to truly love chickens especially each & every one in my two small flocks. It's true I'm new to the chicken scene but I intend to be here for a long time.

I don't want to be aggressive to any of my birds. I just want them to be happy & not attacky. Also I'm tired of the beatings he's giving me.



Luke will remain in his coop & run for the foreseeable future. Or as we call him an "indoor" chicken.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Swap him out and consider get a game rooster. Then scrutenize your approach to how you interact with roosters, hens of his harem, and possibly how feed is provided to birds. Game roosters for me respond better to the luvy-duvy way of keeping chickens.