Topic of the Week - Aggressive Roosters: What is the best way to handle them?

FlyWheel said:

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I read on a thread where some girl solved her rooster problem by giving him a bubble bath, right in front of the rest of the flock, no less!

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That was my best friend's teenage daughter, LOL. She got sick of the EE rooster attacking her so she caught him and dunked him in lavender bubblebath she made with mom's dish soap in a pan. He was humiliated. he pretty much avoided her for the rest of the time they had him. The other roosters would discipline him, though-those "lawmen" were from my own flock line. They didn't like his nonsense, either. I even made her up a business card.



Here is the old thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/249928/bad-roo-problem-fixed-i-think

That thread was SOOO funny! Mary

Folly's place said:

That thread was SOOO funny! Mary

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Wasn't it? LOL! They had tried everything with that rooster but Miss Cheyenne had a scathingly brilliant idea that actually worked, at least with this guy.

Thank you Azygous.

lazy gardener said:

Ok, moving on to an other point: My roo desperately needs to have his spur(s) trimmed. He broke one last summer, so it's blunt but getting longer. The other one is very deadly. I have not yet done it b/c I'm a scaredy cat, afraid that I'll get into the quick and he'll bleed out. So, how short can I go? How difficult is it to do? What do you use? I have some blunt end nippers that I think would do an admirable job, if they don't crack it. Then, I think I'd hit it with a plain metal file. I've heard of the hot potato, and simply twisting them off with a pair of pliers, but... I think either method would leave a very soft quick that would be prone to injury. I have no intention of putting him in a cage for a few days for something like that to heal. Will a styptic pencil stop any bleeding???

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I know of three ways to remove spurs - you can use a filer or sandpaper if you have a lot of patience or you can buy some dog claw clippers but they have to be sharp not blunt. My favourite way of doing it is using an angle grinder. One person holds the rooster and his toes while the other cuts the spure with the machine. I find this is the fastest and most painless way for the chook, it also leaves an even cut. I usually cut them down to 1.5 cm, if they bleed just hold a tissue on the spur then dip it in corn starch. Bleeding doesn't tend to last long. After cutting the spurs you can use some sandpaper to smoothen the edges until it's blunt.

I did this with my rooster. I made sure to pick him up early and often. He still got pushy from time to time, and would even try to kick me when my back was turned. He would get snatched up and I would ruffle him all over. Another trick if I was busy was to pin him with one hand. He would try to get in on the action while I was treating the ladies for mites, and the only way would be to grab him by the back of the neck and hold him to the ground like a more dominant rooster would.

speckledhen said:

Wasn't it? LOL! They had tried everything with that rooster but Miss Cheyenne had a scathingly brilliant idea that actually worked, at least with this guy.

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I am seriously thinking of trying that too. I've tried the holding-him-down-with-his-head-on-the-ground-in-front-of-the-others-to-show-dominance trick, but that only seems to work for a couple of days.

I don't have any lavender scented soap though, would menthol work?

If he is already doing this at 4 months what will you do when he is 1 year + and his full of hormones? There are many sweet, protective roosters out there that you can trust with your kids, grandchildren, or anyone else who comes into your yard. Peace of mind is good.

1. A bamboo cane that used to trellis pole beans is my go-to tool for rehabilitating behaviors. Just a bit of a lift on the fluff feathers to maybe give him a tumble or a push away. The Chicken-sitters, aka the Grandpas, have found the Cabela's fish Landing nets suffice for complete humiliation and respect.
2. Handling often as chicks/ socialization. I respect what Centrachid has said though about "demanding brooder raised chickens" That makes sense. Learned something there today...reading that. Pushing down the head towards the middle of their legs and holding there after bad behavior. (This may or maynot work.) Make sure you hold for a good amount of time though.
3. Walking with confidence. Using the eyes in the back of your head. Standing your ground when he does come. You do outweigh him and he knows it.
4.Recognizing or getting to know the invisible territory lines....
5. Knowing not to stir the pot when in the run with his hens. Watching the quick movements.
6. Being mindful of progeny protection during egg laying time.
7. Pick a rooster that was hen-raised. (Some say the broody hens teach respect) and those birds are a little more skiddish of humans.
8.Showing him what's cooking once in a while:


The men of the house cooking breakfast.

9. Avoid wearing red or take off the blaze orange stocking cap when going out to the coop during deer hunting season. They seem to be like bulls. LOL. Also when I wear a cap in he garden to keep mosquitos out of my hair...I became a stranger to his pea-brain.

10. The bath thing does really throw them for a loop. LOL. They look like drowned rats and I think they're mortified by it. I do love the addition of lavender to the bath. Great idea!


I'll admit that I probably tolerated more than I should have. We had 3 roosters in our first flock of chickens. The first to cull was a Partridge Rock that was skiddish of us...but horrid to the hens. They HATED him.

Eggs on the Tin Roof did not work so we dispatched Hans.

Duke the Bantam Cochin was also a bit aggressive. But we'd just laugh at his 2 lb aggressive self and disregard. Hens liked him, he was portable. But he drove our lead roo to overmate at the expense of our hens' backs.



What we ended up with was a hand raised New Hampshire chick/cockerel/rooster with "moments" if you will.



Here he is being very trusting of me in the run. "His Territory".


This is my Territory. Always had respect here. Near the house/deck.

With Roger, The New Hampshire, it was all about Territory and his Hens' egg laying disposition. And if he knew you. Although I found him more tolerable of women and child visitors than men visitors, interestingly enough.

Most issues with roosters occur during the early hormonal years. I had a bite in the chin and many on the hands that drew blood. These were lessons for me as a newbie as well. At 1 1/2 -2 years old I found our Roo calmed down quite a bit. We were also set up to tolerate his special "moments." Our kids were big enough to handle him in any state...by either running away (usually upset) or by standing their ground finally with a stick in hand. To lift his fluff a bit we would say. LOL. We tolerated things as our flock free ranges and I may get guff about this, but I wanted him to have enough confidence for predators if need be. I didn't want to take all the wind out of his sails so to speak. I learned to move with a slower pace in the run and coop and gave him the respect he deserved in the coop. I knew his intentions were only to protect his girls.

When he came up to the house or on the deck, he very much knew that was my territory and he was tolerant of being handled. Or watching us closely if we handled one of his hens. Gently. LOL.

I'm sad to report that I lost my Roger this spring. He was able to get girls under cover with a 1/2 minute to spare as eagles soared into our air space. He amazed me and we had a good Roger story everyday. He is very much missed around here. So although I talk of his "special moments" please know they were few...and lots of good moments in between.

We have his son now who is shaping up with good "lookout" behaviors and friendliness much like his Dad. We'll see though....

I always know that brain in there is only the size of a pea.