2 yr old rooster has gone psycho

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I just want to say, thanks for such an in-depth response to the original post. I too have a rooster (along with 8 hens) that has decided he's gonna rule the world. Well I say, " NOT MY WORLD!". He's a Barred Rock and when I got him a few months ago, I was told he was just about a year old. Everything was great for the first three months or so. Then one day while I was filling the waterer in the pen he attacked me from behind. Got me pretty good on my calf and shinbone. So needless to say I walked tall and carried a big stick after that. I never threatened him, but kept my eyes on him. Sure 'nuff here he comes again! He's never made contact again because I have a good walking stick my husband made just for this reason. But, he does still try to attack me and almost always from behind. One interesting thing I noticed a day or two after the first attack was that his feet were red and I had never seen that before. I read what everyone says about his testosterone and becoming "DA MAN". Seems that just might be the case.
A couple of weeks ago he came at me as I walked across the yard (yep, they all free range during the day). I heard him running at me and turned just in time to smack him before he got me. He immediately came at me again and I hit him even harder. The blow landed across his shoulder. It hurt and/or stunned him enough that he sat in place for several minutes then got up and walked away. He didn't try again until yesterday when he came at me as I walked into the pen. He and the hens were all on the outside and coming in behind me. As I said, I keep my eyes on him. Sure 'nuff he started at me and I just shut the gate before he got to me. So needless to say, I will be doing away with him. And I don't mean pass him off to some other poor soul.
I don't keep a rooster for breeding purposes. I want one because I enjoy the crowing, protecting the girls from predators and just watching his actions in general.
So there ya go. My experience with an aggressive rooster.
 
I've got me a one year old gorgeous blue Ameracauna Rooster; same story as waltonwannabe. Great with his hens; attacking humans; We are probably shooting him next weekend.
 
I have had chickens for a number of years now and have come to the conclusion you either want them for what they are - egg/meat producing farm animals or pets. Those of us who live on a farm and have aggressive roosters can not allow a rooster to "rule the roost". If I can't feed, water and clean up after my chickens without one eye on the rooster there is a problem. Protection is one thing - aggression is something else. Several of ours have been planted as fertilizer next to our fruit trees after one to many attacks. I had one so bad that I couldn't even feed him, who we kept in a separate pen altogether without someone to watch my back. No need for him to be around. We now have one black australorp roo who was attacked by my dumb shitzu when he was younger and survived that is an angel. He watches the hens carefully but never even thinks twice about getting uppity with humans. Having said that I still keep a watchful eye on him.

Just a thought I would never allow an aggressive rooster to breed.
 
waltonwannabe said:
I just want to say, thanks for such an in-depth response to the original post. I too have a rooster (along with 8 hens) that has decided he's gonna rule the world. Well I say, " NOT MY WORLD!". He's a Barred Rock and when I got him a few months ago, I was told he was just about a year old. Everything was great for the first three months or so. Then one day while I was filling the waterer in the pen he attacked me from behind. Got me pretty good on my calf and shinbone. So needless to say I walked tall and carried a big stick after that. I never threatened him, but kept my eyes on him. Sure 'nuff here he comes again! He's never made contact again because I have a good walking stick my husband made just for this reason. But, he does still try to attack me and almost always from behind. One interesting thing I noticed a day or two after the first attack was that his feet were red and I had never seen that before. I read what everyone says about his testosterone and becoming "DA MAN". Seems that just might be the case.
A couple of weeks ago he came at me as I walked across the yard (yep, they all free range during the day). I heard him running at me and turned just in time to smack him before he got me. He immediately came at me again and I hit him even harder. The blow landed across his shoulder. It hurt and/or stunned him enough that he sat in place for several minutes then got up and walked away. He didn't try again until yesterday when he came at me as I walked into the pen. He and the hens were all on the outside and coming in behind me. As I said, I keep my eyes on him. Sure 'nuff he started at me and I just shut the gate before he got to me. So needless to say, I will be doing away with him. And I don't mean pass him off to some other poor soul.
I don't keep a rooster for breeding purposes. I want one because I enjoy the crowing, protecting the girls from predators and just watching his actions in general.
So there ya go. My experience with an aggressive rooster.
Click to expand...

UPDATE: Not long after my original comment I gave the Barred Rock rooster back to the man I bought him from. A few days later a friend gave me a Rhode Bar/Americana cross rooster. He was a little over a year old at the time. He is such a gentleman and I absolutely love him. And on top of that, he's very pretty and my girls love him as well.
 
My first rooster was a little Belgian d"uccle bantam, who came with a few hens first chickens from a neighbor. He was awful! I carried a weapon at all times, hit him pretty hard, and he'd come back again and again. After we all had enough and he was gone, we established a 'no tolerance' policy. Maybe one or two corrections, and then gone! Right now I've got two cocks and ten cockerels of several breeds. All are polite boys who haven't ever challenged me or had a bad thought. Just as it should be!!! Mary
 
Dear waltonwannabe, I come to believe the breed doesn't have that much to do with the niceness or badness of a rooster. I had a beautiful ameracana who turned into a terror. He was able to be rehomed. I think it's just the individual luck of the draw! Glad your second guy worked out for you.
 

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