Should I be worried

OntChickenLady

In the Brooder
5 Years
Apr 20, 2014
25
2
24
I've owned my rooster Benny for about two years I got him when he was still a baby and he was so gentle and up until recently has always been. About a week ago he came into the coop while I was cleaning and lightly pecked at my hand. Now my hands were covered in straw so I assumed he was pecking at the straw so I gently shooed him away and kept working. Tonight however as I was putting everyone to bed for the night one of my young hens who I'm slowly trying to introduce to the flock got out of her quartine pen and ran up to the adults. I was worried about her being attacked so I quickly scooped her up and when I did Benny pecked me hard enough to draw blood. It was a full out attack he wasn't flapping his wings or acting aggressively he just looked over pecked me then kept drinking. Is this something I should be concerned about? Before now he has never been aggressive or attacked anyone and I really don't want him to end up in the stew pot if this is a sign of worse behavior to come how do I stop it now?
 
Whenever he pecks you, or acts aggressive, pick him up firmly, hold him or carry him around for a few minutes, pet him but don't baby him, you know? this works a lot of times, they learn you are stronger than they are, and maybe they think you're the alpha, I'm guessing that's why it works. He wasn't really attacking you, he was just saying "hey, leave her alone!" That's what you want him to do, is protect the hens. It's the same thing he would do to another chicken or anyone that was beating up on her. If you continue to spend a lot of time with the chickens, and pay a lot of attention to him, I don't think he will be a problem. We have never had any of our roosters be aggressive at all to speak of, except one, and that was a long time ago. I think it's because we spend a lot of time with them .That's what my theory is, but who knows.
 
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Thank you I was totally shocked by him doing this until now he's been the perfect rooster I'm at the coops everyday and he's never acted like that before
 

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