Desperately seeking advice for a flogging issue, please help! Thanks! :)

I'm not as experienced as some, and I've read some of the links and sites about training roosters who have gotten out of hand, and the solution of putting him in a stew pot, which I figured would be inevitable, but I've adopted a strategy that I think is working with ours.

Ours has only attacked a couple times, but when he does, it's never a good time, right? I started carrying a stick, or, more often when I'm in the barn, a manure fork, but I realized something quickly about the stick, and that was, it would cause a fight, at least with my rooster, and the way I applied it... I'm familiar with sticks as driving tools with horses, but the rooster doesn't respond to it like a horse does. He didn't give ground or submit at all, unless I was prepared to beat him down with it. He fought with it. I was just bringing a stick to a rooster fight. Which is better than no stick, but it's not peace and harmony either. I tried just freezing when he started acting aggressive, and he'd usually lose interest and de-escalate, but I didn't like that I was letting him dictate my movements. I have chores to do, and he's not supposed to be the boss of me.

One time, he went after my husband when I happened to have the hose in my hand. I sprayed him down. Really dowsed him. That worked! Changed his whole mood in an instant. Hard to look cool when you're getting sprayed with a hose.

Then another time I stumbled on another weapon that worked... a spray bottle. It happened to be filled with fly spray. Fly spray stinks, and maybe even stings eyes a little, that didn't hurt. But just water is fine. Need a spray bottle with a nice strong stream setting, and I could spray him with it, and hit him without hitting the other chickens, and without making any noise or aggressive motions. So I started carrying that around with me, particularly when we needed to herd them around. It's something he just finds weird and unpleasant, yet distinctly un-rooster fight-like. He doesn't fight with it. It just creeps him out and he moves away.

I have expanded my method to teaching him that people are just generally unpleasant to be around. They randomly spit and mess up his beautiful plumage. I spray him if he's close to me, looks at me, or doesn't move out of the way fast enough. I'm obnoxious and rude and he doesn't like me... But I'm not a rooster. I can live with him just not wanting to be around me. And maybe, so can my rooster. Spray bottle is handy for me, and can even hang off my pants when I'm out there and need hands free, but a squirt gun would work also and fit in a pocket (if it doesn't leak!)

That's my two cents in case there's something in there that appeals to you.

Life's too short to live with a bad rooster, they can inflict serious injury....is chicken (gorgeous cockerel) love worth losing an eye?
Your ankles might be the only thing at risk...... until someone bends over for chores or he flies up.

It's very hard for folks to know, and control, their own emotions around an animal.
Everyone must feel absolutely no fear around him.
Animals pick up on very subtle human body language that humans are often oblivious too.

If you're new to chickens and/or don't need a rooster for breeding purposes, I'd strongly suggest you get rid of him.

My silkie roo, Yeti, flogs me just about everyday. I have learned to deal with it, but I also don't have children who are near him. As soon as he flogs me I stand my ground and walk towards him until he finally backs down. Yeti only flogs me when I'm trying to pick up one of the girls. He is very predictable. Maybe look for signs to see if there is something specific you are doing every time he flogs you. That way you can have a better understanding of what to look for prior to the "attack". The only reason I put up with him flogging me is because it does not hurt at all since he is so small and he is amazing with my hens. If my giant EE roo was flogging me he would be gone. I haven't figured out a way to actually stop the flogging. I've only been successful at dominating him very quickly and getting him to submit to me right away. I've tried picking him up and carrying him around while I'm going about my business outside. That seemed to help a little. I think the personality of the rooster depends a lot on whether you will be able to stop him from flogging or not. Good luck with your beautiful boy! I hope everything works out!

canesisters said:

I hate to be "that person" but .....

My first roo - raised from a chick - nursed through several chick-ills - etc.

About the time he turned 4months old he started to give me 'the eye'.
Surely not MY boy!! I had done all the right things to raise a 'good roo'.
By the time he was 7months old I was well along on trying all the things that are supposed to train a 'bad roo'.
By the time he was a year old I no longer enjoyed spending any time with my chickens. I carried a weapon with me when I entered to feed/water and never just hung out with them anymore.
By the time he was about 14months old I broke a rake (yes... a RAKE) trying to get him off of me.
He went to the next swap meet with 'MEAN ROO' on his cage.
A week later everyone - me and the hens - were much more relaxed and beginning to enjoy time together again.
I was foolish enough to let one of the hens hatch out 4 eggs from him. His 2 sons were just like him - but Jersey Giant sized. By the time they were 5 months old they were dangerous.
His 2 daughters have his same nasty personalilty - but lay chocolate (marans) eggs - so they will stay as long as they lay....
There ARE good roos out there.
There is not enough room in any coop for a mean one...


sorry...

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Well said.

He sure was a very nice looking and large BCM. Just a shame he carried the mean gene. Since he passed this trait down to only his sons, showed his temperament was definitely hereditary. I'm positive his behavior had nothing to do with how he was raised. Our main BCM roo is very sweet and docile and we put him in with his cockerels as a balanced rooster will show the younger males how to act. He 'smiles' and does not mind being held, and all his cockerels appear to have carried this gentleness onward- they all tolerate it when I clean their faces or pull things out of their nostrils. lol. This male was fully grown and alone in a pen at the breeder's farm. He was a wild, unsocialized fellow when we purchased him from the breeder and was tamed within one day, so he was inherently born to be mild in nature.

There's not much that can be done when it is a genetic issue. So sorry you had to experience that...

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Agreed. Very calm, confident and CONSISTENT... no matter what he does. Chickens are very smart. They notice tiny details. Otherwise, if the kids act surprised or scared at all after being pecked, other arrangements should be considered as his behavior will not likely improve unless they work at this. I would not breed him either, UNLESS, he drastically changes his tune and becomes mellow. So many sweet and gorgeous roosters are culled daily just because they crow.

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Best of luck to you. It can be done successfully... but it will take commitment and careful watchfulness from everyone. Please let us know how it goes.

chooks4life Sure hope you can chime in on this thread.

I'm here to just offer encouragement since others have already given you such great advice.

Most chicken keepers are quick to cull a bad-mannered cockerel. That is their right, but there is an alternative, though it takes work and commitment.

I'd like to point out that the belligerence is a stage that almost certainly won't last forever. It is almost always associated with a flood of hormones during the first two years of a rooster's life. If you can get through this stage, be patient, be consistent with his discipline, you can have a well-mannered rooster at the end of it.

Also, if it's a relaxed and friendly roo you are aiming for, it's wise to choose the discipline techniques that don't make him more afraid and mistrustful of you.