2 yr old rooster has gone psycho

[Stiggy]

Thatsa tempory thing, it's the hormones kicking in , once her babies get older say a couple of months she should calm down. It's mainly because they are so young and vulnerable

 

[Bethel3330]

@chooks4life
Can you tell me more about this comment: It's not a bluff... It never is. Even a charge, terminated before arriving at the victim, is not a true bluff. It's indicative of his mental state

Mine ran up behind me a few weeks ago as I was coming back to the house and I heard him, but he stopped 8-10 feet away. It surprised me and he wasn't making any type of threatening gesture. When I turned around he wasn't doing anything but standing there. Head wasn't down, hackles not raised. I thought to myself You better not be running at me, you Booger.
Well, he did it again this week, but I noticed it was in the same place, alongside my chain link fence that my dogs are behind and he does not like my boxer, who i know would attack them. The first time i don't know if she was there. This time i think he was charging at the fence and she was about six feet on the other side of it but, hello, he was behind me again! Lol So I don't know if it was a coincidence or what.
He's about 1 1/2 years old, moves away when I walk toward him but not skittish. He'll come right over for treats, letting the girls eat more than he will. Generally, he's watchful but we just co-exist. I'm very careful to have my son not startle the birds or do anything to appear as a threat. Do you think we're ok? Anything else we ought to be looking for? The only other questionable sign is how he watches us sometimes. I can read a dog like a book but I can't understand rooster looks yet. I don't want to inadvertently challenge him. :-/
Other than that, he was alpha at his previous place but always fine with people, I was told. I know them so i don't think they'd sell me a mean one, they'd probably butcher. They just had a lot of roos and he was not tolerating the young ones. No dropping the wing at me or dancing around etc.

Thanks for sharing! I just want to be careful. I have a little boy and don't want any surprise attacks. Of course, my son is never around them alone at this age.

 

[Cknldy]

I'd like to step into the circle and add a tidbit on the 'wack with a hoe' bit. We had a Rhode Island Red boy that was aggressive from just about day one of choosing him to stay with the ladies. Not to me at first, just the kids-especially my son. So the kids stopped going around the chickens. Then the male began attacking me. We had friendly roos free ranging but had to keep the aggressive one in the coop/run. Grandmother said spray water at him and he'll leave you alone. No hose to reach. I had a hoe handy so I'd use it to knock him back att the first sign of attack, every day. Well, just let him catch you that ONE time you forget the hoe! He wasn't afraid of me he was afraid of the hoe. I didn't keep him off-the hoe did. Leave the hoe in a corner of the coop and he wouldn't go near that corner. I go in and it's spurs up! Tried a bachelor coop, holding him etc, then my son was minding his business when we heard screaming. A wooden dowel works great as a ball bat when the roo you thought you could tame attacks fiercely an unprepared already scared kid that is otherwise big enough to hold his own! Pluck pluck soup Even the pretty crested breeds are going to taste good in a pot because that is the direction he is headed when I get past the beauty factor. The first lesson is always hard but think of how much those attacks hurt and skinning or plucking is not so hard.

 

[rottnwarrior]

I recently had a similar few episodes with my very calm BJG roo. At first I wasn't sure if that's what he was going for but after a few days he grew a pair and squared up to me and came at me like he meant business. At first I was going for the first thing I could find to take him out and put him in the fridge. Then I tried something... (Only cause he beat me to the pitchfork). It looked a bit funny, and after a few minutes I was laughing so hard I forgot I was under attack. I picked up my foot (think the original karate kid style crane kick) and everytime he jumped at my foot I pushed him right down on his back. I didn't get mad, I didn't move towards him. I stood my ground and gave him no attention other than knocking him down everytime he tried. It took a few minutes of my time but now he remembers who is at the top of the pecking order. Now if I even walk in his direction he moves out of the way. If I walk behind him towards the coop he runs right in like the good boy he always was. I just imagined it was like puberty.
Ps: "pluck pluck stew", that had me rolling! I'm going to have to borrow that.

 

[Ganjaroo]

Now today, he did not come at me at all, ..just eyeballed me a bit.
Good grief I picked one heck of a time to quit smoking, I'll tell you that. Having a beloved pet who now wants me dead is a bit nervewracking. lol

Anyway, I always thought that if a roo was mean, one would see the signs much sooner than this. I had another roo the same time I got the others, and he showed at a very young age some pretty serious aggression. Not with me, but grabbing the girls and throwing them down, pecking, etc, so I got rid of him pronto. I found him a home at an animal sanctuary, where he can live out his life with other mean roosters.
Now the roo I kept was never like that. He was gentle with the girls. liked to be held and petted, lap sitting, etc.. so, ..you can see how this turn in behavior is a complete surprise to me. As Chooks4life told me, his 'tid bitting' and strutting around the yard were signs of aggression to come, .. but this is the first time I've raised a roo, and I thought ALL roos did that!

We shall see what happens as the day goes on. I had my cry last night at the thought of killing him, ugh.. but, ..one must do what one must do. I certainly can not let this nonsense go on. ..and I am NOT going to try beating this bird down or any of the like. So, thanks again all, ...and I'll keep you posted!

 

[rottnwarrior]

Maybe try what I did. It worked wonders. Mind you I did not kick him. Just put my foot up do he went after that n just pushed him down. He just squared up to the neighbor kids when they came over and I went and stood in between. He looked for a minute and walked away and has left them alone since. I then did the same thing and cut him off from some hens, he was confused but realized that I just claimed them as mine and walked away. No trouble at all. He sees me as the boss and leaves everyone alone that I claim as mine by standing in front of.

 

[Ganjaroo]

Maybe try what I did. It worked wonders. Mind you I did not kick him. Just put my foot up do he went after that n just pushed him down. He just squared up to the neighbor kids when they came over and I went and stood in between. He looked for a minute and walked away and has left them alone since. I then did the same thing and cut him off from some hens, he was confused but realized that I just claimed them as mine and walked away. No trouble at all. He sees me as the boss and leaves everyone alone that I claim as mine by standing in front of.

Thanks, I WILL indeed try this! Today, still so far so good. He hasn't tried to kill me again as of yet.. Maybe yesterdays battle has sunk in, .. maybe not. We shall see..

 

[Folly's place]

rottnwarrier, he WILL try you again, and he will attack everyone else. Give him time, and things will get worse. If you have children around, will you always be there to save them? I hope it works for you, but IMO time is not going to improve him at all. Mary

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I've had some success with my roo. Maybe not completely out of the woods yet but I can see light between the trees.

Also raised from the egg on. Not cuddly, but perfectly decent youngster. Never attacked anyone. Then one day I caught and dusted all his hens in front of him and that seemed to set him off.

He would take a run at me and I was hit a few times. Read lots of threads on the matter over the past weeks and decided to try a few things. I don't challenge him or fight with him. I'm working to restore trust and good will. I sit with them sometimes in the yard. If he comes towards me I stand my ground and use my shepherds stick to tell him to back off. Just poke it in between us to protect my leg and to push him a little bit. I don't hurt him, I don't inflame the situation. My roo sounds like yours. He doesnt really want a fight. So when he back off or saunters in a different direction I praise him and make cheerful noises at him.

I've been working on getting us back to improved relations for about three weeks now. And I haven't been hit by him in that time. Moreover he runs at me very infrequently now and has not once run right up to me. A couple little feints. And lots of times I've been working in shared space with him.

I'm keeping him because, like yours, he's good with his hens and they like him. And I respect he's just being a rooster. It's a tough job, being a rooster. If you're too soft the coyotes will eat you and if you're too tough the humans will eat you!

 

[centrarchid]

Rottnwarrier manages his / her birds in a similar manner to my method. Results are long-term and management is always ongoing. Stop fighting with, running from, rewarding with aggression with food. Also do not threaten the roosters family; remember you are handily the big guy but do not be part of the pecking order, Manage it from the outside.