Advice on Aggressive Rooster -- Keeps Going After All Of Us Including Young Kids

[Featherballs]

My leghorn roosters have always been the worst aggressors, put your hand on its back and push it down to the ground and hold it there then push its head down to the ground and hold there for 3-5 full seconds. Have every family member do it to him. This establishes dominance over the rooster and he will leave you alone.

 

[Featherballs]

I have tried hitting him with a stick to get him away (eventually very hard because it hurts when he pecks and I am tired of bleeding!) and avoiding him (often he comes from across the yard to get us). Once I hung him upside down with rope in the run door for a bit. Then I put him in solitary in the very small enclosure I use for transitioning chicks before they join the flock. I let him out after a few days but once it got warm a couple days later he was back to pecking. Back to solitary, for about a week. I started feeling sorry for him and let him out. The moment he got out he pecked me, I gave him space and a few minutes later he attacked from behind when I was bringing the full waterer into the big run. I threw him back in solitary and there he remains. Food, water, shelter but alone. I feel sorry for him -- he truly is pathetic.

Honestly these are all making the problems worse...

 

[Naser]

Rest assured he will be delicious, you don't need to ask cull him

 

[Folly's place]

I agree that management could have been better, but that's really not the big issue here now, it's about children being in serious danger!
Better techniques earlier may have had this rooster better around the adults in the family, but not the children, or any other people who come visiting.
Not all roosters are meant to be 'nice', no matter how they are raised!
Breeders who select for good temperament will have better roosters, and it's not a priority for everyone.
Mary

 

[LaFleche]

LaFleche, I don't take offense. You're right.

I hate giving up on any creature. I hated hitting him with a stick, made me feel like a bully because I'm so much bigger. Once he goes after me he won't stop, whether I face him or walk away he keeps coming until I hit back. I've taken to keeping sticks outside the back door and by the run.

He seems frantic, angry, scared, crazy. Is it possible that his breed is damaged from the huge confined animal feeding operations (cafos)? I believe in cell memory and I wonder if all the decades of mistreatment in factory farms ruined some of their bloodlines. I don't want to write it off, especially if I made a mistake in raising him. It's just something I considered.

BroodyCluck, I don't think we held him too much. He had many broodermates and he wasn't one of the favorites. Can holding a rooster too much make him go bad?? That seems counterintuitive, but I am no expert.

There is so much I don't know. We had chickens and all manner of animals when I was a kid, but I am relatively new to being the adult in charge of chickens. I'm only 1.5 years in.

LaMontelle, thank you for the suggestion. If my kids were teenagers I would try it, but I'm so worried he's going to take an eye.

Banty, I'm going to read the link on roosters in your signature after the kids go to bed. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

The biggest thing I want to learn is why he turned and what I can do differently with future roos. It hurts to think I made a mistake in raising him and he has to die for it. What should I do differently with my young cockerels?

I am sure you mean well and are obviously somewhat overwhelmed by the situation, but I think it is high time to get your priorities sorted.

Very often the high productivity/egg production in chicken layer breeds correlates with overaggressive behavior in roosters of the same breed - it is a genetic disposition.

 

[DixxieChick]

Thank you everyone, for taking the time to answer. He will be culled soon. I was overwhelmed, with this and several other things swirling around in my life. I think I was looking for permission and I more than got it. I am also grateful for the suggestions. Very, very helpful. Thanks again. Have a wonderful summer!

 

[DixxieChick]

My leghorn roosters have always been the worst aggressors, put your hand on its back and push it down to the ground and hold it there then push its head down to the ground and hold there for 3-5 full seconds. Have every family member do it to him. This establishes dominance over the rooster and he will leave you alone.

This is immensely helpful for the future. Thank you!

 

[Ebony Rose]

eat him

 

[DixxieChick]

eat him

You bet we are!

 

[AngieDawn]

Hi everyone,

Our White Leghorn, Roosty, turned rotten this spring. He goes after all of us, especially my three year old son. He's drawn blood several times on my son, husband and I, and once it was running down my son's hand. He pecked my one year old daughter on the cheek(!). We have almost three acres. That seems like plenty of space but no. He will come from across the yard after any of us (me, hubs, and kids - 9, 7, 3, 1). He sneak attacks me when I have the side door down and am leaning all the way inside the coop to scoop poop on the far side. He runs up from behind and attacks when I am carrying water buckets, poop buckets, food, bedding, etc. He's so dirty about it!

I have tried hitting him with a stick to get him away (eventually very hard because it hurts when he pecks and I am tired of bleeding!) and avoiding him (often he comes from across the yard to get us). Once I hung him upside down with rope in the run door for a bit. Then I put him in solitary in the very small enclosure I use for transitioning chicks before they join the flock. I let him out after a few days but once it got warm a couple days later he was back to pecking. Back to solitary, for about a week. I started feeling sorry for him and let him out. The moment he got out he pecked me, I gave him space and a few minutes later he attacked from behind when I was bringing the full waterer into the big run. I threw him back in solitary and there he remains. Food, water, shelter but alone. I feel sorry for him -- he truly is pathetic.

Some background: we added four chickens that hatched in my daughter's kindergarten class to our rainbow flock last last year, along with 15 pullets from the local feed store. The four turned out to be White Leghorns, three roosters and one pullet. Roosty is the last one standing; the other three succumbed to either disease or predators.

I have 15 four week chicks in the brooder, including two new roosters -- an Americana and Wellington, to go with my 12 grown hens.

Can his behavior be corrected? I honestly think I am done, just wanted to ask if anyone has any other suggestions.

I have friends that have offered to teach me how to slaughter and process him -- I've always wanted to learn and it's a good opportunity. I hate giving up on any creature, even a jerk of a rooster. Have I tried everything? Is it ok to let him go? My kids shouldn't be afraid to go outside and play, and I'm afraid he's going to peck my daughter's eye out.

He should be your dinner or someone else’s.
There are way too many well mannered roosters out there being eaten due to just having too many Roos to bother keeping one that can’t be respectful.
When kids are involved I always say get rid of him.