How do I manage a rooster just hitting puberty : A Confluence

[3KillerBs]

Just multiple pecking to draw blood

I would not keep a male that attacked so viciously as to draw blood.

I have forgiven a broody for doing that, but I wouldn't forgive a rooster.

 

[nuthatched]

Off with his head, aggressive animals don't have a place in my house.

 

[chookcomplex]

Yeah, aggression is no good but he's all I got. My suspicion is that my cream legbars are from one of the two variants that are more flighty and free rangy hence the aggressiveness and flightiness. I've tried my best. It is a sad thing to give a growing chick love and affection and when they grow up to be a teenager they turn into an asshole. I'm not gonna give up on him just yet, I need a male to continue the line even though that line might not be so ideal.

 

[chookcomplex]

It's a tough call. I mean what I would want to do is breed multiple roos and any who are aggressive, I cull leaving the less aggressive ones, that way it would perhaps breed out the aggression. But my flock are now mostly 2nd gen so its gonna be pretty inbreedy from here on out which is not great if the aggression is dominant.

I'm not keen on finding another cream legbar rooster. That seems like a pain to navigate, difficult to find, expensive, trusting the word on the seller on the rooster temperament, I will have difficulty raising two roosters that werent raised as coopmates.

I'm in a bit of a corner with this I think.

 

[nuthatched]

Yeah, aggression is no good but he's all I got. My suspicion is that my cream legbars are from one of the two variants that are more flighty and free rangy hence the aggressiveness and flightiness. I've tried my best. It is a sad thing to give a growing chick love and affection and when they grow up to be a teenager they turn into an asshole. I'm not gonna give up on him just yet, I need a male to continue the line even though that line might not be so ideal.

How much affection did you give him and what kind?
Cream legbars aren't known to be aggressive

 

[chookcomplex]

How much affection did you give him and what kind?
Cream legbars aren't known to be aggressive

Every time I fed him and the others, I kept stroking their back. Talking to them softly. Picking them up every now and then for 5 seconds then setting him back down, he didn't even complain half of the time.

 

[LaFleche]

Every time I fed him and the others, I kept stroking their back. Talking to them softly. Picking them up every now and then for 5 seconds then setting him back down, he didn't even complain half of the time.

Better have left them alone as this behaviour furthers aggressive tendecies in males of any age.

As flight animals, chickens don't like to be touched, grabbed at or held so better do your weekly/monthly health checks at night picking them from the roost one by one.

 

[3KillerBs]

Perhaps you could hatch a large batch of chicks, cull the jerk, raise the males with a hands-off approach, cull any that seem too bold or aggressive, and work toward choosing the best of the batch?

People often misinterpret "friendly" behavior from young cockerels. That's actually lack of respect for you.

You don't want the ones that panic every time you get near them, but the ones that keep their distance without fleeing in panic are the likeliest candidates.

 

[chookcomplex]

Better have left them alone as this behaviour furthers aggressive tendecies in males of any age.

As flight animals, chickens don't like to be touched, grabbed at or held so better do your weekly/monthly health checks at night picking them from the roost one by one.

Next time I may try that just for males but the whole premise of my hand rearing and physical content is constant acclimation with positive reinforcement.

 

[3KillerBs]

Next time I may try that just for males but the whole premise of my hand rearing and physical content is constant acclimation with positive reinforcement.

Mammals and birds, predators and prey -- the mindset and instincts are not the same and do not necessarily respond to the same management practices.