*IMPORTANT* - How to deal with an Aggressive Rooster

[Yazzo]

All roosters have the potential to be aggressive. Partially it's genes, but usually and mostly, it's the person.

As I stated in the first post though, this thread is for people who do want to take the time to work with their roosters and not resort to culling, and who don't want to get hurt by those little birdies anymore. There has not been one rooster I've encountered that these techniques have not worked on.
If you have little kids, or an ostrich, then you have real reason to worry. I understand that no one likes to be attacked, even by something that small, because some people really have gotten serious injury, but it a behavior that can easily be trained out.

This thread is for those people who want to learn how.

If I didn't have tolerance for any aggressive rooster, I would never have learned anything about them.

 

[BlackHawk37]

It seems to me, in my humble opinion, as if this topic has become extremely negative of late. Why is this? I have read through this entire topic (is it called a topic, thread or a forum post? sorry for my lack of internet wisdom), and I don't like to name names, but someone seems to have brought doubt creeping in.

Now, I have been raising chickens for almost 70 years, and I would never presume to know everything about them. All I know is that I have been given so called 'mean' roosters from those poor souls weary of them, and after a few days with me, they were tame as a lamb. I believe from personal experience that there are those breeds of which aggression is an inborn trait: this is exactly the same with dogs. But don't some of you have dogs such as pitbulls, and Pyrenees, which can be very aggressive if in the wrong hands? I know more about dogs than I do about chooks, but I think it is the same way, although with chickens, the aggression can be blamed more solely on the human owner. All I know is that I have been using these same techniques for so many years, I didn't even know there was another technique, rather than simply butchering, which I have done on occasion (for food). I do have certain things that are slightly different, but mostly, it's quite the same. As I said before, maybe it's just my chickens: I have all different kinds, but many they are simply not right in the head.
Protect your children and your shins, but try to learn from your experiences. I believe that only 1 in 100 or 1000 roosters is truly mean.

Be that as it may, the creator of the topic did mention that it is for discussion from people who do not want to cull out their roosters. I think that those people who insist that culling is the only way and the people who think that you truly can reform just about any rooster, you two groups should keep to yourselves. This topic is for the latter group, not the former.

That is just my opinion though. Take it as you may.

Thank you

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:

Right, Always try to fix them

 

[AlbinoChicken]

WOWZERS, i think blackhawk is wiser than all of us. 70 years of raising chickens?!?!

I'm only on my 3rd year! lol

 

[bburn]

I am doing in some of my roosters for food. However, having 15 roosters in a flock of 29 I know something has to be done to be fair to the hens. We started out wanting fresh eggs and were not smart enough to buy sexed chickens. Never again. I WANT roosters but not this many. Have posted to my friends on facebook. Am getting ready to do craigslist. Saturday morning I am going to the chicken swap and see if I can rehome some that way.

But I can tell you that this post has helped me alot. I look my 15 roosters in the eye and walk towards them every time I get the chance. If I sit down they come to me for a treat and then retreat. I don't feel they are scared of me but they do respect that I am bigger and the bringer of food and maybe the alpha roo! I have recently separated the 5 I am taking to the swap. They are not happy, can't see the others but can hear them and I feel cruel having done it. But there has already been a difference in the behaviors in the coop and run.

I am in the process of securing the fence in the veggie garden that is right next to the run. Once that is done I am going to herd out a few into the garden and let them work it. I will start at the end of the day for a couple of weeks.....630pm....in hopes that they will come back into the run and coop at night on their own. It is my understanding that might work. The veggie garden is not covered so I will get my lawn chair out, have their favorite treat ready and relax and watch them peck and hope it works. We do have a hawk that has been sighted so I will be watchful. (I have some bottle rockets leftover in case I need them to scare off the hawk but I am more concerned that they would scare off the pecking chickens!)

We all need this thread to learn more about the roosters we plan to keep. I will never make the mistake of getting too many roosters again. I feel responsible for them and will do what I know is the best thing for the flock by reducing their numbers. But I don't dislike my roosters I just know that that many would be really hard on the hens.

Thanks to Yazzo for starting this thread. Thanks to blackhawk for backing her up. I have really learned a lot here. There are reasons to keep the roosters, reasons to put them in the freezer (food....and knowing where it comes from comes to mind) and there are reasons to rehome. Having the knowledge to be in control of your flock is very helpful.

 

[joebryant]

Oh, gee, I can see it now, all of us walking through lala land with 50% hens and 50% roosters because we're just too much goody-two-shoes to kill and eat excess roosters, especially the ones who'd like to kill all of us.
Oh, but wait, if we don't kill almost all the excess roosters, there'll be a blood bath, and they'll kill each other. No problem, nature will take care of it; however, the dead ones will rot on the ground, but that's okay, we ain't eatin' 'em; we're too good for that. Sure hope some of the hens survived.

 

[crj]

I personally feel handling the birds at an early age makes a very large difference. Petting combs and waddles included. I don't really pet them on there backs very much do to the fact it makes the chicken a bit uneasy. I feel this is because of the rooster mounting them. Handling the rooster is always a good thing. Shows you are the boss right off the bat.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
There's the other line of thinking tho that the more they're handled and at ease with you the more likely they are to challange you to try and be your superior. It seems like often on here the ones who come on asking why their roo became a monster overnight they comment on what a nice tame pet he was until the hormones kicked in.

 

[Naughty]

Quote:
He's getting a "piggy back" ride - which is what I tell my 3 year old.

I have been using some of this with my rooster... he's too fast to catch - so I catch him on the roost early in the a.m. and at night - and grab him and cuddle him and pet him. He cuddles back at that time of night - and seems to be mellower during the day. That being said - i still don't turn my back on him yet - but he is getting very good at leaving me alone. I used to have to put him in a little separate cage while working on my coop (it's pretty bad and I'm reforming it) - lately I can leave him out - and my 3 year old plays in her wading pool nearby - he leaves her alone. I do keep a tennis racket nearby - it seems to work well to stop him without really hurting him. plus he gets mad at IT not me... I can put it in the corner and he'll go crazy at the racket.... ha ha

I appreciate all the help I can get - cause I'd get rid of h im if I have to - but he's so gorgeous I'm willing to give him a chance...

My mom and dad think I have rose colored glasses - cause they have always dealt with leghorns that were mean... and didn't reform.. but then again... we didn't know all this

 

[Katy]

Quote:
He's getting a "piggy back" ride - which is what I tell my 3 year old.

I have been using some of this with my rooster... he's too fast to catch - so I catch him on the roost early in the a.m. and at night - and grab him and cuddle him and pet him. He cuddles back at that time of night - and seems to be mellower during the day. That being said - i still don't turn my back on him yet - but he is getting very good at leaving me alone. I used to have to put him in a little separate cage while working on my coop (it's pretty bad and I'm reforming it) - lately I can leave him out - and my 3 year old plays in her wading pool nearby - he leaves her alone. I do keep a tennis racket nearby - it seems to work well to stop him without really hurting him. plus he gets mad at IT not me... I can put it in the corner and he'll go crazy at the racket.... ha ha

I appreciate all the help I can get - cause I'd get rid of h im if I have to - but he's so gorgeous I'm willing to give him a chance...

My mom and dad think I have rose colored glasses - cause they have always dealt with leghorns that were mean... and didn't reform.. but then again... we didn't know all this

I wouldn't leave him anywhere near your 3 year old. It will only take a split second and before you can even think about getting there he'll have jumped her. Not worth the risk.