Rooster Attack out of the blue!

[jthornton]

@bobbi-j Thanks for posting that, gives me more ammo in my mind to work with Henry the soon to be subordinate rooster.

JT

 

[bobbi-j]

@bobbi-j Thanks for posting that, gives me more ammo in my mind to work with Henry the soon to be subordinate rooster.

JT

 

[christwodog]

Wow, interesting to see into a rooster's mind! I will try these tactics and how he responds. He is mostly only free-ranged, so it can be hard to get a swipe in when he's got the whole yard to run in! But I will try, let you know. Thanks!!!

 

[christwodog]

Hello..Things in our behaviour animals pick up on..Did you have any alcohol at all?..Don't be offended please.
Don't ever be rushed or turn your back to him..Have him respect your space and get him moving away before you continue your chores in the Coop..

Well, I did have a beer right before but that is not out of the usual for me on a Saturday after working in the garden. But I guess anything is possible - I didn't purposely turn my back on him, but he did attack me from behind. I honestly don't really pay attention to where he is in relation to me, because he has never given me any reason to be suspicious.

 

[jthornton]

Wow, interesting to see into a rooster's mind! I will try these tactics and how he responds. He is mostly only free-ranged, so it can be hard to get a swipe in when he's got the whole yard to run in! But I will try, let you know. Thanks!!!

I think you only get aggressive with him when he enters your space. I'm also dealing with an aggressive rooster. Mine is only 6 months old so no spurs yet to deal with.

JT

 

[canalcolt]

My rooster, Kono, is almost two years old. He has never acted aggressively towards me, but yesterday, out of nowhere, he came up behind me and spurred the crap out of my leg! Of course, I was wearing shorts (it was 85 yesterday) and have two bloody cuts on my leg! What gives? Is this likely to continue? I yelled at him and threw the only thing I could grab, which was a starfruit that was on the ground. I have good aim and he got a solid hit to the head but he didn't run away. It was just about dark so we had a stand off until he got up on top of the coop where he sleeps. For those of you with rooster experience, is he turning into a jerk? Or just a random moment of aggresssion?

My Plymouth rooster was nice when he was 1 years old but after that he would attack when u had ur back turned..but when u turn to face him he would peck the ground. He now will take u head on sometimes. He still aggressive but some days seem better . I pick him up sometimes and do chores and feed him from my hand.
I have a Rhode Island Red that has never attacked us until I went to go give them food. I guess I was too slow in pouring it and he karate chopped my leg. That was the only time. We drink coffee and have breakfast with this one.
We have a 3rd rooster but no problems with him now.
Please don't whack him in the head or the legs. I have read people doing this and crippling the rooster or injuring then u got another problem on your hand .
For my Plymouth to handle him we either toss food away so he will get it or discourage with a long stick.. I either guide him away by the butt .. never poke . Never poke with the end I just level it to push him away (o is the butt and | is my stick.. like o| ) or I'll push him on the side with it. I never whack him, poke, or push to hard. I'm gentle but firm. Or I call over the 3rd rooster that's the head rooster and he chases him off.
But it seems he is more calm the next day if I hold him and walk around with him and do chores the night before with him
I have never heard anything of the crowing. To me with my experience the crowing is insignificant.. that's just me and my roosters

 

[nightowl223]

Agreed.


I would watch him closely from now on. As in, don't trust him at all. If he continues this behavior, and if you want to try to reset his thinking, you could try this method from member Beekissed:

Here's a post written by Beekissed regarding dealing with problem birds of any gender.

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

*standing ovation* Excellent post on correcting adult rooster behavior! I've not seen one this well written. Plent of ways to handle younger ones to teach them ahead of time, but none for full-grown, already dominant ones. I'm going to save this one and have it handy for others if needed!

 

[nightowl223]

Please don't whack him in the head or the legs. I have read people doing this and crippling the rooster or injuring then u got another problem on your hand .

Completely correct. You have to be careful, but firm. No hitting hard enough to injure, obviously. You are only trying to play head games with him, not draw blood or break something. You can't be too gentle, though, or you will lose the battle, and things will not improve.

 

[kwhites634]

My rooster, Kono, is almost two years old. He has never acted aggressively towards me, but yesterday, out of nowhere, he came up behind me and spurred the crap out of my leg! Of course, I was wearing shorts (it was 85 yesterday) and have two bloody cuts on my leg! What gives? Is this likely to continue? I yelled at him and threw the only thing I could grab, which was a starfruit that was on the ground. I have good aim and he got a solid hit to the head but he didn't run away. It was just about dark so we had a stand off until he got up on top of the coop where he sleeps. For those of you with rooster experience, is he turning into a jerk? Or just a random moment of aggresssion?

Does he have hens? Did you get between him & them? I've had two roosters like that; both had hens. The 1st one would sneak up behind me & make a rush at me. I didn't bother trying to break him of it; just sent him down the road, where I sure some nice family invited him to dinner.
The 2nd one was 11 months old when he came here, and was quite tame. I could pick him up, carry him around, and he'd take corn from my hand, all while he was in quarantine. When I turned him in with half a dozen hens, & he realized they were all his, he got really possessive. He bit me a few times, and started rushing me from behind. I caught him with a boot a few times, sending him through the air, but it didn't help. Finally, one day he literally flew out of the coop, spurs extended, & hit me in the chest. I turned, stepped back, & knocked him to the ground. I went to the house & grabbed the shotgun. I drew a bead on his head & was about to pull the trigger, when I thought about what I had invested in him & why I'd driven 3 hours one way to get him. He got a pass that day. That day he changed for some reason; suddenly he was a gentleman again. I always kept an eye on him from then on for the next year, until he never came back from free ranging one day last week.
Maybe you can break your guy, maybe he'll settle down on his own, or maybe you'll have to get rid of him, hard to tell. Point is, I wouldn't give up on him just yet. Keep an eye on him & be ready to give him an attitude adjustment once or twice before you cut him loose. Some folks suggest holding one by the feet & carrying him around upside down for a while. I tried that; all I got was bit.
Good luck.

 

[jennwhiddon]

I don't know how helpful this actually is but I was taught that a rooster takes certain 'cues' as signals of a challenge. Staring him directly in the eyes and holding the contact, especially while moving towards him and circling around him in his space can and will provoke some roosters to think he needs to be on the defensive. So if you are nervous or afraid of your rooster and try to keep your eyes on him as you stay around the edges of their coop (to give yourself a quick escape, in your mind) or around the area where your flock gathers - for those of you without one - while you go about feeding and gathering eggs is going to give you the exact opposite reaction you would like from your roo. And once he feels like you are challenging him, he will jump to attack first because the aggressor is usually the winner in rooster spats. Also, alot of jumping around, waving your arms, and yelling can provoke them - it's similar to what they do to each other before an actual physical attack and frequently it works for them - the dominant rooster makes a show of puffing up, flapping his wings and making what he thinks are intimidating squacks and motions at another rooster and often the other one will high tail it out of his vicinity without any physical altercation. If the other roo is not phased by this show, the rooster will follow with an actual physical altercation, sometimes multiple ones, each more intense than the previous. Some roosters also take offense to you upsetting their 'ladies', ie if you walk up on your hens and they go running and squawking because you surprised them or they are not hens who are comfortable with people being that close, the rooster will come to their defense. Anyway, maybe this will help someone out there....And if not, a water hose works wonders! You may not ever become 'friends' with your roosters after a good dose of a stream of water but they will give you a wide berth