Rooster Training Advice

[Lynn Woehrle]

Pick him up first and put him on your lap---maybe he will understand that it is ok to pick up a hen.

 

[BantyChooks]

I'd love to have you talk my ear off! I also really appreciated your article. I am learning a lot and new to all of this. I ended up with 2 cockerels (age 4 1/2 months now) and don't want to have them in with the 7 hens. We don't free range (fox den within 200 feet and lots of other wildlife here) but we have a 14x70 foot covered run and coop. The cockerels are large and my hens are little gals- and no desire to raise chicks now.... but we also don't want to get rid of them. I was advised to separate them from the hens completely

(out of view) ​

so they will settle down and form their own flock of 2- though some on here had no problems sharing a fence line with theirs. We are in the process of building a separate coop and run for the 2 boys. Right now they might be mad at me for keeping them away from the hens as they spend most of the day at the fence line trying to get close. One in particular attacks my foot when I enter their run but will calm (stands stiffly on my hip but at least stops trying to bite) when I pick him up to carry him to their temporary coop. He also bites me and acts like he wants to attack me when he sees me on the other side of the fence. He does a lot of posturing, circles me, etc. when I go into the run but eventually walks away. Any advice on how to handle him?

You say he "eventually walks away". How are you responding to his behaviour while he is still committing it? I have never formed a bachelor flock during any time but winter, when their hormones are at a low anyway, so I am afraid I have no experience with the potential different variables that may be involved.

How big is their personal coop and run? Personally, I quite dislike penning roosters, I find that free ranging them makes it easier for them to avoid conflict with humans. On the occasions that I have been forced to do so, and it sounds like you may have a similar situation, I calmly move them to the back of the pen with a stick or something before I enter to refill their food and water. Every time. I will not open the door with them at the front. Eventually, they move to the back on their own. What I don't want them is scared and reactive, especially since they can't flee. I would tread very lightly with re-training this behaviour and work on it slowly rather than changing everything in a single day. Your rooster sounds rather like a case of familiarity based aggression from the description you gave.

If we humans are having this difficult a time understanding the mind of a rooster, imagine how confusing our behavior is to them! And our behavior is so often inflected by the variances in our moods--our posture, how rigid versus relaxed our movements are, etc..

 

[varidgerunner]

Are hens flapping or squawking when being picked up? If so, then they don't like it, and he is only answering their cries for help.

 

[knjlan]

Hi All,
I have a 6 month old Buff Brahma rooster (Cameron). I am devoted to proper training and am always seeking advice on best practices. His last remaining unruly behavior is to run toward me when I pick up a hen. I can pick him up and do anything else around him without issue. He does not bite or jump at me. When he runs toward me (when grabbing hens) I push him over with my foot, then grab him and hold him to the ground until he submits. I try to do this every few days. Sometimes 3 times in a row. He eventually wonders off (free rangers).

I would like for him to not mind when I pick up the hens and never run at me or any other human (obviously). I got him because I heard his breed makes docile, beautiful roos - which he is! When I'm not picking up hens, he is very sweet and mellow.

Will this training method ever work? Will he ever ignore me when I pick up hens? Will he ever ignore 'strange' humans when they pick up hens?

Thanks!View attachment 1853958

 

[Cingratz]

I pick mine one hen up all the time. At first my rooster didn’t like it. He would make a fuss. He then realized I wasn’t stealing her and now he is ok with it. He knows I will return her.

 

[centrarchid]

I pick mine one hen up all the time. At first my rooster didn’t like it. He would make a fuss. He then realized I wasn’t stealing her and now he is ok with it. He knows I will return her.

How long have you been doing this?

 

[jolenesdad]

Whew. What a frustrating thread, I bet the OP wished she didn’t post it at times. Nothing on here is more frustrating than someone telling you that you’re doing something wrong without offering ANY advice.

Thank goodness for @BantyChooks and @aart and a few others.

I actually don’t keep a rooster right now. I’ve grown out quite a few to about 4-5 months before rehoming because I’m just not ready with a small child and in the past no real direction to my ultimate breeding plans. I just popped on here to say my favorite line of all is this...

Personally? I'm not going to limit myself on interaction with other flock members based on any other bird, and I'm not going to limit that bird's interaction with the flock.

When I am going to start keeping roosters, I will absolutely hatch out enough, or start with an older proven boy, so that none of this matters. Whatever the case may be, but I think you’ve already said this, do not change your joy-inducing moments with your hens to appease a potential jerk.

Oh also I think it was @aart that mentioned just being around observing calms them down. “Approach and retreat” is a staple, fundamental aspect of ‘training’ any prey animal. Not in a sketchy, hidden way, and not in a way to not still be asserting your dominance, but the more often times that you can be “passing through” without any interaction, without any movement or demeanor that can be considered aggressive or threatening, and then LEAVING as often as you can is the quickest ultimate way to gain the trust of a prey animal. I purposefully break up my chores and visits into as many opportunities I can.

Predators are very straight-line thinkers. Prey animals are not.

 

[knjlan]

I totally understand how you feel. My chickens always came to me and sat on my lap, they would let me powder them down with D.E., check for injuries etc. But since we got a Rooster (Cogburn) my girls became his. I saw the change within a week or so. We got him to protect our chickens, and that is exactly what he is doing. Its now his job, not mine. When I bring out kitchen scraps, (cucumbers, bread, etc.) he calls the girls over and will let them eat. He will not eat of anything, until they are finished. I now find it hard to even catch one of my girls to check them out. They are like therapy for me. I am a full time care giver for my mom 91 yrs. old. I've taken care of mom for 6 years now. Its hard. So I get my husband to watch mom while I go for a little therapy and watch my chickens and Cogburn. I do miss them jumping on me. But now its them and Cogburn. He has never charged at me but he sure does make a certain noise whenever I get close to his girls.
A hunt dog was running in my yard, Cogburn flew up over the 5' fence to attack the dog, only to protect his girls, he fought almost to his death. But he was doing his job. We had to nurse him back to health. Totally recovered now & clipped his wing too. Now I enjoy watching him care for the girls. He calls them over when he finds a worm, he calls them to run into the coop when there is a hawk, or danger of anything. Hope you too can learn to enjoy your rooster who has taken over your job.

 

[BantyChooks]

“passing through” without any interaction, without any movement or demeanor that can be considered aggressive or threatening, and then LEAVING as often as you can is the quickest ultimate way to gain the trust of a prey animal.

Yes. This. I tame my ducks this exact way; they are even more of a prey animal in nature than the chickens are, so it works particularly well.

 

[aart]

Yes. This.

Yep, acclimation by frequent presence. I can go in and do about anything and they mostly ignore me...once they realize I don't have any treats.