Topic of the Week - Aggressive Roosters: What is the best way to handle them?

[dekel18042]

I have little tolerance for aggression in cockerels or roosters. There are too many good ones to put up with the bad ones. Sometimes an attitude adjustment will work on a young bird. The best roosters grow up within a flock and aren't at the top of the pecking order when young. Older hens and a flock rooster can help keep the peace with young birds coming along.
I don't over handle or make pets of the roosters when they are young.
But what amazes me on here is the number of people with a problem rooster who are looking to rehome him. If he is nasty enough that they don't want him, why do they think someone else would be happy with him? That scenario always amazes me.

 

[Blooie]

Dinner is default for parties without lots of rooster experience.

I respectfully disagree. These pages are full of people with years - even generations- of experience and many of them simply will not put up with that kind of behavior, either. In my situation, I have a 4 year old disabled granddaughter. She has been in her wheelchair since she was 9 months old. My other granddaughter is 10. She is mildly autistic and she is the most reliable chicken caretaker ever - she has full charge of the coop and run when hubby and I are out of town, which happens frequently during the busy summer months. I cannot have any chicken out there, pullet, hen, cockerel or rooster - that I don't trust 100%.

We had a very special rooster that I worked for weeks on to save from frostbite. He respectfully moved of our way when we were outside working, even if they were just out free ranging and we were just doing yard work. Never had a moment's worry, although I'm also not stupid enough to NOT be aware of where he was or to leave Kendra out there unattended in her chair. I don't "love" my chickens. I save that very special emotion for the people I care about the most. But Scout was a special favorite and did a great job all the things a good rooster is supposed to do. He not only accepted the chicks I was brooding out in the run, he was very gentle with them and even showed them goodies to eat on the ground. I had plenty of hens (17 at that time) so I was stunned one day to see him grab one of the girls, get her down on her back on the ground, hold here there, and proceed to knock the stuffing out of her. He received similar treatment from me on the spot. The trouble seemed to stop, and months went by with no issues.

Then one day I was out working in the run. It was the morning of June 4th. I saw a piece of plastic stuck in the litter and reached out to remove it so none of the chickens would peck at it. He went for my hand and I still bear the scars. I don't know - was it the movement of my hand in a way he didn't expect? Did the plastic make a flapping sound and he reacted? Whatever it was, by the afternoon of June 4th he was in the refrigerator cleaned and resting before he went into the freezer. What happened could have been a one time reaction. I'll never know. I do know that Kendra in her wheelchair often drops things, or flaps her arms in excitement, and after what he did to me how would I ever know if he was going to react to a sudden move she might make? How could I trust that if we were gone and Katie was out feeding, watering, and gathering eggs, she wouldn't make a sudden movement that caught him off guard? I can't take that chance. When a rooster goes on the attack for any reason they are fast. Even if I was right there Kendra could never protect herself. And Katie loves every aspect of chicken keeping. I will not have her ever turn to me and say she's afraid to go out if the chickens are out.

Many very experienced, trusted advisers here and on another forum gave me great information, but ultimately I had to decide, and I did. And I'm now raising another rooster (cockerel if the term is more acceptable) and he was never hand coddled or given extra treats. Nor will he. When I'm out there he goes his way and I go mine, but if he's in my way I'll walk right through him. Truth be told, I often go out of my way to GO where he is or wants to be. So far so good, but since I don't need a rooster to get eggs and meat from the other chickens, at the first sign of aggression he's gone. I'd love to have a nice rooster and not be buying chicks every year, but I can get new chickens much easier than I can face one of my grands being hurt.

 

[Whittni]

Aggressive roosters are great for free range flocks, not for small enclosed homesteads or backyards.

 

[LOTRnchicknluvr]

I have a 4week old RIR roo and I keep seeing that I shouldn't make a pet out of him, I just want him to protect my 8 pullets and to be nice to people, I thought holding him more at young age would get him friendly? Please help! P.S. right now he runs and chirps like a coward every time I try to get him. And he could care less when the ladies are freaking out.
Thank you!

 

[Blingchix6]

My rooster Ray decided to peck at me a couple of weeks ago. It was an exceptionally hot day so I grabbed him up and gave him a cool shower in the sink. He hasn't come after me since. He runs away from me now

 

[Ganjaroo]

I have a White Rock roo, a very sweet bird that I raised from a chick, who started showing aggression towards me at 2 years old. I received the usual advice of culling him, yet due to the fact that he is the perfect gentleman with my free-range hens and protects them to the point where the hawks won't even mess with him anymore, ..I decided to keep and work with him. He is now 4 years old. Yes, he will still show aggression at times, yet the incidents are now few and far between, and when he displays bad behavior he knows he's going straight into the dog crate. He hates these 'time-outs', and contrary to what many people believe, he does indeed adjust his attitude accordingly and, much to my amusement, ..negotiates his release. Further, I have seen this bird rethink his bad behavior and choose freedom over the crate,..time and time again. He may walk away muttering chicken obscenities at me, yet walk away he does. I have also found that showing ANY aggression toward him only makes him worse, resulting in even more aggressive behavior. Standing your ground is a necessity, yet hitting or kicking your rooster is the worst thing you can do.
Now I would never breed this roo, nor rehome him, and I don't have any kids around to worry about. This puts me in a far better position to work with a (sometimes) grouchy rooster than most, as I would never recommend keeping an aggressive roo around children. I also firmly believe that there are levels of aggression. Some roos can be worked with quite easily, and some, well, .. not so much. In my particular case, I'm very happy I chose to work with this bird. He is a joy to have around, always entertaining, very protective, and my hens absolutely adore him.

Good luck to you and your rooster!

 

[sunhands]

Hi

 

[centrarchid]

I respectfully disagree.  These pages are full of people with years - even generations- of experience and many of them simply will not put up with that kind of behavior, either.  In my situation, I have a 4 year old disabled granddaughter. She has been in her wheelchair since she was 9 months old.  My other granddaughter is 10.  She is mildly autistic and she is the most reliable chicken caretaker ever - she has full charge of the coop and run when hubby and I are out of town, which happens frequently during the busy summer months.  I cannot have any chicken out there, pullet, hen, cockerel or rooster - that I don't trust 100%.

We had a very special rooster that I worked for weeks on to save from frostbite.  He respectfully moved of our way when we were outside working, even if they were just out free ranging and we were just doing yard work. Never had a moment's worry, although I'm also not stupid enough to NOT be aware of where he was or to leave Kendra out there unattended in her chair. I don't "love" my chickens.  I save that very special emotion for the people I care about the most.  But Scout was a special favorite and did a great job all the things a good rooster is supposed to do. He not only accepted the chicks I was brooding out in the run, he was very gentle with them and even showed them goodies to eat on the ground.  I had plenty of hens (17 at that time) so I was stunned one day to see him grab one of the girls, get her down on her back on the ground, hold here there, and proceed to knock the stuffing out of her.  He received similar treatment from me on the spot.  The trouble seemed to stop, and months went by with no issues.


Then one day I was out working in the run.  It was the morning of June 4th.  I saw a piece of plastic stuck in the litter and reached out to remove it so none of the chickens would peck at it.  He went for my hand and I still bear the scars.  I don't know - was it the movement of my hand in a way he didn't expect?  Did the plastic make a flapping sound and he reacted?  Whatever it was, by the afternoon of June 4th he was in the refrigerator cleaned and resting before he went into the freezer.  What happened could have been a one time reaction.  I'll never know.  I do know that Kendra in her wheelchair often drops things, or flaps her arms in excitement, and after what he did to me how would I ever know if he was going to react to a sudden move she might make? How could I trust that if we were gone and Katie was out feeding, watering, and gathering eggs, she wouldn't make a sudden movement that caught him off guard?  I can't take that chance.  When a rooster goes on the attack for any reason they are fast.  Even if I was right there Kendra could never  protect herself.  And Katie loves every aspect of chicken keeping.  I will not have her ever turn to me and say she's afraid to go out if the chickens are out.

Many very experienced, trusted advisers here and on another forum gave me great information, but ultimately I had to decide, and I did. And I'm now raising another rooster (cockerel if the term is more acceptable) and he was never hand coddled or given extra treats.  Nor will he. When I'm out there he goes his way and I go mine, but if he's in my way I'll walk right through him.  Truth be told, I often go out of my way to GO where he is or wants to be.  So far so good, but since I don't need a rooster to get eggs and meat from the other chickens, at the first sign of aggression he's gone.  I'd love to have a nice rooster and not be buying chicks every year, but I can get new chickens much easier than I can face one of my grands being hurt.

"Dinner is default for parties without lots of rooster experience". I do not say "only parties without lots of experience have dinner as the default" which you appear to be assuming. I use dinner option as well and did it just the other day. I take even further by removing that rooster's offspring from consideration as brood fowl.

 

[ninocara]

B

Good question! I'm 5' tall and I have a rooster that tries to get behind me, he runs after me, he stands on the porch, he stands in front of the door when I try to go inside. I don't trust the rooster and I'm afraid of him, he ruffles his neck feathers up and charges me. My husband told me not to back away from him, but to walk toward him and chase him away instead of letting him chase me away. I walk out to the chicken house with a shovel because I'm afraid of the rooster. My flock is free range and I don't feel comfortable in my own yard.

 

[melishkia]

We have a free-ranged flock and I got an adult Buff Brahma roo just a few months ago.
When I first brought him home, I really didn't think we were going to keep him because he was rough with the hens and would try to chase me. I remember reading the article on this website about "Picking up the rooster when he tries to spur you." That's what I did until it didn't work any longer.
I noticed he usually attacks me when I fill their feeder and I'm not sure but I think it's because the ladies get all excited and maybe he feels like his place is being threatened by an Alpha Roo? Not sure. anyway, I keep them locked up and I fill their feeder before letting them out now (their coop is too small to keep food and water in it, they literally just sleep in there and thats it). So that solved the attacking during feedings. Otherwise, I can tell right when he stiffens up and has his eye on me like he wants to attack me, I make sure to turn around and always keep my eye on him so he doesn't get any ideas. And if he does, I have grabbed him by the neck (it was an accident but it scared the crap out of him and I don't think I would recommend that, it scared me too cause I didn't want to actually harm him) and then carried him around in my arms. He has started running away from me cause he knows I'll pick him up... that boy is fast! but my neighbors probably think I'm crazy because I will chase him ALL OVER THE YARD. He is a huge rooster but surprisingly, it never hurts when he spurs me, does he have spurs? i don't even know but something tells me he doesn't.
He has become extremely gentle with my hens and it very sweet with the chicks, like seeing a mountain man playing with a baby... its too cute. So I have learned to deal with him in that manner. He is worth keeping around because he takes care of his family and for the most part, we stay out of each other's way and if he tries, he knows I will grab/chase him. We are able to co exist!