VERY Aggressive Rooster: Please Help!

[TheFarm41]

I’ve been dealing with an increasingly aggressive rooster in my flock for coming on 6 months now. I deeply value the role he plays, particularly in that he’s been an exceptional protector for our free range hens. Knock on wood we haven’t lost a single one (or had so much as an injury) in the year he’s been with them. I’ve read forums and watched videos.. on the rare occasions I’ve tricked him and been quick enough to pick him up and carry him around, I’ve tried reinforcing that I’m the treat lady and also (gently) reminding him that I’m alpha by mimicking alpha rooster behavior.

I don’t want to get rid of him, but frankly he’s stealing the joy I once had in raising my girls. I have to carry a rake around with me at all times because his new trick is to dart (at speed from a distance) and then attack me. I’m young and agile but it gives me a heart attack every time and it’s just miserable. In the summer I garden and the last thing I need is him trying that trick while I’m crouched down in shorts and a tank top. I don’t want to be afraid of my own animals.

So now what? Do I cull him or offer him up for free with full transparency to his temperament? Do I try and introduce a new rooster and make a point to do better imprinting/training? As fabulous as it could be, I’m hesitant to let him go and not have a rooster because I want my girls to be protected. We live near woods and my neighbors have lost tons of chickens. I wish I could suck it up but I can’t have children or guests anywhere near him. I can’t go on like this! Thanks in advance everyone!

We've had many a rooster. Some are aggressive to humans and some are not in the least. Not sure why they go one way or the other. But a rooster that is aggressive to humans is a danger and a liability especially if kids are around. You will hear people say it is because of this or that, to try to show him you are the alpha, etc. My advice is get rid of him and try another. We've had large chicken flocks free ranging on pasture with and without rooster. We have not lost any more or any less to predators with or without said rooster.

Our first rooster was OK for the first year, we even liked him, then one day he started doing the rooster dance at my feet, soon he was chasing, attacking and even stocking us. We put up with it way too long, thinking that is just how roosters are. We too carried a stick around just in case. One day we'd had enough and made rooster pot pie. It turned out fantastic! Our next rooster came along some time later we had him for several years and he was never aggressive to anyone.

Roosters are like people some are nice, some are mean, don't hang out with the mean ones.

 

[Doriss]

I’ve been dealing with an increasingly aggressive rooster in my flock for coming on 6 months now. I deeply value the role he plays, particularly in that he’s been an exceptional protector for our free range hens. Knock on wood we haven’t lost a single one (or had so much as an injury) in the year he’s been with them. I’ve read forums and watched videos.. on the rare occasions I’ve tricked him and been quick enough to pick him up and carry him around, I’ve tried reinforcing that I’m the treat lady and also (gently) reminding him that I’m alpha by mimicking alpha rooster behavior.

I don’t want to get rid of him, but frankly he’s stealing the joy I once had in raising my girls. I have to carry a rake around with me at all times because his new trick is to dart (at speed from a distance) and then attack me. I’m young and agile but it gives me a heart attack every time and it’s just miserable. In the summer I garden and the last thing I need is him trying that trick while I’m crouched down in shorts and a tank top. I don’t want to be afraid of my own animals.

So now what? Do I cull him or offer him up for free with full transparency to his temperament? Do I try and introduce a new rooster and make a point to do better imprinting/training? As fabulous as it could be, I’m hesitant to let him go and not have a rooster because I want my girls to be protected. We live near woods and my neighbors have lost tons of chickens. I wish I could suck it up but I can’t have children or guests anywhere near him. I can’t go on like this! Thanks in advance everyone!

Better to find some way of keeping him. Likely, he's already spotted what's out in the woods, which is why he's always on the offensive. I think you'd be more upset to lose even one of your girls.

Why not think how you can occupy him, 'tie him up' with a distraction so you can garden. Or fence him off at those times? Best of luck.

 

[chickencoop57]

Definitely cull him, especially if he's taking the joy away from raising your flock. I have 4 young roosters, from my last incubation, about 2 1/2 months old, that are penned up and ready for me to cull. I could tell they were gonna be aggressive when they would constantly attack my young pullets. I also have 3 others. One is a real pretty and gets along well with everyone. I'm thinking of keeping him, like I need another rooster. Lol. The other two are California Whites. They get big and I'm hoping to sell them. My main rooster is a California White, about a year old. He's a good one and not aggressive. They usually aren't. I, too, wish I could send you one of my California White roosters. I think you'd like him.

 

[Magee67]

Probably should cull and if you want another rooster don't be discouraged, there are many good roosters out there. For future reference, mimicking the behavior of an alpha rooster is not something you should do. To him, that's a challenge. Aggressive roosters expect aggression returned to them so they can, in turn, defeat the other one thus proving they are top rooster. I had a rooster once who turned aggressive after 2 years of normal behavior. I stopped what I was doing immediately and picked him up. I spoke gently and calmly, but I immediately placed him in a submissive position in front of the hens and other roosters. One hand on his back and one hand on the back of his head. I firmly, slowly lowered his head/upper body to the ground and held him there for 60 to 90 seconds. No more issues. The key is to do it immediately when you are first challenged. He was a blue Ameraucana. I have Wyandottes, Jersey Giants, Ameraucanas and of course the mixes that cone from them to create my OEs and EEs. That rooster has been the only aggressive one thus far. I walk about my flocks daily and essentially just let the roosters be roosters. I ignore them. I don't pick them up unless I need to for medical attention. They are the male of the flock and they, like their hens, behave based on instinct born out of millennia of development. I don't treat them like pets, I try to treat them with the respect that any farmer might treat their horses, goats, cattle. Just my 2 cents from my experience. Not all roosters will respond to behavior modification efforts. When that happens, you have only one choice. Cull.

 

[jordynm]

I am definitely in the same boat here! I have a German Liege Fighter that is about a year old now. I didn’t have any problems with him until I moved out of the city and into the country (I had very awesome neighbors as I tried to keep him on the down low until moving time). But my new neighbor has about 100 roosters or so and I feel like he is just so aggravated by them that he has became so aggressive. He attacks me the most and I have to carry a stick to go into the coop/chicken yard we built until we can fence our entire property. Although he did attack my husband when he turned his back yesterday and I don’t allow my children in/near the chickens right now. I have hit him multiple times with said stick (well, a broom handle) and have punted him across the coop like a football and he is still relentless. I’m just so torn because he is doing his job and protecting my flock and he is worth a lot (and I want to breed him with my Liege hen). Also, he is HUGE. If I don’t eat him or want to keep him then the person I got him from said she would trade me some other chickens for him since he is a rare breed chicken. Idk, definitely on the fence and have been for a few weeks!

 

[chickyturkeyemulady]

I agree with others who recommended culling an overly aggressive rooster. I have never had success reforming (truly) aggressive roosters. If you have one that gets a little goofy in the springtime when hormones are running high, that's one thing - there are things you can do. But when they're just downright aggressive no matter what you do, it's time to say goodbye.
As far as breed goes, I've been raising Silver Laced Wyandottes for 20+ years. I usually have roosters with good temperaments, but have had a couple of bad actors over the years (I'm on the 6th or 7th generation with my roos). So, while I would say that it's genetic, it doesn't mean that all roosters in a particular line or breed will have the same temperament, rather there might be a 'typical' temperament for that breed.
When it's time to replace a breeder, I hatch out a batch of chicks, and I will keep the best 3 or 4 cockerels until they're about 6 months old before making my final choice for a breeder. He has to be pretty and have proper conformation, but above all else, he MUST be nice to both his humans and his hens.

 

[early riser]

As I said earlier I have culled a rooster. He never actually landed a blow but thought about it twice. My rules are first time is the last time. However you never want to get into a fight with some animals. I have found that chickens can be trained. I use the “out” command for my herding dogs. Doing the same thing with one particular rooster. They have to move away always be aware of that one forward step towards you. It means something. That being said don’t expect your children to handle it. Maybe not your husband either! I find roosters invaluable for free ranging and the hens love them. My roosters even take the girls and leave when visitors come. Nobody gets to see them. And they’re so pretty!
Trust your gut. Cull if you need to

 

[frostypenn]

That kind of aggression is in his genes. Another rooster will be fine no matter how you trick him or rooster-dance with him. Remember that some people in the US still raise roosters to fight. Just like attributes like meatiness or egg quantity, fighting is genetic.

 

[Propps]

I would cull him. We had a rooster like this and it attacked our 2 year old.

Also make sure you have enough hens. We got another rooster with more hens and it seems to be working well.

 

[marlagayle]

I had exactly the same problem with my big boy. My chickens are free range but our dogs protect them. I found a guy on Craig's List who wanted a rooster to fertilize his hens' eggs AND he had a big pen for Sal to stay in. The guy was amazing with Sal when he came to pick him up. I think he might be able to change his behavior. He was like a chicken whisperer. I hope Sal behaves himself now. It definitely is not worth keeping a nasty rooster around. As you say, it takes all the joy out of having the chickens.