Roosters can be kept in a variety of contexts and used for a range of purposes. Most of my roosters are kept penned most of the time although all go through the juvenile and sometimes chick stages as free-range. Some, like the American Dominique's are either kept in bachelor groups with males only or breeding groups where they are housed / free-range kept with as many as 6 hens per rooster. The balance (American Game males mostly) are most often penned singly or with a hen. All the American Games have high expectations on them for being easy to handle, especially when weaponized. Some of those same male chickens are displayed publicly where they are engage in exceptional levels of interaction with a public that includes small children and adults with little or no experience with chickens. I look bad if the chickens hurt or attempt to hurt anyone.
American Dominique cockerel will need to be a good boy when I collect eggs, regardless if for table use or hatching.
American Game cock that must get along with kids and adults that have no idea how to behave around chickens.
The maturation process needs to be introduced to discussion where the term ”rooster” should be replaced by cockerel (male not yet into fully into his first adult feather set at about 7 to 9 months) or cock which is any rooster beyond that age. Male chicken behavior starts to diverge from females in the first couple of weeks, although not all those changes concern aggression. Many changes occur between 12-months and 18-months of age. Assumption is the male chicken is also in good health. There is also a range of age effects on behavior that is often worth considering. Some behaviors discussed and normally associated with maleness are not exclusively the realm of males.
American Dominique cockerels already showing sex specific behaviors.
American Game cock dust bathing with his juvenile offspring and their mother.
Not all aggression exhibited by the adult male chicken have the same context or motivation. Consequently, making adjustments on the chicken keepers part need to be adjusted accordingly. Below are aggression categories as I recognize them. Like most animal behaviors, genetics can play role, but usually there is also an environmental component.
1) Is he just running over, pecking / flogging then running to a safe distance to deny your counter attack and simply watching you? FEED BUCKET AGGRESSION
Context: Bird has associated such behavior with a reward. In most instances, I have seen the bird has obtained food faster or in larger amounts by engaging in some behavior directed at you. This is frequently realized with brooder-reared birds interacting with you as feeders are armed or eats otherwise become more evident with you present. Hen-reared and hand-reared chickens can develop same habit. Another situation is where birds work their basic tendency to try to get at the most attractive food, which to them often involves it appearing fresh within their field of view. For me that can involve putting feed out from a bucket as feeding a flock of hungry birds. They rush after you pushing each and sometimes in the excitement the bucket or even you. Many people see such behavior and promptly put feed out for the apparently famished bird. It takes very little for bird to associate intensifying effort with getting more or faster a faster food reward.
Prevention: Avoid rewarding exploratory behavior such as pecking and jumping up for food. Make so food reward is delayed relative to your activity around birds. My favorite technique is apply feed either when birds are asleep or foraging elsewhere. With latter you just call birds in after feed is applied.
Correction: Move about flock / bird even with feed, but do not give feed out until bird loses interest.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: I manipulate this behavior train birds for experiments and interacting positively with the public. Behavior promoted simply does not involve what a person would see as aggression. Smart birds are really prone to this.
2) Is he standing his ground and flaring his hackles and interspersing this with outright attacks with spurs, wings and bill? OUTRIGHT FIGHTING FOR RANK
Context: He is outright fighting you for social status treating you as a as another male chicken. Based on most discussions this the assumed by keepers of man-fighters. Something is or has gone on that got him into mindset that you need to be and can be defeated. Somewhere along the line, you got too familiar with him and / or he learned through exploratory pecking he can make you retreat. This is particularly prevalent with folks that are uncomfortable around their birds. Even many experienced keepers are afraid of their birds for one reason or another and sometimes these people are prone to act aggressively against the birds and even bully them. Males in particular will take advantage of activities that make them feel tough. This is where genetics can also impact predisposition for man-fighting.
Prevention: Do not retreat from him when exploratory pecking or even flogging occurs. Do not attack him in response to an attack as it is very difficult to do so with appearing to alternate between bouts of attack and retreat like which occurs when birds fight.
Correction: Make so aggressive bird can engage you by fighting you but do nothing that would be interpreted as fighting back or retreating. Let him wail away (flog) which may last several minutes. If he breaks off attack, then move towards him but do not even give him the respect of eye contact. Do not strike or push him. Repeat until he stops. Process may need to be repeated in subsequent days with hardheaded birds. You want him to start thinking of you as something that is very much not another chicken. This may mean a flannel shirt or sweat shirt and jeans. Ideally you will appear the same as you do on other days so he does not test you for days when you are weak. If spurs are an issue which they can be with birds more than 18 months old, then they can be neutralized by removal, trimming or covering with the equivalent of boxing gloves (most laymen will not have last option owing to legal restrictions). An alternative to this approach can involve the restraint / time-out sessions where bird does not get the release associated with combat but does get a penalty he will learn to avoid. This technique does appear to work although it takes more time and is hard on birds that are flighty and prone to panic when restrained which is a form of stress.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Can be used to help sell a gamerooster to a fool. In a competitive breeding setting such as in a commercial flock more aggressive birds garner more fertilization of eggs therefore tend to be more prolific. This not directly related to what is referred to as gameness in gamefowl.
3) Is he attacking while fluffed up like a hen making lots of noises and moving about in a very fussy manner? DEFENSE OF FAMILY
Context: This if often associated with roosters where members of his harem (hen(s) or offspring) are scared. Many roosters, especially games will attack whatever they see as the threat and sometimes, real or not, that can be you. His response will be in trying to repel you. Rooster may also get touchy when new feathers are coming in during molt which is more self preservation.
Prevention: Be careful around birds, especially when hens or chicks are involved. Avoid grabbing birds during daylight. Get birds to move voluntarily. Any rooster is easier to work with when his charges are calmer so always having all birds tame helps immensely. One crazy hen can stir up a male. I always manage for calm birds and that means starting from before hatch of an individual. Be careful when handling birds, especially during molt.
Correction: Frequent low intensity interactions without stirring anyone up reduces sensitivity to your activities.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Such behavior can increase survival of males offspring which can benefit you. This especially with small predators a male can repel or distract. Naive predators, hawks specializing on chicks, snakes, etc.
American Dominique cockerel will need to be a good boy when I collect eggs, regardless if for table use or hatching.
American Game cock that must get along with kids and adults that have no idea how to behave around chickens.
The maturation process needs to be introduced to discussion where the term ”rooster” should be replaced by cockerel (male not yet into fully into his first adult feather set at about 7 to 9 months) or cock which is any rooster beyond that age. Male chicken behavior starts to diverge from females in the first couple of weeks, although not all those changes concern aggression. Many changes occur between 12-months and 18-months of age. Assumption is the male chicken is also in good health. There is also a range of age effects on behavior that is often worth considering. Some behaviors discussed and normally associated with maleness are not exclusively the realm of males.
American Dominique cockerels already showing sex specific behaviors.
American Game cock dust bathing with his juvenile offspring and their mother.
Not all aggression exhibited by the adult male chicken have the same context or motivation. Consequently, making adjustments on the chicken keepers part need to be adjusted accordingly. Below are aggression categories as I recognize them. Like most animal behaviors, genetics can play role, but usually there is also an environmental component.
1) Is he just running over, pecking / flogging then running to a safe distance to deny your counter attack and simply watching you? FEED BUCKET AGGRESSION
Context: Bird has associated such behavior with a reward. In most instances, I have seen the bird has obtained food faster or in larger amounts by engaging in some behavior directed at you. This is frequently realized with brooder-reared birds interacting with you as feeders are armed or eats otherwise become more evident with you present. Hen-reared and hand-reared chickens can develop same habit. Another situation is where birds work their basic tendency to try to get at the most attractive food, which to them often involves it appearing fresh within their field of view. For me that can involve putting feed out from a bucket as feeding a flock of hungry birds. They rush after you pushing each and sometimes in the excitement the bucket or even you. Many people see such behavior and promptly put feed out for the apparently famished bird. It takes very little for bird to associate intensifying effort with getting more or faster a faster food reward.
Prevention: Avoid rewarding exploratory behavior such as pecking and jumping up for food. Make so food reward is delayed relative to your activity around birds. My favorite technique is apply feed either when birds are asleep or foraging elsewhere. With latter you just call birds in after feed is applied.
Correction: Move about flock / bird even with feed, but do not give feed out until bird loses interest.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: I manipulate this behavior train birds for experiments and interacting positively with the public. Behavior promoted simply does not involve what a person would see as aggression. Smart birds are really prone to this.
2) Is he standing his ground and flaring his hackles and interspersing this with outright attacks with spurs, wings and bill? OUTRIGHT FIGHTING FOR RANK
Context: He is outright fighting you for social status treating you as a as another male chicken. Based on most discussions this the assumed by keepers of man-fighters. Something is or has gone on that got him into mindset that you need to be and can be defeated. Somewhere along the line, you got too familiar with him and / or he learned through exploratory pecking he can make you retreat. This is particularly prevalent with folks that are uncomfortable around their birds. Even many experienced keepers are afraid of their birds for one reason or another and sometimes these people are prone to act aggressively against the birds and even bully them. Males in particular will take advantage of activities that make them feel tough. This is where genetics can also impact predisposition for man-fighting.
Prevention: Do not retreat from him when exploratory pecking or even flogging occurs. Do not attack him in response to an attack as it is very difficult to do so with appearing to alternate between bouts of attack and retreat like which occurs when birds fight.
Correction: Make so aggressive bird can engage you by fighting you but do nothing that would be interpreted as fighting back or retreating. Let him wail away (flog) which may last several minutes. If he breaks off attack, then move towards him but do not even give him the respect of eye contact. Do not strike or push him. Repeat until he stops. Process may need to be repeated in subsequent days with hardheaded birds. You want him to start thinking of you as something that is very much not another chicken. This may mean a flannel shirt or sweat shirt and jeans. Ideally you will appear the same as you do on other days so he does not test you for days when you are weak. If spurs are an issue which they can be with birds more than 18 months old, then they can be neutralized by removal, trimming or covering with the equivalent of boxing gloves (most laymen will not have last option owing to legal restrictions). An alternative to this approach can involve the restraint / time-out sessions where bird does not get the release associated with combat but does get a penalty he will learn to avoid. This technique does appear to work although it takes more time and is hard on birds that are flighty and prone to panic when restrained which is a form of stress.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Can be used to help sell a gamerooster to a fool. In a competitive breeding setting such as in a commercial flock more aggressive birds garner more fertilization of eggs therefore tend to be more prolific. This not directly related to what is referred to as gameness in gamefowl.
3) Is he attacking while fluffed up like a hen making lots of noises and moving about in a very fussy manner? DEFENSE OF FAMILY
Context: This if often associated with roosters where members of his harem (hen(s) or offspring) are scared. Many roosters, especially games will attack whatever they see as the threat and sometimes, real or not, that can be you. His response will be in trying to repel you. Rooster may also get touchy when new feathers are coming in during molt which is more self preservation.
Prevention: Be careful around birds, especially when hens or chicks are involved. Avoid grabbing birds during daylight. Get birds to move voluntarily. Any rooster is easier to work with when his charges are calmer so always having all birds tame helps immensely. One crazy hen can stir up a male. I always manage for calm birds and that means starting from before hatch of an individual. Be careful when handling birds, especially during molt.
Correction: Frequent low intensity interactions without stirring anyone up reduces sensitivity to your activities.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Such behavior can increase survival of males offspring which can benefit you. This especially with small predators a male can repel or distract. Naive predators, hawks specializing on chicks, snakes, etc.
