10 week old roo constantelly pecking me

[marlene]

I have a 10 week old blue marans roo, he is massive, he is the size of my 20 week pullets. Every time i go to the brooder to feed and water he goes for my hand and pecks me hard, i ussually give him a push with my hand and he runs off to the corner.
Is this a sign he is going to be a bad roo? or is it just chick behaviour?
Is there any thing i can do to start training him not to go for me?

 

[stoopid]

I have an 8 wk old blue copper, does the same thing. He is the sweetest baby that I have raised so far, I think he is just giving you kisses.
See if he grows out of it.

 

[marlene]

Quote:
He is a blue copper too, kisses?? hope that is what it is lol.

 

[stoopid]

They hurt like heck! Instead of pushing him away, I try to redirect his attention, food, water, a little scratch.
He doesn't mean to hurt, I think he is just curious.

 

[marlene]

I've raised him since he hatched so he is used to me, it's only been the last couple of weeks he's been pecking me every time i go to his brooder he jumps up and pecks my hand.

 

[Opa]

I hate to tell you this but that bird isn't giving you kisses. He is attempting to show his dominance. It's what roosters do to protect their flock. It is only going to get worse unless you establish that you are the alpha. You will need to be much more forceful if you want to stop this.

 

[allpeepedout]

There are lots of threads on here about training roosters. Not everybody believes this is worth their time, but if you'd like to keep your rooster, as I did, I was thrilled to find simple techniques can work well.

Nip bad behavior in the bud pronto and do not let it become a habit. Zero tolerance. When your roo approaches aggressively, push down on his back firmly but kindly, pressing him down to the ground, until he relaxes and submits. This is what roosters do to each other and to hens. Hold him there a minute or two, and be sure to let him relax and don't keep pressing too hard. Do this gently but enough to get the reaction you want. You can also pick up them up carry them around under your arm like a football for a few minutes. If necessary, be sure to dress appropriately. I got significant respect within a couple of days of using these methods. Now my 90 year old dad can walk in the run and pick up my roo, no worries! And haven't had to do much backup training. Good luck!

 

[marlene]

That was my worry, that he was getting aggresive towards me. I will start working on him and see if he starts to respect me, if he does not change he will have to go as i have a 3 year old that loves to interact with the chickens and i can't risk his safety.

 

[Zigmont]

My roo attacked me and the Backyard Chicken readers were very helpful. He is now about 8 months old and has not done it since I started picking him up every night at roost time and carrying him around. Your three year old will not be safe unless you work with him. AOXA gave me a very helpful link. Good luck. http://shilala.homestead.com/roosters.html

 

[sourland]

Far from being 'kisses' the behaviors of both cockerels are the beginning of human aggressive behavior. Nip it in the bud before you have a large full grown rooster in full attack mode. Various techniques have been posted here. Select that which works for you before it is too late. Good luck with behavior modification.