15 Week Old Cockerel is Being Aggressive

[TheFatBlueCat]

Most of the cockerels I raise have gone to freezer camp by 15 weeks for exactly these reasons although I've never had one be aggressive to people, just hormones coming in to play and causes general havoc. My advice is to butcher him or find someone who wants to eat him (I have a couple of families who take all my cockerels).
When having a rooster in a flock you are best to introduce the rooster or cockerel to mature hens. Roosters mature faster than hens, meaning that same-age hatchmates will run into trouble as the cockerels will be trying to mate with pullets who are not ready. Fully mature roosters with grown hens available will not mate with pullets until the pullets have sexually matured. Or they shouldn't. If they do they're not a good rooster.

 

[abpatchy]

wow! That is awfully young to show this kind of behavior!

 

[Happychickenanimallover]

So I have 24 chickens, I know I have at least 2 cockerels. I will have to take a picture of the other 2 to show yall, if yall could help me figure out if they are cockerels too or pullets. Anyway, this one cockerel who is a buff orpington, has been a bit aggressive towards me. Everyday when I let the chickens out of the coop he immediately flies at me and full on attacks my shoes (Biting, squaking, flapping, shaking head back and forth with my shoes in his beak). He has never attacked my husband or my kids, just me... And it sucks cause 99% of the time I'm the one that takes care of them... the other cockerel, who is a lavendar orpington, has never done anything like that before and is quite docile to be honest.. Is there anything I can do to make him stop doing that? Or Is it one of those things that I can either deal with it or get rid of him? I've grown really attached to my babies and now I feel apprehensive walking into the coop/run area because I'm scared he's going to attack me instead of my shoes.

You pull on long sleeves & gloves & grab him when he comes at you. Be brave! Hold him under yr arm, bend his head/beck down to chest breast, hold it there. As I hold I talk to him.
After a couple of time of beck holding, you have established a new pecking order. After that they run from you not at you.
Always works. I taught this trick to an Airbnb host. They were quite happy he found his place w the chickens & not charging clear across the yard to them & guests!
Happy chicken lover

 

[TexasGirl97]

Most of the cockerels I raise have gone to freezer camp by 15 weeks for exactly these reasons although I've never had one be aggressive to people, just hormones coming in to play and causes general havoc. My advice is to butcher him or find someone who wants to eat him (I have a couple of families who take all my cockerels).
When having a rooster in a flock you are best to introduce the rooster or cockerel to mature hens. Roosters mature faster than hens, meaning that same-age hatchmates will run into trouble as the cockerels will be trying to mate with pullets who are not ready. Fully mature roosters with grown hens available will not mate with pullets until the pullets have sexually matured. Or they shouldn't. If they do they're not a good rooster.

That's helpful! Thank you, I will remember that next time for sure... the 6 orpingtons (both buff and lavendar) that we got were straight run from tractor supply so we weren't sure if we had gotten any males or not until they got older

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Good roosters are a joy, and yes they may have some less than joyful moments until they grow up, but good roosters are also mostly-good cockerels. In my opinion there is just no reason to tolerate roosters who are aggressive to either people or pullets/hens. There are so many lovely roosters who make your flock happy and make chicken keeping a wonderful experience.
Now, there will be moments. My flock rooster is a lovely rooster, but he has ejected two hens from his flock and would not tolerate them, after he took over the flock on reaching maturity. These two hens would not accept him and he would not accept them. I removed those hens as he clearly indicated he was having none of them. My choice there was him or the two old hens. If I forced them to remain together there would have been problems. Chickens don't have morals.

 

[TexasGirl97]

You pull on long sleeves & gloves & grab him when he comes at you. Be brave! Hold him under yr arm, bend his head/beck down to chest breast, hold it there. As I hold I talk to him.
After a couple of time of beck holding, you have established a new pecking order. After that they run from you not at you.
Always works. I taught this trick to an Airbnb host. They were quite happy he found his place w the chickens & not charging clear across the yard to them & guests!
Happy chicken lover

Hahaha! Thanks! I will try that tomorrow I'm a very timid/gentle person so maybe that's why he is picking on me lol

 

[TexasGirl97]

Good roosters are a joy, and yes they may have some less than joyful moments until they grow up, but good roosters are also mostly-good cockerels. In my opinion there is just no reason to tolerate roosters who are aggressive to either people or pullets/hens. There are so many lovely roosters who make your flock happy and make chicken keeping a wonderful experience.
Now, there will be moments. My flock rooster is a lovely rooster, but he has ejected two hens from his flock and would not tolerate them, after he took over the flock on reaching maturity. These two hens would not accept him and he would not accept them. I removed those hens as he clearly indicated he was having none of them. My choice there was him or the two old hens. If I forced them to remain together there would have been problems. Chickens don't have morals.

He has been doing this for a few weeks and I also noticed that my lavendar orpington cockerel stopped staying by the coop door until I closed it up around the same time this one had started being aggressive.