1st time with Roo — merging flock ?s

[Criticalicious]

He thinks he's the boss and even though he's little, he can do some damage, especially to children. Beekissed article is the most often cited and it works, but you gotta be consistent. I've found what's most important is don't show fear and you control the situation. Don't let him control what's happening. Do what you have to, to force him to recognize you are in control. For example, my roo is protective if I mess with his girls but he's slowly learning they're ALL MY chickens (including him). I pet his back and wiggle his comb to embarrass him, shake things near his face to make him back up if I have to (he's scared of new looking objects even if they've been there for days), etc. And if I want to mess with his girls, I will do it while he's in the coop and can't do boo about it. If I need to pick up a pullet next to him, I've even waved the girl in his face, using her as a shield. He calms down if the girls are calm, and he hasn't gotten any funny ideas since I started this training. In the end, roosters are just big chickens! Literally!

 

[Mrs. K]

But you are an adult.

 

[10xmama]

Ok, so how does this sound:

— I’ll be moving King Louis and the little girls in with the big girls tonight. I usually keep them all in and not let any of them out for a day or two so the younger ones reset on this coop being their new home. Maybe this time will put King Louis in his place. Then I’ll resume free ranging in the afternoons on maybe Friday. (King Louis and the little girls have never been out to forage — so that should help him to, I think?)

— I (and the rest of my family) will be armed with a long thin bamboo stick to steer and correct King Louis when we are near the coop or where they forage.

— If he doesn’t settle down then we will have to cull him.... sure hope we don’t have to.... we were all hoping to be able to have a Roo and raise our own chicks.

As for my children, my youngest is 8yo. The daughter that King Louis challenged is 13... he challenged me this morning as I said but I easily pushed him away with my foot/shoe.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

It sounds like a plan. I agree totally with @Mrs. K

I would keep a close eye on this fellow, and he definitely needs to get his butt whooped by some older hens. That will really calm him down.

My boys are broody raised, which really helps. But I've noted that when I keep them in the grow out pen with their sisters, they get really snotty when they hit their teens.

However, if I put them out with the main flock and the main rooster when they are in teen grow out, they learn some flock manners. No blood is ever drawn. No feathers removed. But they learn they cannot be snots to the older gals which keeps them from being snots to the younger gals.

However, I've also seen that good temperament is innate. Good roosters are simply good roosters. The middle ground ones can be tempered. The bad ones should be culled.

A rooster that has challenged and gotten away with it needs correction. If he still challenges, especially during correction, and that intensifies his fight, cull.

I prefer to keep the easy tempered roosters and cull those that have fight. I don't like to have to keep watching my back. And I often have kids over, so I want to be especially careful.

My thoughts.
Lofmc

 

[Mrs. K]

Sounds like a realistic plan. Roosters are a crap shoot, some of them work, some don’t.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

He thinks he's the boss and even though he's little, he can do some damage, especially to children. Beekissed article is the most often cited and it works, but you gotta be consistent. I've found what's most important is don't show fear and you control the situation. Don't let him control what's happening. Do what you have to, to force him to recognize you are in control. For example, my roo is protective if I mess with his girls but he's slowly learning they're ALL MY chickens (including him). I pet his back and wiggle his comb to embarrass him, shake things near his face to make him back up if I have to (he's scared of new looking objects even if they've been there for days), etc. And if I want to mess with his girls, I will do it while he's in the coop and can't do boo about it. If I need to pick up a pullet next to him, I've even waved the girl in his face, using her as a shield. He calms down if the girls are calm, and he hasn't gotten any funny ideas since I started this training. In the end, roosters are just big chickens! Literally!

That is what my Rooster did, one of my OEGBs came up to me and I bent down to pet her and he attacked...I thought he'd gone crazy with hormones, I figured because she is about ready to mate or something (?) I just shoo'd him away with my foot twice but I'll try your techniques next time!

 

[10xmama]

It’s going quite well so far. I’ve observed two of the old hens teach him a thing or two. He stepped towards them and they took the challenge and were relentless until he backed away in defeat. Both altercations lasted over a minute with lots of feather raising and lunges.

Hope all this does the trick! I’m gonna keep them all locked in until Fri afternoon. My sister is visiting with her little children and I don’t want to take any chance!