Centrachid, What exacly do you mean by the statement above in bold?
I have two problematic young roosters, both about 15/16 months old. Meeting aggression with aggression isn't working out very well with the LF Ameraucana who will likely simply be culled. The other problematic rooster has just started being aggressive to me in the past few days but has shown aggression to my adult son for a few weeks before. I would like to see if simply changing my husbandry techniques could solve the problem. I would very much appreciate your input.
Background:
The bird is a double copy frizzle Cochin hatched March of last year. He is a hatchery bird. His being a double copy frizzle (carrying two copies of the frizzle gene) complicates his temperament. I have read in various articles that double copy frizzles are more flighty than a normal frizzle and the two double copies I have ARE spookier birds. The birds' feathers are severely compromised, breaking and falling out with very little handling of the bird. They both act as if handling them causes them pain. He is free ranging in my back yard with a same-aged Silkie rooster, six Silkie hens and a LF Polish hen. A week ago an Ameraucana from my LF flock in the front of my property hatched a clutch of chicks. I moved them into a pen and a dog-house coop in my back yard. Thursday, a Silkie hatched a chick in the back yard flock's nest box. Yesterday I moved that hen and chick to a little dog-house coop beside the other hen and chicks. She'll get out in a pen today.
Description of Attack:
In the past few weeks, this rooster has been making infrequent rushes/attacks on me. I responded as another rooster would (I'm new to chickens, so really don't know a whole lot of how another rooster really would respond), grabbing him by the hackles and holding him down for at most a minute. A few days ago, he started attacking me like a sparring rooster, which really was kind of funny-- tiny 2-pound rooster sparring with me. He stood there, head lowered, hackles flared six inches in front of my toes.
Meeting violence with violence has not worked at all with the LF Ameraucana, so obviously I need to change my tactics. Obviously I am doing something very wrong, probably both in my interactions with them before they show any inclination to attack and my response to their aggression. Obviously I need to change my behavior.
Your description #2 seems to very neatly fit this bird's attacks. So, are you saying that I simply allow him to attack and take it until he quits and then step forward towards him until he either keeps attacking or runs away?
The LF Ameraucana's attacks are a bit more complicated. I'm not sure I could physically stand getting flogged by him. He once hit me in the shins with his wings and it felt as if I had been kicked hard in the shins. I was surprised at how strong the hit was. The Cochin is only two pounds and has stunted wings (as a result of the double copy frizzle gene). His attacks will not be hard to take. Plus there is no risk of him leaping in my face which there is with the LF Ameraucana.
I would really appreciate your thoughts on this.