2 yr old rooster has gone psycho

[pdml99]

The roosters have been squatting down and "shuffling" - thanks for a good description of the behavior - and the one or two hens have been clawing at the edges of the top and nipping with their beaks(and it could have just been the same hen, since I haven't had them long enough to learn distinct personalities yet). I was thinking the hen might have been picking up the behavior from the roosters. I am seriously considering a homemade watering system with nipples screwed into pvc pipe to solve this problem as well as to cut down on wasted water & daily waterer washes & changes.
I will keep an eye on the freckles. Thanks.

 

[subhanalah]

The roosters have been squatting down and "shuffling" - thanks for a good description of the behavior - and the one or two hens have been clawing at the edges of the top and nipping with their beaks(and it could have just been the same hen, since I haven't had them long enough to learn distinct personalities yet).  I was thinking the hen might have been picking up the behavior from the roosters. I am seriously considering a homemade watering system with nipples screwed into pvc pipe to solve this problem as well as to cut down on wasted water & daily waterer washes & changes.
I will keep an eye on the freckles. Thanks. 

nipple waterers are a God send!
The horizontal ones don't leak really at all!
The normal type of waterer just smells horrible after sitting out for just a couple hours.

 

[Lora Indy]

ivan3, thank you for bringing that link forward. I frequently get lost when a thread moves fast. I will dig into it this evening.

centrachid, In theory people should be able to learn it but they don't. Considering the number of people that are bitten by dogs and the fact that dog language is much more blatant it takes a bit more to learn chicken.
I learned it at a young age.I was about 4 years old when my great grandmother started me cleaning water dishes and sweeping out broody pens.Upsetting a 10 pound broody can be a very painful experience.
Chickens do have a wonderfully rich vocal language that many people miss. Turn off that danged cell phone, unplug those ear doohickeys and just be in the moment. I love the soft murmur of a contented flock at roosting time and I know to keep an extra watch the next day if it's an irritated squeal-trill instead.

 

[centrarchid]

 ivan3, thank you for bringing that link forward. I frequently get lost when a thread moves fast. I will dig into it this evening.

centrachid, In theory people should be able to learn it but they don't. Considering the number of people that are bitten by dogs and the fact that dog language is much more blatant it takes a bit more to learn chicken.
  I learned it at a young age.I was about 4 years old when my great grandmother started me cleaning water dishes and sweeping out broody pens.Upsetting a 10 pound broody can be a very painful experience.
  Chickens do have a wonderfully rich vocal language that many people miss. Turn off that danged cell phone, unplug those ear doohickeys and just be in the moment. I love the soft murmur of a contented flock at roosting time and I know to keep an extra watch the next day if it's an irritated squeal-trill instead.

I started learning at a similar age. Game hens were the broodies and cockyard could literally have hundreds of roosters. The schooling took place before I was aware or could remember all such events but it was rapid. To learn, sometimes unpleasant things need to happen to drive points home. For me, dog language is tougher and I know my way around dogs.

Many people like to keep birds in very artificial confines and go straight into direct interactions before schooling has taken hold. They also do not have elders with experience providing oversight. I had very knowledgeable grandparents prepared to step in as buffers and they also provided pointers as to when birds where saying something to me or I was breaking chicken etiquette in a manner that might get me into trouble. I provide the same for my kids.

 

[centrarchid]

P.S. They can still learn and providing sound advice speeds process. Video / audio recordings would be helpful. Describing the "juk-juk" threat is hard to do in writing.

 

[lolly 1]

Great thread everyone, I have got loads of info here. But having read this thread, I am left with a decision. Out of my four most recent chicks, I'm thinking 2 may be cockerels. I have young kids about, and don't breed, and currently don't need protection. I quite like them already, but having read this thread am wondering should I just pass them on to someone when we know for sure what gender they are? And at 11 weeks old can they show early warning signs for aggression and what would those signs be?

 

[Folly's place]

I have had cockrels that were human aggressive early; they were easy to identify and eliminate. I have had a few that decided to be human aggressive at one, two, or three years of age. I'm always watching and aware of the males, so as not to be surprised by one of them. I also have horses, cattle, dogs, and cats, and know how to be observant. Working with big horses in the herd is only safe if your place in the herd is AT THE TOP and by being very vigilant. Mary

 

[chooks4life]

Great thread everyone, I have got loads of info here. But having read this thread, I am left with a decision. Out of my four most recent chicks, I'm thinking 2 may be cockerels. I have young kids about, and don't breed, and currently don't need protection. I quite like them already, but having read this thread am wondering should I just pass them on to someone when we know for sure what gender they are? And at 11 weeks old can they show early warning signs for aggression and what would those signs be?

Yes, aggression usually shows early. As for the signs, my first post in this thread if I recall correctly has the warning signs listed.

As for whether you should rehome them just in case, generally I'd say it's entirely down to your discretion but if you feel unsure or a bit anti- the idea of keeping them then probably best to rehome. Better to enter into keeping any animals you keep without misgivings or negative bias than otherwise.

I have had cockrels that were human aggressive early; they were easy to identify and eliminate. I have had a few that decided to be human aggressive at one, two, or three years of age. I'm always watching and aware of the males, so as not to be surprised by one of them. I also have horses, cattle, dogs, and cats, and know how to be observant. Working with big horses in the herd is only safe if your place in the herd is AT THE TOP and by being very vigilant. Mary

I agree, even if you trust the animals always remain observant, they have their own minds and can change them at any time.
.

The roosters have been squatting down and "shuffling" - thanks for a good description of the behavior - and the one or two hens have been clawing at the edges of the top and nipping with their beaks(and it could have just been the same hen, since I haven't had them long enough to learn distinct personalities yet). I was thinking the hen might have been picking up the behavior from the roosters. I am seriously considering a homemade watering system with nipples screwed into pvc pipe to solve this problem as well as to cut down on wasted water & daily waterer washes & changes.
I will keep an eye on the freckles. Thanks.

That is quite odd behavior. Are they squatting/shuffling because it's hard to balance on it, perhaps? The nipping might be because they're trying to remove pieces to eat and for that they'd need to brace themselves. When chooks are trying to eat white things generally it indicates they need calcium, grits, or both. Not all grits supply calcium but many chooks identify white things as being both grits and calcium sources.

Best wishes.

 

[centrarchid]

I have had cockrels that were human aggressive early; they were easy to identify and eliminate.  I have had a few that decided to be human aggressive at one, two, or three years of age.  I'm always watching and aware of the males, so as not to be surprised by one of them.  I also have horses, cattle, dogs, and cats, and know how to be observant.  Working with big horses in the herd is only safe if your place in the herd is AT THE TOP and by being very vigilant.  Mary

Late development of human aggressiveness is a function of husbandry / environment. Something is going on with interactions between humans and birds that is promoting this.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Late development of human aggressiveness is a function of husbandry / environment. Something is going on with interactions between humans and birds that is promoting this.

Okay, maybe everyone can help me with this rooster problem (16 months old).

This is a double-copy frizzle (commonly known as a frazzle) bantam Cochin. The two copies of the frizzle gene seem to make them a bit more flighty. He always was and continues to be a hyper little rooster. I'm not happy with his rapist rooster tendencies and might separate him from the flock for at least the hot summer months (I'm in south central Texas). Because of his poor-quality feathers (from the two copies of the frizzle gene), he spent nights and cold days in my house last winter. He has been free ranging with my small group of mostly Silkie hens and another Silkie rooster the same age. Until I separated him from the flock because of the cold, he had been the higher ranking male, but ow he is subordinate.

I recently hatched my first chicks under two broody hens. I brought one broody and her 7 chicks from the LF flock that free range in the front yard into a little coop and pen in my back yard where the "little" chickens free range. Five days after my first chicks hatched, the Silkie in the backyard group hatched a solitary chick. A couple of days after the chick hatched, I put her in a separate pen and coop next to the first group of chicks and broody.

The back yard chickens, including the young roosters, are fascinated by the chicks. I am quite sure the presence of the chicks has increased the stresses the flock feels, especially the roosters. There has been no aggression shown between any of the flock and the broody hens or chicks.

However, my little Cochin rooster has taken to flying across the yard, squaring off with my feet and posturing like a frighting rooster. He started this a month or two ago with my adult son, who responded by kicking him when he attacked. Then he started the same behavior with me. At first I tried to think maybe if I treated him the same way as another fighting rooster would, which I believe would be to hold him on the ground by his hackles/comb, he would learn I was a higher ranking "rooster" than he is and defer to me the way he defers to the Silkie.

Then I read a long post by Centrachid. I believe one of the more important take-away points of Centrachid's posts is that aggression to people is a management problem. I've tried to deescalate the interactions with both problematic roosters and there is improvement. I still plan to cull the LF Ameraucana. The Cochin doesn't pose the same risk to people that the Ameraucana does, so I am trying to work him through the issues.

I took Centrachid's advice and simply stop moving when he flares at me. As his hackles start to relax, I move a bit forward. If he moves off, I move forward into his space. There are mixed responses, sometimes if I move into his space, he retreats while other times he flares up again. I am trying to get my son on board with this approach.

Thoughts please.