6 month old rooster- new raging hormones or true signs of an aggressive bird...

[bbecca]

I know people are quick to say just get rid of a rooster if they show aggression but I am wondering since my roosters only 6 months if it is just him testing out new raging hormones and it will calm down after the first year/spring or if this is a true sign of an aggressive bird? I have a rooster who has been the sweetest kindest bird out of my whole flock. He always lets my husband and I pick him up and hold him, he calls to me when I come home or if I'm close to the coop and I've never had any aggression shown. I've always tryed to show him I'm boss and never let him eat first when I feed them, or let him mount the hens in front of me. He'd just walk away if I walked towards him. But last week I brought my son in with me to the run. I already knew from reading posts to watch him and I've trained my son with them since they were day old chicks, so this was not a new thing. I could tell right away rooster was upety and not liking his presence that day and sure enough tryed to attack him. Didn't get to him before I yelled and screamed at the rooster and kicked him out of the way. I sent my son out of the run and proceeded to chase that rooster all over the place. I was trying to grab him and was gonna dunk his head in water and teach him a lesson but I could NOT catch him! I tryed later in day and chased him around again but to no avale. Since then I have not been able to pick him up and every time I enter the coop he runs around me trying to get behind me and hasn't full on attacked but I know he's thinking about it! I have heard that the first year/spring with roosters is high hormones and his feet are super bright red so I know they are raging! My question is do I chalk this up to raging hormones and will he calm back down after spring to the nice sweet chicken I had before or is this going to be what he's like from now on?

 

[The Phantom]

I would just let him calm down. Don't chase him because he will learn to be afraid and aggressive to everyone. Just walk in the pen like you own it (because you really do). If he attacks you push him away. If he attacks you again grab him very quickly and hold him the whole time you are in there. Don't chase him around. This worked with one of my roosters. My roosters a 1 1/2 old they have calmed down a lot since they were 6 months old. They used to beat up the hens so bad. (3 bantam roosters 6 hens) I have 11 hens now. But this fall I noticed they have no more feathers missing off of my hens. So they are very good now.

 

[Zoomie]

It's probably hard for the rooster to understand being a pet, while at the same time learning to be in charge of the flock. I would personally just drop the whole idea of him being a pet. Just let him be a rooster.

We have big brains and we can think about these things, they can't. Going back in after the incident and chasing him around won't teach him anything, except that you are oddly violent and not to be trusted. He can't remember the incident with your son, and can't understand that it's the reason you are now chasing him; any corrections have to happen pretty much instantaneous with the infraction. Even so much as 2 seconds later, they can not understand what it's about.

 

[chickens really]

Roosters are not pets. Your right he is a young Cockerel with hormones. He may calm down once he matures or become even more aggressive as he protects his flock?.....No one ever knows ?
Keep your Son out of the Coop and away from the Birds....Roosters seem to like attacking smaller people.....I have a Cockerel/Rooster and he is extremely Docile. I still never trust him or ever give him reason or opportunity to mistrust me....He is not a pet at all....

Best of luck!


Cheers!

 

[bbecca]

@Zoomie @chickens really good points thanks for your forwardness! Your right, It's easy to get caught up in the idea of them being your pets. I fell in love with them but as I'm learning it's better to treat them in a way they understand. Just to reassure you too I will not be Puting my son in that position with the Roo again. They can watch eachother with a fence in between

 

[bbecca]

@phantom thanks for the tips. So IF I CAN get a hold of him when he attacks, how should I carry him around? when he used to let me grab him- I'd hold him by his legs upside down and gently swing him a bit until he completely relaxed and then I'd hold him tucked under my arm. I read on here that that teaches them who's boss so I've always done that. Or is there a better way you'd recommend? Also if i CANT grab him I also read on here some people just bring a fishnet in with them every time and use that to catch their rooster, what's your thoughts on this? Will I be teaching him fear and aggression if I do this? Sorry if these are too many questions, but Im still just learning a lot and need all the input I can get

 

[bobbi-j]

I would recommend going on the offensive BEFORE he attacks. Find a flexible rod, switch, branch or something similar. When you are with the flock, take that rod and make that cockerel move. Tap him on the butt, head or back and keep him moving. You don't need to whale on him or anything, just keep him on guard. When you feed them, don't let him eat right away. Let him relax a bit, then get him moving again. (@Beekissed has given this advice in several recent threads and is much better at explaining it than I am. I'm on my phone, though, and haven't figured out how to link threads.) Basically, it's better to teach him respect before he starts being aggressive to you. Be confident and walk through the flock. If you start that when they're young, they tend to get used to the idea that you are not something they can control.

ETA - go to the Chicken Behaviors and Egg Laying" section of the forum, find the thread titled "Rooster", and on the second page you'll find a post from Beekissed describing the technique I was trying to explain above.

 

[Mrs. K]

The thing is, roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of kids. It depends on your set up, and how secure it is all set up. Roosters do most often attack children first, then women and finally men. Some of them do calm down, some of them get worse. I really don't think you teach a hormonal raging rooster much. Not much of a brain to teach.

A young child being attacked by a rooster has a very good chance of taking the attack in the upper body and head. A strong enough blow to even knock a small child over. Terribly frightening, and serious injuries can occur. Personally, I don't like roosters and small children. Especially if the child has to share the yard with the birds, or if your child has a play date, and another child is attacked. If it was just you and your hubby, and you wanted to try some techniques to see if you can calm him down, I would say go for it. But with small children, I think you are risking too much.

In chicken society, fear is a demonstration of respect. When people make pets of roosters, especially roosters in a group of flock mates, with no older birds to school them, the rooster chick loses any fear of humans, and any respect. They are not like puppies and kittens, where if one is kind and good to them, they reciprocate. If a rooster is not afraid of you, they will often attack to prove their dominance. I am pretty strict with my roosters, scaring them a little bit from the get go, and they tend to respect me. For years I have had a multi-generational flock, in which older birds school the younger birds and teach respect. In a flock, raised together as chicks, without older birds, the roosters grow faster, gets bigger, comes into sexual maturity sooner than the pullets. This often makes them a bully. They bully the pullets, and often times become more and more brave and aggressive.

There are lots of roosters out there. Personally, I would cull this one, and wait a couple of years, your child will be older, you all will have more chicken experience, your hens will be older, then I would get a rooster, that is so nice, his owners don't want to cull him. That is the boy you want in your flock.

Mrs K

 

[The Phantom]

Hold him under your arm. If you can't catch him, leave him be he should learn.
When he aproaches you try to pet him if he bites or attacks grab him.
If he lets you and is a good little boy give him a treat.
One of my roosters had this issue and this worked.
Today he let me pet him snuggle him.
My other two are very good. One gives me little handshakes and the other just sits there.
They are very nice little boys.

 

[bbecca]

@bobbi-j thank you I found the thread you were telling me about, very helpful! And thanks for the extra tips @phantom