A Management Challenge to Reduce Rooster Aggression Directed at Keeper

[centrarchid]

I have 3 roosters with 18 hens currently.  After a 3 week vacation, with husband and others caring for the flock, the head rooster has become agressive with us.  He's my only rooster that has correct presentation for the breed, so I need to retain him.  The lowest of the 3 roosters has someone who wants him, so he will be leaving soon.  He's obviously a mongrel halfbreed, but is quite pretty.  The secondary rooster was handpicked for mildness, and watching over the hens, by my kids and I, but now that he's matured, we see he's short a point on his comb (one point is split, but didn't fully seperate), so he's not on the list for breeding purposes.

The whole flock, including ducks and guineas, were skittish when we finally managed to get home.  I decided the best way to deal with this was to force them to spend time around me.  Several days this week, the only way they could get food was to come eat out of my hands. The hens think it's great, and will demand it even when they have food elsewhere.  Since the first day, the secondary rooster would wait for the hens to get some, then join them.  Even the ducks and guineas will dash in occasionally. Bratticus, the main rooster, would rather go hungry than come get food from me. 

He'll run up behind me and flog me when I walk through the run, and I hope not to get too beat up while ignoring him. He'll circle me while I'm standing still, but doesn't usually attack.  I typically get at least one good scratch/bruise from him each time he attacks.  My youngest child is scared of him now... never was before, but at 6, she's small enough to get really hurt by Bratticus.  My 13 year old carries a stick with her, and pushes him away.

I'm hoping by following your advice, I can get Bratticus to settle back down.  The catch and hold option is no good for us, as we can never manage to catch him.

The other birds are slowly getting used to me touching them again, through the feeding routine.  Some of them will even let me pick them up... not something they used to put up with much.

After having a bad day with rooster I am interested the efforts have ceased. Effort invested has been much more than required to treat similarly disposed game roosters that calm down nicely. Despite this guy probably not likely to be genetically inferior he is finished. I got over confident and went out with shorts on. He poked me good several times.


Since your bird is being looked at as a breeder, then I would make darn certain he is good on all other attributes and allow him only one season in the breeding pen. If he is up to snuff with respect to looks and overall performance excepting behavior, then get as many cockerels as you can by as many hens as you can next year and evaluate them on behavior right up front at same time a considering the other aspects. I would treat the best looking dozen plus like game roosters each to his own pen until he is 10 months old. Then expose each to a hen for a few days prior to testing for man-fighting tendencies. Keep the the best two based on looks and behavior. Cull balance. Make certain current male is gone by end of coming breeding season. Otherwise get a rooster of known gentle nature of desired breeding and start from there. Some of the problem comes from hen side as well so track performance based on half-siblings by same mother. Good luck on your efforts.


Contrary to belief, gamecocks are a lot easier to deal with on this business. Games have a much steeper learning curve.

 

[barbsgarb]

Interestingly, today I went out as usual, and Batticus's behavior was so radically different, it was almost funny. Only real difference I could figure out was that I was wearing tan pants instead of black. LOL

When I let them out of their house, he patently avoided me, even to the point of almost running away from me. Went widely around me, eye-ing me like I was about to pounce on him, then moved quickly away from me. When I came out from gathering eggs, he quickly moved himself as far from me as possible.

When I was hand-feeding the hens that were interested, he came within a foot or two of me. I think he even considered coming over. Then the milder rooster came right up to him, almost rubbing against him, clucked something at Bratticus and went on his way. Bratticus looked like he had just been lectured, and wandered off.

No offensive behavior at all. A little odd to say the least. Find myself wondering if the pecking order changed overnight.

 

[barbsgarb]

The following day was almost funny. The secondary rooster got in my aggressive rooster's face for several seconds circling him to the front and clucking at him. A little later I had gotten some special munchies for my secondary rooster and he was eating out of my hand for a few moments. The aggressive rooster wandered over within about a foot. The secondary rooster got behind him and body pushed the aggressive rooster towards my hand. The aggressive rooster decided he'd better eat out of my hand. He's a little harder on my hand, but didn't do any damage.

Interestingly, he later attacked both my daughters. I talked to them about not reacting to him.

Yesterday, my 6 yr old put it to the test. She said he swatted her once, then left her alone.

I'm thrilled he's learning so quick.

 

[SouthernFarmChick]

I have a 10 month old Dominique rooster who has taken to attacking just in the last month every time I go into the chicken pen to feed and water and collect eggs. He got me just above my boot twice a few days ago on one leg, and once on the other leg; all 3 below the knee and right through my Wranglers! I have quite a bump and bruise! He's flown high, above my waist (I'm 5'4) - he is just a butthead! I don't know what to do! I have 9 hens - should I sell him? Re-home him with someone with only 1-2 or so hens? Should I put him in my other pen (after we get the roof on it!) with just 1 or 2 hens? I dread going out there now and I've had chickens for years and never had a rooster this aggressive! I'm not afraid of him, but I sure won't put up with him attacking me every time I go into the pen! Is he a lost cause or can I help change his behavior?

 

[centrarchid]

I have a 10 month old Dominique rooster who has taken to attacking just in the last month every time I go into the chicken pen to feed and water and collect eggs.  He got me just above my boot twice a few days ago on one leg, and once on the other leg; all 3 below the knee and right through my Wranglers! I have quite a bump and bruise! He's flown high, above my waist (I'm 5'4) - he is just a butthead!  I don't know what to do! I have 9 hens - should I sell him? Re-home him with someone with only 1-2 or so hens? Should I put him in my other pen (after we get the roof on it!) with just 1 or 2 hens? I dread going out there now and I've had chickens for years and never had a rooster this aggressive! I'm not afraid of him, but I sure won't put up with him attacking me every time I go into the pen!  Is he a lost cause or can I help change his behavior?

If you have not messed with a lot of roosters and do not feel very confident around them, then cull him. Certainly cull him from the breeding flock. I am not against trying to re-work but it takes consistent effort and a lot of time, certainly more than it takes my games which does not make sense to me. Doms are supposed to be docile.


If he is not coming at you full on, then try sitting out with him a lot but do not respond to him. Be smarter than I and use a chair. Bait him to your feet with feed with little bits at a time to keep him close so he can calm down. When riled he is stressed so he needs to calm down.

 

[SouthernFarmChick]

Thanks!!! I've had plenty of roosters over the years, but never one this aggressive! He came right at me, again and again! I, too, was bewildered especially him being a Dom. Very unlike them. I've had lots of them, they're one of my favorites, and they've always been very docile. I've not had another incident with him, weird! I don't know if he'll go back to doing it, but for the time being I'm just letting him be.