Advice about rooster

[Folly's place]

I also agree here, and was thinking that the OP was already in this mode, and her cock was still behaving badly. But I would protect the child over any bird, any day. Mary

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@Beekissed @oldhenlikesdogs both good advisers, thanks for the more thorough answers!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

@Beekissed @oldhenlikesdogs both good advisers, thanks for the more thorough answers!

I wonder why 1 @ worked and the other didn't?

@oldhenlikesdogs worked that time!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I wonder why 1 @ worked and the other didn't?   @oldhenlikesdogs
  worked that time! 

Sometimes I don't like working.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Sometimes I don't like working.

Me too!

 

[jacquicoley]

I also have an aggressive young rooster (probably about 5-6 months old), we got him a few months ago to protect our chickens who free range on a large property. We are trying to figure out what to do with him. He is aggressive only towards me (a female) but not towards any of the guys around. After 2 seriously aggressive attacks we read up on ways to end this... it was suggested that I try and show him who's boss and not back down to his attacks. I tried this to no avail... he would not stop charging me even when he seemed exhausted. I am not sure what to do because I am the primary caregiver of the chickens and this is beginning to cause issues with providing them care and it's scaring me and the hens. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are coming to our wits end with this.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If he's that aggressive with you at this point I wouldn't bother trying to change him. I would cull and try another one. Plenty of roosters need homes, but not everyone is good or the right one for you.

 

[dekel18042]

If he's that aggressive with you at this point I wouldn't bother trying to change him. I would cull and try another one. Plenty of roosters need homes, but not everyone is good or the right one for you.

YESYESYES! Many farm kids are raised around chickens which include roosters. My parents had poultry when I was a child so I've been around chickens the majority of my life.
There are too many really nice roosters who can get the jobs that need doing done and need homes (Some are even kid friendly) to ever tolerate giving space to an aggressive rooster.
IMHO once you've had a nice rooster you won't ever tolerate a bad one again, such a difference, and never worth a child being injured.
If the child and rooster can't be kept separate 100% of the time, he needs to go.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I also have an aggressive young rooster (probably about 5-6 months old), we got him a few months ago to protect our chickens who free range on a large property. We are trying to figure out what to do with him. He is aggressive only towards me (a female) but not towards any of the guys around. After 2 seriously aggressive attacks we read up on ways to end this... it was suggested that I try and show him who's boss and not back down to his attacks. I tried this to no avail... he would not stop charging me even when he seemed exhausted. I am not sure what to do because I am the primary caregiver of the chickens and this is beginning to cause issues with providing them care and it's scaring me and the hens. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are coming to our wits end with this.

Hi, welcome to BYC!

That cockerel MUST go to freezer camp immediately!!!

And to be honest, a rooster is not needed to protect your flock, even free ranging. Many layers will be happier without a cockerel to harass them. And the top hens in my flock are just as good as the boys and even woop them sometimes. They can call an alarm as easy as any rooster to. A good dog works better IMO, if you don't have any breeding plans. And if you do have breeding plans, don't breed that aggression forward....

The reason he is going after you first is he sees you as easier to take down than the guys. My suddenly pubescent cockerels always go after the more docile hens or more docile cockerels first and work their way up the pecking order. That is WAY too young for that kind of nasty attitude! In the chicken world, fear equals respect, that's why it isn't good to have a lap cockerel chick... they don't fear you as they grow up and therefor won't respect you or your space.

If I had to guess, he isn't that easy when trying to breed the girls either. Best to forget about it or try again with a different cockerel. If he is much younger than your girls, they will keep him in line and teach him some manners.

Best wishes!

 

[Beekissed]

I also have an aggressive young rooster (probably about 5-6 months old), we got him a few months ago to protect our chickens who free range on a large property. We are trying to figure out what to do with him. He is aggressive only towards me (a female) but not towards any of the guys around. After 2 seriously aggressive attacks we read up on ways to end this... it was suggested that I try and show him who's boss and not back down to his attacks. I tried this to no avail... he would not stop charging me even when he seemed exhausted. I am not sure what to do because I am the primary caregiver of the chickens and this is beginning to cause issues with providing them care and it's scaring me and the hens. Does anyone have any suggestions? We are coming to our wits end with this.

Think about the difference between the guys and you. They likely walk around that rooster like he doesn't matter, walk right through him probably and don't give him a second's thought. The rooster knows the difference between calm assertive nature and someone who is more timid, more submissive. Standing up to him as he attacks is not going to work, because you've let him take the initiative in the whole scenario...that leaves you on the defensive and makes you a lesser creature in his eyes. He knows you are no threat to him and he is going to press his advantage.

Stop and think a moment. Why are you scared of him? Afraid he will hurt you with his talons, obviously. Mostly they don't even do much with those when they attack a human, mostly it's a lot of wing flapping and movement, but if you are wearing pants, he can't do much damage at all. He's a 2 ft. tall animal, if he's lucky, and big. Can't really do much in the way of hurt right now as he hasn't even gotten his spurs.

Now that we've established he is small, you are large, he only has toenails and a beak, you have the advantage of height, the ability to use tools and you have higher thought processes...meaning you have all the advantages on your side, you just don't stop to think about them when you are being attacked. Why not think about them BEFORE you are attacked? This works...it really works if you work it.

Go on the offensive instead of defensive...use his own tactics against him. Get yourself a long and limber cane/switch and prepare where you will teach him his first lesson in what it means to be a woman on this Earth. We don't get back, we get even.

Take away the feed and feed by meals for a few days so that all chickens have to come to the feeding area at feeding time. Then take your cane and not let him in to the feed by tapping his head, his back, his tail....get him on the run away from you...in fact, use your body and the cane to get him running and keep him running. Don't worry about the hens...at first they'll freak out but soon they realize they are not the target and will go back to eating.

Then...let him to the feeder, let him relax for a few seconds. Then take your cane and give him a swift smack to the fluffy butt, hard enough to startle him and make him jump, then keep tapping him on the back and head as he runs away.

Take your time, enjoy the process. Trust me...this will be fun! This won't take much of your time, but it will be time well spent. Drive him completely out of the coop or away from the flock and don't let him back in.....face him at all times and advance, never back up. If he advances towards you, give him a thwack with your cane and keep walking towards him, make him RUN.

The object of the lesson is to teach him you are the predator in this situation, you have the power to control his movements because he is most obviously the prey and smaller..and weaker. The final goal is to have him looking over his shoulder at all times to see where you are and him moving away from you as you get near.

The next day...do it again! I'm betting you'll see quicker response times on his part, more alertness to when you walk into the coop or run...only he won't be moving towards you, but away.

After that, keep your cane leaning near the coop and tune him up a little every now and again, just for funsies. More important....don't be timid when you walk into that flock. You won't make them mad at you or fear you too much if you walk with confident, wide strides, walking through them and not around them. Walk towards him intentionally every day to make sure he retreats when you do so...that's the desired response. He should walk a wide berth around any humans because we rule the roost, not him. He's food.

If you follow this and follow through on your own behavior, I'm betting you'll have yourself a good bird there. He already recognizes authority, which is why he doesn't bother your menfolk...you just need to let him know you have your own authority and it's called woman.