aggressive at 6 weeks

[HeatherKellyB]

I am definitely following this. I've got a 4 week old bully cockerel. I've wondered if he has a mental issue. He is nasty to the 5 girls with him, which is different than attacking people. I can just see this bully doing this with time. When I pick him up, he screams but it's not like a scared scream, he is angry (not that I speak chicken or anything. I've heard his scared scream and that's not it. He sounds really angry). He's really stressing the others so I put him and one of my 8 week old Cockerels (that is sweetheart but going to a new home with his flock ates, 2 other cockerels, this weekend) and this little 4 week old bully wouldn't back down and started going at the face of a cockerel twice his size, not once or twice, but many times. The Barred Rock 8 weeker, would peck his tail feathers and the 4 weeker did his growling like sound and then started screaming. He did go right back for more every single time though. I don't plan on keeping a cockerel/rooster, but I am trying to give him time to get his mind right before I decide what to do. I've said this before but it's like the girls are walking around on eggshells all the time and the stress it's putting on them is uncalled for. Best of luck to you. I'm grateful for your post as it's helping me learn how to deal with this

 

[esavvymom]

I am with those who vote to cull it now. We have three roosters, and wish we had done that with at least one of them. He is a sneak-attacker. Now I’m wondering if it’s because we hatched him and he was in the house for his first month (we use an old aquarium).

We literally carry a weapon of some sort....a garden tool or something...usually a hockey stick. And we never turn our back on him, or we work with a partner...one has our backwhile the other works. We haven’t actually killed him yet (although I don’t understand how...in some attacks on us, he has gotten a few good whacks. His time is coming Though!! We just have never done it yet...so it will be a learning experience.

 

[Spiritsmeadow]

I have a 6 week old chick that is aggressive. He (I think) attacked me twice the other day. I pick him up and snuggled him. He kept Pecking me. He was mad.
Today my son went to pick up another chick and the little roo attack him. The little roo is bigger than his hatch mates. He is double or more their size. I can't keep roosters. Do we just cull him? Will anyone want a mean tiny rooster? Thanks..

Post a notice at the feed store is my best idea, unless you know someone who wants a rooster. Mine is 24 inches tall, white Orpington, and as lovely and sweet as they come. Good Luck!

 

[Folly's place]

Again, life is too short to have such obnoxious jerks in your flock! They cause great stress for the other birds, and should never consider attacking any human. If you can't eat him yourself, someone else will be happy to take care of him.
My first rooster was like esavvymom's, and never again!
Mary

 

[Brigitt]

My experience with roosters has been that the more they get handled, the more likely they are to get aggressive, some breeds more than others.

Seems the same to me. I've also made the experience that aggressive roosters can turn nice and peaceful roosters into aggressive ones and they won't change back even if the aggressor isn't alive anymore; so beware...

 

[LadyGunnar]

Again, life is too short to have such obnoxious jerks in your flock! They cause great stress for the other birds, and should never consider attacking any human. If you can't eat him yourself, someone else will be happy to take care of him.
My first rooster was like esavvymom's, and never again!
Mary

Problem is that he is still very little. I don't want to put the time and money in to him for someone else to eat him. He is a jerk and I struggled to find homes for nice better breed roos.
I don't think anyone would want him.

 

[Miks]

I have 3 1-yr old BSL and in March bought three EEs and a Welsummer. All were supposed to be pullets. The Welsummer turned out to be a Roo and suddenly became aggressive towards the BSLs and started getting very bossy with the EE pullets.

Off to the feed store he went! It wasn’t worth it to keep an evil bird in the coop with the others with a sweet disposition.

I had an evil bird last year that wreaked havoc amongst the flock for months! A very skilled friend took her thinking she could change her behavior since she was so experienced at doing so. That was not the case! Off to the feed store she went.

With the first instance I felt horrible. But when we realized we had an evil Roo, I thought back to all the havoc the evil hen raised and how stressed she made everyone else. No guilt this time! I packed up the Roo and promptly dropped him off!

My thought would be your son’s relationship with the other chcickens shouldn’t be at the mercy of an evil Roo. Just my two cents.

 

[Avian Allie]

Before any chicken comes into my yard we give a speech(you get happy life here unless you fight with me or anyone else, then the neighbors stewpot for you) it works quite well and we’ve only ever sent one over. That being said, if he didn’t listen to your speech you can put him in a separate cage, still seeing the flock and fatten him up. You can try to ftgh him. There’s also a lot of flock swaps you might be able to find. Good luck with your li’l monster.

 

[Miks]

I am definitely following this. I've got a 4 week old bully cockerel. I've wondered if he has a mental issue. He is nasty to the 5 girls with him, which is different than attacking people. I can just see this bully doing this with time. When I pick him up, he screams but it's not like a scared scream, he is angry (not that I speak chicken or anything. I've heard his scared scream and that's not it. He sounds really angry). He's really stressing the others so I put him and one of my 8 week old Cockerels (that is sweetheart but going to a new home with his flock ates, 2 other cockerels, this weekend) and this little 4 week old bully wouldn't back down and started going at the face of a cockerel twice his size, not once or twice, but many times. The Barred Rock 8 weeker, would peck his tail feathers and the 4 weeker did his growling like sound and then started screaming. He did go right back for more every single time though. I don't plan on keeping a cockerel/rooster, but I am trying to give him time to get his mind right before I decide what to do. I've said this before but it's like the girls are walking around on eggshells all the time and the stress it's putting on them is uncalled for. Best of luck to you. I'm grateful for your post as it's helping me learn how to deal with this

Our girls were walking around on eggshells with the evil hen for months. They seemed so stressed out until I took her to my friends home for a little chicken whispering (which didn’t work). By the time I returned the three that remained seemed so grateful and relieved. They say there is a pecking order and I definitely see that. I am dealing with it now adding 3 EEs to my 3 BSLs. But once that evil hen that stressed everyone else out was removed, everyone seemed to get along splendidly and have been grateful for their harmony ever since. I’m guessing that experience helped me realize I shouldn’t over invest time and stress out the flock with an evil Roo or hen.

 

[VJK]

I am definitely following this. I've got a 4 week old bully cockerel. I've wondered if he has a mental issue. He is nasty to the 5 girls with him, which is different than attacking people. I can just see this bully doing this with time. When I pick him up, he screams but it's not like a scared scream, he is angry (not that I speak chicken or anything. I've heard his scared scream and that's not it. He sounds really angry). He's really stressing the others so I put him and one of my 8 week old Cockerels (that is sweetheart but going to a new home with his flock ates, 2 other cockerels, this weekend) and this little 4 week old bully wouldn't back down and started going at the face of a cockerel twice his size, not once or twice, but many times. The Barred Rock 8 weeker, would peck his tail feathers and the 4 weeker did his growling like sound and then started screaming. He did go right back for more every single time though. I don't plan on keeping a cockerel/rooster, but I am trying to give him time to get his mind right before I decide what to do. I've said this before but it's like the girls are walking around on eggshells all the time and the stress it's putting on them is uncalled for. Best of luck to you. I'm grateful for your post as it's helping me learn how to deal with this

I'm new at this and we ended up with 2 cockerels out of the 4 new chicks we got this spring to add to our small flock. I don't want roosters in with the hens but I also am a softy and just can't kill an animal. When the smaller cockerel of the two started attacking the other, I separated them from the hens to see if that would help minimize the competition. I've since learned from someone at Rooster Haus Rescue that completely separating them from the hens (out of sight) will help the roosters eventually settle down and form their own flock. Hoping this is true being I am in the process of building a new coop and run! I also read a great article on here about rooster behavior which helped me understand them better. Some just seem to be better at being a rooster and others need to learn some manners- which I've heard will be taught by hens if they want a flock of their own. Your little guy sounds tough! I heard that pecking at their head (like a hen would discipline a chick) when they act up might help. Also picking at the back of the neck- though he may think you are challenging him? Good luck. One of mine attacks me regularly but not too aggressively and backs down when he sees I am not intimidated. And screams like yours does! He's about 17 weeks and his hormones kicked in about 6 weeks ago. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/