Aggressive cockerel.

[Johnn]

Ok, I need some help. My cockerel earlier on in the year started showing signs of aggression, then a week later he went for me and I knocked him back and showed him who is boss. Since then he never properly attacked me, he just ran behind me to get me and as soon as I turned to face him he would stop. Last Thursday my old cockerel died (of natural causes) and since then he has got worse, I was walking down the field and I forgot to look at him to stop him getting at me and he flew and hit the back of my legs, anger got the best of me and I went crazy, I hate him for making me so mad. Anyways, after I fought back, he ran away and sat down. I started to feel bad thinking maybes I took it too far, so I went and put the feed in the feeders (I planned to go see him after I got the hens out the way) and as soon as I turned my back, who was back for round two? him. Then yesterday, he went for me 5 times. Once when I was walking down the field, I couldn't be bothered to chase him so I just threw a bag of straw at him, once when I was walking to the feed shed, once when I was putting the food out, and once when I was walking around the field. The other one is the worse one, I was picking up the chicks feed because the hen&chicks were full and him and my other hens went to eat it, so I chased them off and bent over to pick the food bowl up, I looked up and saw him coming and he flapped for my face but luckily I saw him in time. I wanted to pick him up and try carrying him around but I cant catch him and I don't want to chase him full belt because if he turns around to fight and my face is near the floor, he has a open opportunity. Any suggestions? I am too soft so I cant cull him myself but I have a friend who will. So is there anything else I can do? He is my very first chick so I would like to be able to say I have done everything and its no ones fault but his own.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

You didn't do anything, wrong, and you acted properly when he challenged you. You've already done what you can. You're going to have to cull this one--he's just not going to get better. Sorry.

 

[chooks4life]

You've done what you can, you raised him without fear or violence, he's just not a good one. Imagine if you were right now in hospital, blinded or mutilated for life. Even with claws and beak alone, never mind spurs, he could have already done that to you if he'd got lucky when he attacked your face. If you keep him, sooner or later you or someone else will regret it.

 

[Percheron chick]

The old roo had been keeping him in line. Now that he's gone, he will continue to get worse. Time for him to get a new zip code.

 

[Johnn]

I was thinking of locking him away for about a month and in that time introduce a mature cockerel to keep him in line, would it be work?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I was thinking of locking him away for about a month and in that time introduce a mature cockerel to keep him in line, would it be work?

He's already shown human aggression. No, this won't work. In fact, now that he's had a taste of being Alpha, he might be even more aggressive if you introduce a new rooster. Again, sorry.

 

[chooks4life]

Quote:
In my experience if you introduce a more dominant cockerel he will then need to reinforce his dominance over every subordinate he can --- that's you. His desperation to protect his social standing will intensify and set strongly any negative violent tendencies he has. When I first encountered a violent bird whom I knew had been raised properly and non-violently, I too was tempted to see if there was any way to correct the behaviour. There's other threads on the forums about other people's attempts but those who temporarily come close to some kind of violently reinforced respect still have a nasty roo on their hands who attacks when they aren't armed, or stuff like that....

There's too many wonderful, beautiful, all-round-awesome roosters out there for him to be worth keeping once he's shown himself willing to attack a human. He's not protecting the flock, he's not defending himself, he's getting into the idea of sport-fighting. There's no call to do violence and he does. That mentality if bred on will give you vicious sons and daughters who will cost you in time, effort and pointless loss of life and facility. What use is a rooster if you can't breed him nor trust him as a pet? Food! He's yours, you can try to do what's basically proven impossible for others, but the consensus is to cull, every time, because most of us I think have tried to find other ways, and all had to give up on the vicious b@st@rd. That's what I named the first rooster we ever got who was violent, lol. Leghorn, not of my breeding...

 

[Christabelle]

I've never been able to reform a mean roo- they just get sneaky about attacking you. If you tie a piece of bailing twine around his foot and let it drag it is way easier to catch them after they "attack" If you want to try it though. I culled my mean one when he attacked my kids. Now I give them one challenge (I figure a chicken gotta try, right?) if they do it twice they are dinner.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

In my experience if you introduce a more dominant cockerel he will then need to reinforce his dominance over every subordinate he can --- that's you. His desperation to protect his social standing will intensify and set strongly any negative violent tendencies he has. When I first encountered a violent bird whom I knew had been raised properly and non-violently, I too was tempted to see if there was any way to correct the behaviour. There's other threads on the forums about other people's attempts but those who temporarily come close to some kind of violently reinforced respect still have a nasty roo on their hands who attacks when they aren't armed, or stuff like that....

There's too many wonderful, beautiful, all-round-awesome roosters out there for him to be worth keeping once he's shown himself willing to attack a human. He's not protecting the flock, he's not defending himself, he's getting into the idea of sport-fighting. There's no call to do violence and he does. That mentality if bred on will give you vicious sons and daughters who will cost you in time, effort and pointless loss of life and facility. What use is a rooster if you can't breed him nor trust him as a pet? Food! He's yours, you can try to do what's basically proven impossible for others, but the consensus is to cull, every time, because most of us I think have tried to find other ways, and all had to give up on the vicious b@st@rd. That's what I named the first rooster we ever got who was violent, lol. Leghorn, not of my breeding...

X2.

I agree with chooks4life on all of this. Think of it this way--there are thousands of non-aggressive cockerels culled every single day, simply because there are not enough homes for all of them. Heck, I just culled five baby cockerels yesterday. I put them on Craigslist, gave them their chance--but at some point I can't keep every cockerel I hatch and these were culled. Yes, you might have to give up on this one. But in doing so, save a life! Look on Craigslist, ask around, and I'm sure you can find a wonderful bird for your flock--and you wont' have to watch your back.

 

[Johnn]

I do just want to get rid of him, I would rather give a home to a nice cockerel but I have all my family on my back saying how cruel it is and that if anything he should only be rehomed and I said "no, he doesn't deserve a home when nicer cockerels are in need for them". They are really starting to annoy me. And I wanted to use my own eggs to hatch out but because he is a pr*ck, I cant.