Aggressive rooster attacked my sister! What should I do?

[SourRoses]

No. He will respect me (and other humans) regardless of how I look or smell. Or he will die.

X 4!

The old trope that a bully of a rooster is only doing it because of what the victim is wearing is ludicrous.

My mom wears colorful patterns, I wear grey, black, and pink. None of ours have treated us differently based on that.
I wear boots, she wears colorful pull-ons. No difference.
She smokes cigarettes, I won't go anywhere near the smoke for my nose's sake. No difference.
I use tropical smelling soaps, she likes Lavender. No difference.

We act the same, treat the chickens the same, and get rid of the rude ones.

 

[FrostRanger]

I've been raising chickens my whole life, and I can back this. I totally agree that the "kick them and hurt them" cure is not right (or humane). My rooster is aggressive. But I think it always comes from somewhere. For him, he was a great roo until my grandpa kicked him. After that, he hated boots. He also hates red pants. And the last point you made, that is absolutely correct! Many folks just see that they are mean or attack and kill them. If you take the time to be with them, and know them, maybe it won't be as much as a problem.

Even if you figure out what triggers him and you can alter your behavior. It's a problem as soon as someone else shows up, especially if you free range. Maybe you know your rooster is bothered by denim, but the delivery person, city worker or random friend or acquaintance who decides to pay you a surprise visit won't. Sure, you could never let them freerange but escapes can happen. Maybe you thought you shut the gate behind you but got distracted by something urgent and forget. Accidents happen, but depending on what else is happening the accident can be fairly minor or quite serious and a potential lawsuit

 

[McChooky]

One year, you're still in chicken grade school.
I'm not being mean here but from
20+ years here, being able to read roos is learned ability that takes time.
Some here have tenure, I've atleast graduated chicken high. This is this toos third offense, and it drew blood. If this was a dog, it would without doubt be put down.

I can't agree more with this post.Any rooster that attacks people and has drawn blood should be locked up permanently or put down

 

[calychicken]

I can't agree more with this post.Any rooster that attacks people and drawn blood should be locked up permanently or put down

I guess I'm not doing a great job handling my aggressive rooster, because we haven't got rid of him yet

 

[calychicken]

Even if you figure out what triggers him and you can alter your behavior. It's a problem as soon as someone else shows up, especially if you free range. Maybe you know your rooster is bothered by denim, but the delivery person, city worker or random friend or acquaintance who decides to pay you a surprise visit won't. Sure, you could never let them freerange but escapes can happen. Maybe you thought you shut the gate behind you but got distracted by something urgent and forget. Accidents happen, but depending on what else is happening the accident can be fairly minor or quite serious and a potential lawsuit

Then OP can kill the rooster. What I said comes from my experience with aggression.

 

[2 chiks n a roo]

I agree. Can you tell me how to help my sister earn his respect?

it takes time and compassion.
Roosters are proud protectors and are designed to defend their brood so when Anyone or anything feels threatening they Will attack. It's no different from a parent standing up for their children or partner when they're threatened, or a dog defending it's family from an intruder. Anyone who thinks a rooster being aggressive should be destroyed or abused, is obviously someone who doesn't give a toss about the bird. And definitely doesn't have any respect for them.

Before getting your sister to go out to your roo, assess his space, what's there as a barrier, not for any reason other than for him and yourselves to grow to understand each other. All animals need boundaries, and if there are none of any kind, it allows them to be boss, that forces you as the carer to respect His space but he doesn't have to respect you as the intruder. Create a boundary, whether it be a fence, a harness with tether (these are great when grass is sparse or they fly over fences) let him learn you're no threat by getting down to his level. I've learnt that eye contact is extremely important to a rooster, they Look at you. When they're relaxed and comfortable, you can see it in their eyes, posture and the way they breathe. He'll gently spread his wings airing himself without feeling threatened. When they stand tall and do it, it's a warning.
Take note of the clothes you wear around him, if he starts looking agitated, he doesn't like it, as I said in my reply to you, I wear the same clothes around Rhodey All the time, he doesn't mind some changes but bootcut jeans, it's a hell no!
The first time I had no sleeves around him, he flipped his lid thinking he was being threatened until I picked him up and gently rubbed his comb, they like that by the way. And under their wattles.
Once you're completely aware of how you act, communicate and what you wear around your rooster/s teach your sister to mimic you. Learn your Roo's an the girls chatter, mimic the sounds and say them back. It will take a bit of time, but when you both understand your Roo's, they'll respect both of you.
They are 'one person ' birds tho, so it may not change, but as I said, respect is earned, so you'll have to earn his trust first.. the respect will follow and once you've got it, it'll stay for life

 

[2 chiks n a roo]

I've been raising chickens my whole life, and I can back this. I totally agree that the "kick them and hurt them" cure is not right (or humane). My rooster is aggressive. But I think it always comes from somewhere. For him, he was a great roo until my grandpa kicked him. After that, he hated boots. He also hates red pants. And the last point you made, that is absolutely correct! Many folks just see that they are mean or attack and kill them. If you take the time to be with them, and know them, maybe it won't be as much as a problem.

My boy has only been aggressive a handful of times, I've made the mistake of not getting changed when I get home and gone straight out 3 times, of course I realised really fast what I did wrong the first time, I told him off like suggested, but that's not me so I studied him. I never tell him off anymore for attacking me when its my mistake.
He will never accept anyone else in with him, other than putting food in for him, but that's done behind a barrier.
As for a comment made by Florida man about people going on to my property through the gate.. hahaha.. I dare them to be that dumb!!! ANYONE who opens my gates gets kicked out by Me.
Mine are semi-free-range but have their run, the gate has never nor will ever be left open, I'm not that stupid. My yard is for the dogs, not the chickens except when neither can mix freely.
Plus, I don't want chicken shit in my car or house. I've got enough work to do without that

What breed is your roo @calychicken ?
Rhodey is a Rhode island red shaver cross... A friend has RIRs and said the roosters are quite vicious. She's the only one they let near them.

This afternoon Rhodey showed me he has a sore foot, he's twisted his outer toe and is obviously in pain so I picked him up, held his toe and put pain spray on it. He just watched what I was doing. As you know, they understand kindness, compassion and love.

 

[2 chiks n a roo]

Thats how I feel too. But I can't have a roo that attacks my sisters and he is the only roo from a different gene pool for breeding.

Try seperating him, he may change when he's not fighting to be boss. Like people, some animals just don't like crowds

 

[Callender Girl]

I have a beautiful and seriously aggressive Blue Cochin Bantam rooster. Years of trying to befriend him have failed.

My solution was to move Billy into a smaller coop and run with two full-sized hens who had recently lost their full-sized rooster. They hold their own with him, and he is no longer free to take out his aggression on me.

He tidbits for them and his romantic dancing likely amuses them, since he's much less rooster than his nice predecessor.

I rehomed a previous aggressive rooster who now lives with a veterinarian in her rooster flock.

Killing roosters has never been an option for me. And, after spending countless dollars on poultry at the vet's office, I no longer eat chicken. I know I'm in the minority, but my choices work for me.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Anyone who thinks a rooster being aggressive should be destroyed or abused, is obviously someone who doesn't give a toss about the bird. And definitely doesn't have any respect for them.

That's not true. I care very deeply for my birds, but as someone who was attacked as a child multiple times by an aggressive rooster, I will not tolerate agressive males. I am not a chicken, I am the Provider of Feed and Shelter. I am not a part of his flock, and the birds either learn to respect my presence or they do not stay in the gene pool. After a few years of removing aggressive birds, I now have an extremely small amount of aggressive temperaments, including through puberty, even with the males.

A bird that is focused on going after you is not looking for real threats during that time.

There are so many good tempered males that are looking for a new home, there is no reason to tolerate one that you have to bend over backwards for. When you make it so limited in what you have to do in order to not be attacked, you also limit what can be done if you cannot care for your birds for some reason. As an owner, you are responsible if your animal goes after someone on your property. What if you end up in the hospital or some other long stay and need someone to suddenly stop by to feed and water?