Maybe try dropping the treats at his feet for him to call the girl’s instead of feeding from your hand. In my experience that makes you seem like competition for the girls and in Pingu’s mind they belong to him. When I quit hand feeding and did that it helped tremendously.
Our rooster has never been aggressive with my husband and I or his hens; he's only ever been aggressive with his son (so for now we've been giving them turns out and lock one for a bit and then the other; at least just until we make runs and coops for each one).
We had a nearly identical situation with a rooster we really liked named Black Strap. He was the #2 rooster. I think he started getting aggressive so he’d not become #3 in line. Bottom line for me is people safety. For the sake of my kids and my neighbors kids he had to go to the pot. We were a bit sad because he was beautiful and good with the hens. But I wanted to know my 3 year old and 18 month old are safe playing in the yard without needing my birds locked up.This is long, sorry, and I expect most of you will say to eat him but it's worth an ask.
Start of September 2020 we took on our rooster, Pingu. 3.5 months old, very good-natured with adults, children, cats and most importantly, the hens. He settled in really well and solved the issues we had with a very dominant hen causing havoc - since he arrived the flock has been very harmonious. We do not breed chickens and added another rooster to settle the flock, as it did, and also just to give one a home and because we enjoy keeping them.
From December through to April chickens here had to be confined indoors due to the bird flu epidemic. Over winter, Pingu once or twice half-heartedly went for one of my nieces. However, we gave him the benefit of the doubt as I think it was quite stressful for him, protecting his flock in an enclosed space. I worked with my niece on how to behave (ie. not backing away from him and being nervous, holding her ground whilst still being respectful of him and his role) and it stopped.
A little later he tried it with my Mum. She is their primary carer as the flock lives with my parents. She is 71 and quite sprightly for her age, but a little smaller than the rest of us (around 5'5") and not so bold. We were then able to take down the polytunnel and let them go outside again, a huge relief for all involved, and we thought this would solve the issue.
Fast forward to May and he will now try and attack my Mum everyday and has done for weeks. He will try it with me too. We have read various advice on the subject and worked really hard to stop it, but I'm at somewhat of a loss. He will never, ever try to attack men in our family and much of the time with me he is totally fine, then suddenly he will just change his mind and have a go - this is particularly noticeable if I have not been in there for a few days and I assume because he feels he gets the upper-hand with my Mum and then thinks he'll try it with me too. This morning my Mum went in and let them out, fed them, all fine and calm. She got to the orchard gate to come out and he jumped up behind her and attacked her legs.
So, what can we do, apart from cull him? I do think he deserves a chance... it is his first spring as a mature roo (and I heard a lot of roosters over here went a bit crazy lately) and he is really excellent with the hens and most people. However he is making my Mum afraid. My nieces actually emigrated so children don't go in there anymore, and I wouldn't allow it currently with his behaviour. When dealing with him we try to:
- be respectful of him and what he does, ie. not stomp about and intentionally get in his way, but to give an air of authority. We move at a sensible pace, don't make lots of noise and don't crowd him and the hens
- IF he approaches looking like he will attack then we stand tall, make ourselves look as big as possible. I generally then take a determined step towards him and stare him out and he will back off, but I am not sure my Mum is confident enough to do this
- we don't back away from him or let him think we are nervous
- we do not intentionally hit/kick or do anything to hurt him but we carry a stick and if he tries to attack, we hold this up so he is essentially just fighting the stick and we use it to push him away. He gives up and for the rest of your time in there will keep away, until you go in the next day and it starts over again!
He has 12 hens and loads of space. We culled our last rooster as he became aggressive with the hens (but was great with people!) and now we have the opposite problem and I feel pretty bad about the prospect of culling him... I am sure some of it is down to our management of him and so we'd like to work on that. Tonight my partner and I will take him off the perch at night and file his spurs blunt as a starting point.
Thanks very much for your thoughts.
I really don’t think you failed at all. Some Roos just are more dominant. I have three good roosters now. You can find one too but there is always that chance. I have found that every Wyandotte rooster I’ve ever had has been gentle. Maybe coincidence but the breed is known to be like that.
