Aggressive Rooster

[Patchofheaven]

I'm trying really really hard to be strong and forceful with this rooster, I just don't want to hurt him. I tend to stay on guard at all times and I know they can feel my fear. My husband or 15 yr old son walks out there and the mean roo becomes the biggest coward.
I have not been running away from him, but I'm also not letting him get close to me. My husband thinks I'm so funny about this because I'm not scared of much, but this roo has me spooked. DH wants to keep this roo because he is very protective and we need a rooster like that to help keep future predators away from our flock.
I'm so much bigger than he is, but he really scares me and he doesn't back down from my threats and warnings. I have quit wearing the rubber boots, he hasn't come at me as much as before. What can I use (that won't hurt him) to knock him away when he gets cocky?

 

[countrygirl4513]

I will say this... once those spurs come in I won't be turning my back on my roo. He's already got it in for me and I have to pick him up and make him submit to me. But at this point he is still testing me. How old is yours, Patchofheaven? Has he got spurs yet?

 

[Chirpy]

I'm going through the same issues with my almost four month old Roo. I have control (the article mentioned earlier was great and I have done everything it suggested from day one - I had actually read it before he became aggressive just in case so I could be on top of things immediately) and he sees me as top Roo but will still give me that look so I know he may challenge me again.

However, my really big concern is for my children. I have given them all 'lessons' on how to behave with him but they are so small that he doesn't see them as a threat to him at all. So, they cannot go into the run without one of my teenage sons or myself or hubby now. That's a real bummer because my six and seven year old daughters love the hens and were spending hours out there with them until last week when Mr. Roo starting attacking.

He is my six year old daughters chicken and she knew that he may have to leave someday and would cry for me not to get rid of him. After he attacked her and left a red mark on her thigh ... she came to me and said "let's sell him!"

I really was hoping for a hen to go broody and have chicks but I can't keep an aggressive roo with children so I'm trying to decide how long to give him before getting rid of him.

Has anyone had an aggressive roo with children that calmed down and became 'safe' again?

 

[rooster-red]

I have a 1 1/2 year old white leghorn that terrorized my nieces and nephews, they called him "the evil chicken" even drew blood on my sister-in-law and my brother.

I started grabbing him up and making him submit everytime I came in contact with him for a few weeks and he's never acted that way since.

He will bluff you by running up to you with his wings spread and making noise, but he stops about a foot from you, no pecking or flying at you.

I give him a reminder every week just to make sure he knows who is at the top of the pecking order and he's no longer a problem.

 

[rufus]

I am sorry, but when a rooster would come at me and start doing his little dance, I would kick the bejeezus out of him. Then I would chase him around a while. We used to have a nice assortment of sticks outside the chicken yard gates to give them a couple of whacks. Keep them in their place, and if they proved to be a nuisance, there is always the nice possibility of Sunday dinner. Life is too short to be taking crap from a chicken.

Rufus

 

[silkiechicken]

5 roos and 4 hens.... I think you have 4 roos too many which might be aggravating his temperament. Personally I would keep the nicest roo because just because he is violent to you doesn't mean he will go out and attack the next potential predator. Once you only have one roo, he will take top position over the hens and become protective over them. Good luck.

 

[inovermyhead]

I'm sitting here laughing after reading everyone's posts. I've had a RIR roo for the last 3 1/2 years. We got him when he was about 6 months old and he was just as sweet. He hung out on the back deck with our labs during the day and would come in the house and hang out with me when I got home. Then he would go to the garage at dark to roost. About 5 months after we got him, we decided he needed a couple of girlfriends. Talk about a change!!! Wasn't long after that he became aggressive. For the longest time, I wouldn't go in my backyard unless my husband was with me. My roo would stand at the sliding glass door just wanting a piece of me. We've since built a coop & pen, but I still won't go in the pen when he's in there, and when I walk around the outside of it, he runs into the fencing around the pen trying to get at me. The idea of me "suiting up" and trying to catch my roo, Charlie, and hold him upside down is too funny. Wait til I tell my husband!! I have to admit I gave in to him a long time ago and my roo knows he's boss of me. To any and every one who has the nerve to show your rooster who's boss, I admire you!! I'm just too chicken.

 

[menkot]

We are having the same problem. I have solved it here though. My teenage rooster is really feeling his pats. He started with me. He thought he would try to be ugly with me but he learned I am way bigger and meaner than he is. Unfortunately for him he decided since he could not get me he would try for my 2 year old son.

I did not want a rooster to start with. My granny started us with chickens (kids for Easter). She thought she got all silver-laced wyandottes pullets but the kid at the feed store was confused. We ended up with one mottled houdan roo. He is going in the pot one day this week. I want my kids to love to go get the eggs and enjoy the chickens like I did when I was a kid. I don't want them to be afraid. My two year old, fortunately, does not know the rooster went for him. He was facing me when he tried to get him. My foot hit the rooster before the rooster hit him. I acted like I chased him off for another reason so the 6 year old did not know either.

Now I just have to get the plucking nerve up. I think my hens will be happier too. He is tormenting them horribly. He is even going after my too young barred rock pullets. Poor girls are tired of him too I think.

 

[chickenwrangler]

I'm new so I hope you mind me jumping in on the topic. Of the different breeds I've had, the barred rocks have always been aggressive and the others have just run away from me. Right now I've got a 4 month old barred rock that keeps getting kicked in the head and hit with a stick cuz he keeps playing the game of "who's the boss". I'll have to try the trick of carrying him around by his legs. I don't want to shoot him or "dispatch him" cuz I'd like to start hatching chicks instead of buying them but right now the wife and kids won't even go into the pen. I've tried negotiating with him but that didn't work.