Aggressive rooster

[Sierra67]

I have 3 hens and one rooster, got them almost a year ago, just before they started laying. Suddenly my rooster has become aggressive towards people. My husband, the guy that lives with us, and our children but never me. (I have watched him do it) a couple days ago he actually ran up behind my 7yr old son and spurred him in the leg which he’s never done before this behaviour has only been just starting he used to just run away from us whenever we were around. He’s not aggressive towards the hens, cats or ducks that we have only the people. We separated him from the rest of the birds for 2 days and tried snuggling with him ever since we got him but nothings working. Is there anything else we can do or should he be rehomed

 

[Sierra67]

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Chop House.

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

I don't expect a chicken to act like a human, but I DO expect it to know its place in the flock. It is no kindness to allow an aggressor to live and continue abusing the innocent (or yourself) for reasons of emotion. Nor do I think it appropriate to "rehome" a rooster to someone unaware of his aggressive behaviors. As an NPIP certified breeder, I take flock security very seriously - poultry leaves my property, it doesn't re-enter.

Aggressive Roosters become meals for myself and my family.

I take no joy in it, but neither do I shirk from the duty. The bird has chosen its place in the culling line by its behaviors, I merely give motive force to its election.

You can try to rehabilitate - no doubt others will come along and offer emotional or moral pleas for not culling, and various means for retraining a Roo. Maybe it works. Usually not. Recommend you not delay sentence too long, that someone doesn't suffer significant [further] injury from the delay.

Full disclosure. Both myself, and my wife ,have been flogged by an agressive Roo. Those spurs have been in very dirty places. The tend to penetrate, quite deeply, into soft tissue areas - around the ankle, under the knee - bleed profusely, and are prone to infection. I gave my Roo one "freebie" while defending his girls while I handled them roughly for a mass wieghing. When he attacked my wife while she fed the flock, I culled him THAT DAY. Even though he was my only breeding age Roo, and it set my project back a month or more. Simple risk management. My wife's and my health are worth a lot more than he is.

[Same advice I have offered many times - its a cut and paste at this point]

 

[Sierra67]

Chop House.

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

I don't expect a chicken to act like a human, but I DO expect it to know its place in the flock. It is no kindness to allow an aggressor to live and continue abusing the innocent (or yourself) for reasons of emotion. Nor do I think it appropriate to "rehome" a rooster to someone unaware of his aggressive behaviors. As an NPIP certified breeder, I take flock security very seriously - poultry leaves my property, it doesn't re-enter.

Aggressive Roosters become meals for myself and my family.

I take no joy in it, but neither do I shirk from the duty. The bird has chosen its place in the culling line by its behaviors, I merely give motive force to its election.

You can try to rehabilitate - no doubt others will come along and offer emotional or moral pleas for not culling, and various means for retraining a Roo. Maybe it works. Usually not. Recommend you not delay sentence too long, that someone doesn't suffer significant [further] injury from the delay.

Full disclosure. Both myself, and my wife ,have been flogged by an agressive Roo. Those spurs have been in very dirty places. The tend to penetrate, quite deeply, into soft tissue areas - around the ankle, under the knee - bleed profusely, and are prone to infection. I gave my Roo one "freebie" while defending his girls while I handled them roughly for a mass wieghing. When he attacked my wife while she fed the flock, I culled him THAT DAY. Even though he was my only breeding age Roo, and it set my project back a month or more. Simple risk management. My wife's and my health are worth a lot more than he is.

[Same advice I have offered many times - its a cut and paste at this point]

I don’t eat meat, we have the birds for eggs and flock protector. He’s not aggressive to the flock just the people. And by “rehome” I mean to a friend of ours who will eat him, did the same to a bunch of male ducks we had. I was hoping there was a way to stop his aggression as he never had it

 

[Halfpasthen]

You will never forgive yourself if he causes serious injury to your child. If it were adults and they were willing to try retraining that's one thing.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don’t eat meat, we have the birds for eggs and flock protector. He’s not aggressive to the flock just the people. And by “rehome” I mean to a friend of ours who will eat him, did the same to a bunch of male ducks we had. I was hoping there was a way to stop his aggression as he never had it

I would give the friend a call. The cost of a significant injury to a human, in my math, far outweighs the minimal value of a rehabilitated rooster, even before calculating the very very low success rates of most attempted rehabilitations. The risk/reward ratio isn't worth the bet to me.

 

[Sierra67]

You will never forgive yourself if he causes serious injury to your child. If it were adults and they were willing to try retraining that's one thing.

I agree. Difference is the kids are only here on weekends and aren’t usually outside anyways

 

[Mrs. K]

Nearly in all of these cases, the level of aggression continues to rise. He more than likely will begin to attack you. It really is not worth it.

Mrs K

 

[Brooks_]

I was hoping there was a way to stop his aggression as he never had it

I've read of about two successful rehabs. Countless that failed. I would recommend not wasting the time trying. Just let the friend have a chicken dinner.

 

[McChooky]

After catching and holding my rooster down on the ground 4-5 times he's finally stopped trying to attack me .I was ready to put him in the soup pot but roosters are scarce here(took me 8 months to find one) I make my rooster leave the extension when I walk in .He stays in the run until all my chores are done before I let him back out. Unless you want to go thru what I do get rid of him.