Aggressive rooster

[Mycrazyfarm24]

So I have a flock of 22 hens and 1 rooster that were all raised together since this spring 2024. They have a big coop and enclosed run and 2 acres to roam about. Our rooster is usually fine with all the hens, he is good around our cats and dog but he has been aggressive to my kids and my husband and myself. It's not all the time so it hasn't been a huge concern yet. He has flogged my 2 youngest kids and has pecked me from behind. I read about what to do and read that you should always know where your rooster is and make contact to see if he is in protection mode when he sees you and walk slow and if he comes at you looking to do his dance and fight take one step toward him not run or fight and that he should back down but to carry a stick just incase and to build trust by offering food and treats also. So I told my kids this and to have them only go to the barn/ coop with one of us. Well things were good for about a month or 2 and my 2 oldest kids were taking care of everything with the chickens (letting them out in the morning, food and water, collecting eggs and taking scraps and treats out in the evening to put them away) and I would check on everything and refill water as necessary. Then yesterday my youngest and I went out to collect eggs and the rooster started running at my kid so I stepped up to him and he stopped. I gave treats out and then we collected eggs. Few minutes later I went out to refill water alone and I saw the rooster running as all the hens were running to me and I stopped and looked at him told him I saw him and was just getting them water and he stopped and walked with me but when I went to pick up the water he got down low and came at me so of course I kicked at him to protect myself and told him to stop and he came at me again so I kicked he dodged again and came at me again i kicked again and did hit him and I picked up a small stick and told him to stop again and pointed the stick at him and he finally stopped. I didn't want to kick but I was scared and didn't understand why he was still coming at me. Is he mad that we take the eggs? Is he overwhelmed with too many hens? I read that ideally there should be 6-8 hens per rooster does he have too many to protect?

 

[Ridgerunner]

The why doesn't matter. Some cockerels and roosters are great around people and some are a risk. Yours is attacking you and your kids. A chicken can cut a frog into bite-sized pieces with their beak. They can peck a hole through another chicken's skull to get to the brain, that is a common way they kill each other. He probably doesn't have much in the way of spurs yet but his claws are sharp enough to draw blood and make nasty cuts. Your kids' eyes are probably within range of his beak and claws. I remember a thread on here where a kid got some nasty scars on her face from a rooster attack.

I have yet to see any rooster as precious to me as my kids or grandkids and their health and wellbeing.

My strong suggestion is to immediately get rid of him. Eat him, kill him and use him for compost, offer him to a zoo or wildlife rescue so they can use him to feed their animals, sell or give him away with full disclosure that he is human aggressive. Ruthlessly protect your children. To me, keeping him is not worth the risk.

Is he mad that we take the eggs?

No

Is he overwhelmed with too many hens? I read that ideally there should be 6-8 hens per rooster does he have too many to protect?

No.

You can rationalize, postulate, and overthink this all you wish but he is a danger to your kids. What else do you really need to know?

If you decide you want a rooster I suggest you find one about a year old so he has matured. He should be easy to integrate with your flock of pullets. There is no guarantee that he will not be or become human aggressive but your odds are pretty good.

 

[Dominique King]

I would say yes. He has WAY too may hens. We had to use ‘the Remington retirement plan’ aka Put down, because he wasn’t be treated fairly. The hens were pecking his tail feathers out and continued to the point where he was bleeding. He attacked us. And impaled my youngest sister’s legs with his spurs. He was too skinny to keep for meat so the ‘the Remington retirement plan’ was the easiest thing for us to do.

 

[Dominique King]

And I agree with @Ridgerunner

 

[Dominique King]

I am sorry @Mycrazyfarm24

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Put your kids safety first and make chicken soup.

 

[Yardmom]

I currently have a dozen roos, but you should not keep your current cockeral. Our very first boy would attack people. We taught the kids to carry a rake for protection. It wasn't fun for the kids and they were not able to visit the chickens without being on edge. It was so much better after we got rid of that roo. Even if he doesn't hurt your children he is making it harder for your children to enjoy raising chickens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

After having been hurt by a rooster, my MO is, "strike one, you're out." There ARE good roosters and I have one right now. There is no reason to put up with an aggressive one, especially if kids are involved. They make good soup.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Could be teenage hormones, could be genetic aggressive personality. It might calm down or it might just get worse with time. Most people here are going to tell you to get rid of him, especially since you have kids.

I will say that you really need to consider why you have chickens in general, and why you want a rooster specifically, and consider carefully if keeping him is in line with your goals

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Could be teenage hormones, could be genetic aggressive personality. It might calm down or it might just get worse with time. Most people here are going to tell you to get rid of him, especially since you have kids.

I will say that you really need to consider why you have chickens in general, and why you want a rooster specifically, and consider carefully if keeping him is in line with your goals

That is definitely something to consider, do you really even need a rooster?