Aggressive Rooster

[Peeps61]

I can recall a young horse that was loose in a pasture with several other horses at a farm where folks would keep their horses to ride. The young horse became aggressive if you did not bring her something to eat when you were catching your horse. She kicked me one time
( I knocked her in the head with a chain on a halter lead in response to the kick and she never did it again) and I warned the owners that something needed to be done or the horse would really hurt someone. Nothing was done, and she finally kicked a friend of mine in the head. The friend laid out in the pasture for nearly an hour before coming to and screaming. The owners had the horse put down and paid her medical bills.

There are some (emphasis on some) animals that figure out they can hurt humans. When that happens, they need to go.

Another woman in our community was mauled by some pit bulls that had gotten loose and she lost her right arm just below the shoulder, and lost some of her mobility in her left arm. The dogs were put down, as were her two dogs that tried to protect her, but were so badly damaged, they couldn't be saved. She did nothing to provoke the dogs, but they attacked anyway.

Once again - are all pit bulls bad? No, of course not. But enough are that we need to be mindful when handling them. Roosters are the same.

 

[CrazyTalk]

Most are trainable and adaptable to an individually variable extent, but most are simply not as changeable as they need to be to each represent a good example of the power of the shaping influence of their environment on their nature. They really are mostly nature over nurture, in my experience. The 7-generation rule is a good rule of thumb, it generally does take about 7 generations to breed a trait in or out regardless of environmental influences. Some things happen quicker of course.

Some roosters are no more than human-habituated wild animals running on instinct, basically, especially the dumbest ones since in the absence of intelligence they revert to instinct as their master program; the domestic thoughts in their skulls are few and far between.

This whole post is fantastic - but I just wanted to chime in and re-affirm.


In the zoo industry, and in most places where wild animals (and livestock) are kept in close proximity to handlers/public/etc, one of the general rules is that you absolutely do not bottle/hand raise male animals that are going to be left intact. The excessive human contact basically removes any inhibition in these animals, and makes them very dangerous. An antelope that needs to be darted every time it needs a physical is a lot safer than one that comes to you - as that one will eventually kick someone, headbutt, or gore someone.

In many cases, especially with the more 'wild type' roosters, "loving on them" when they're chicks just makes them more dangerous.

 

[chooks4life]

Agree with that, plenty of people rely on that respect to stay safe so breaking it down by handling the birds is counterproductive to their needs. Due to their inherited mentality these birds aren't safe without such a control in place, and handling won't change that mentality, only bring it to the fore. Without selecting against it, it will just persist. It's something easy to treat in domestic animals but not in zoo animals.

We know breed traits including aggression are strongly heritable, after all we select for them knowing they will be quite reliably passed on. Even in the wild animals that are studied are noted as being of extremely aggressive or docile family lines regardless of species.

With my chooks, I've selected quite strictly for a very non-aggressive, trusting pet-type mentality for many years now, so I know what nature they have whether handled regularly or not, but even then every bird gets handled multiple times in its life and I'm always watchful as I'm always bringing in new blood (and with that comes new behavioral traits and mentalities). Plus, illness and other influences can assist once-safe animals in changing into unsafe ones.

What's best for you and your chooks depends so much on the underlying mentality you're dealing with. Are they not attacking you because they are genuinely non-aggressive, or because they are respectful of you as a potential opponent that is clearly bigger than they are? If it's the latter, handling would definitely be making things more dangerous, not less. If it's the former, no problems will come from handling them.

There's no golden rule for all chooks, because they're not all carbon copies with the same mindsets.

Best wishes.

 

[Fifi123]

I had two roosters that were just mean. I have a scar on my left foot due to a nasty peck from one of them. They also used to attack my son. So, I gave them away; that same day, they were on somebody's dinner plate. Sad, I know. But had to be done. I love my animals, but having to watch out for the nasty roosters was not going to be a habit I wanted to acquire. I have a one year old who attacks my dogs. He was born here and I raised him, but if he continues on with the attacks, I will have to get rid of him too. He is so beautiful; it'll be so sad.

 

[Gypsi]

when a rooster first shows signs of aggression I grab a pvc pipe or whatever is handy and chase him around the yard, I may not hit him but I make sure he is running from me. Then at night I grab him by the feet and move him to the rooster pen, which has a coop and a small run and water and he can be fed and isolated. I will have to do this with my current back yard roo as soon as the gate to that pen thaws, it is iced shut, as after a week in with the hens he decided he was king of the coop today. HE didn't get me, I threw the food jar at his head (it is plastic) but when he gets cocky I get tough. Overall he is good to his birds but one girl he didn't want to let out of the coop to eat. I made sure she did eat before I went in. If he hadn't let her he would have met the stew pot tonight. A rooster can be dangerous, I do NOT mess around

 

[PDPercherons]

From an owner that has addressed aggressive issues right from the beginning, it sometimes is simply best you do the humane thing. Mine is almost a year old. He's been properly reprimanded and quickly reprimanded every single time. I really like him, if I didn't I wouldn't have just let him spend three weeks living in my house while I treated his frostbite and not wanting him to get worse by returning to negative outdoor temps. The thing is it's my responsibility as the parent to a little one to make the choices best for him. Even as I talked with him tonight on my decisions my boy tried to tell me not to worry, he could handle Robin. It shouldn't have to be like that when chances were given for improvement and change. We worked at it summer/fall/early winter. He's a gorgeous bird but a aggressive rooster eats just as much as a nice rooster. He goes to freezer camp soon, although likely to pot pie sooner than that. A responsible decision that doesn't bring guilt but knowing he is properly being taken care of.

 

[jacilee]

I think I am going to have to cull my roo. He just will not let up on hubby or son. I hate to because he is doing his job - to keep strangers and danger away from his girls. Hubby and son are nervous around him and I know that doesn't help the situation, but I can't get them to be in charge with him and he won't stop testing them. It seems very wrong to me to kill him because my family won't do what they need to do and take charge from him. But if they won't take control I don't see a way around culling the roo. I don't want family injured but I feel terrible for punishing roo for being a roo.

 

[Free Feather]

I think I am going to have to cull my roo. He just will not let up on hubby or son. I hate to because he is doing his job - to keep strangers and danger away from his girls. Hubby and son are nervous around him and I know that doesn't help the situation, but I can't get them to be in charge with him and he won't stop testing them. It seems very wrong to me to kill him because my family won't do what they need to do and take charge from him. But if they won't take control I don't see a way around culling the roo. I don't want family injured but I feel terrible for punishing roo for being a roo.

Then why do you have to? If you think he is just being a boy, and he likely is, why do you need to? Is there any way you can keep your human males out of his space? Most would not kill a dog for nipping strangers in the name of protecting family, it seems. Not trying to aggravate, it just seems like you do not want to have to do it.

 

[jacilee]

I don't want to cull him honestly. I feel guilty because I don't want to when he is a risk to my family.

I go in and am in charge of wherever I am with the chickens - but; I never take my eye off of them, well the rooster because he is an animal and has a job to do. But if I need husband or son to deal with the birds they aren't able to do it safely. Sigh, Mr.Man (rooster) is a good boy, he (rarely) tries to see if he can attack me but I watch for any sign of aggression and immediately respond, my husband and son won't or can't seem to get the idea even when I explain and tell them what he is doing, while he is doing it.

I need help with the animals sometimes and I don't know what to do, If my son and husband aren't able to enter the pen safely then I feel like I need to eliminate the danger, but it isn't Mr.mans fault that they aren't doing their job (being in charge) while he is doing his. I run around in circles with it, and I watch my family when they go in with the birds and tell them what to do when Mr.man starts to show aggression but they just aren't getting it. What do I do? I have tried everything I can think of to get them to be more confident around him, The rooster knows they are insecure, but I can't fix hubby and sons fear. Do I protect my family or a chicken? It isn't family's fault if they are nervous around an animal they have never been around, but it isn't roosters fault he is doing his job. Round and round and round I go, sigh.

 

[Free Feather]

I don't want to cull him honestly. I feel guilty because I don't want to when he is a risk to my family.

I go in and am in charge of wherever I am with the chickens - but; I never take my eye off of them, well the rooster because he is an animal and has a job to do. But if I need husband or son to deal with the birds they aren't able to do it safely. Sigh, Mr.Man (rooster) is a good boy, he (rarely) tries to see if he can attack me but I watch for any sign of aggression and immediately respond, my husband and son won't or can't seem to get the idea even when I explain and tell them what he is doing, while he is doing it.

I need help with the animals sometimes and I don't know what to do, If my son and husband aren't able to enter the pen safely then I feel like I need to eliminate the danger, but it isn't Mr.mans fault that they aren't doing their job (being in charge) while he is doing his. I run around in circles with it, and I watch my family when they go in with the birds and tell them what to do when Mr.man starts to show aggression but they just aren't getting it. What do I do? I have tried everything I can think of to get them to be more confident around him, The rooster knows they are insecure, but I can't fix hubby and sons fear. Do I protect my family or a chicken? It isn't family's fault if they are nervous around an animal they have never been around, but it isn't roosters fault he is doing his job. Round and round and round I go, sigh.

What exactly in Mr. Man doing?