Aggressive Rooster

[Reurra]

I had a roo that was getting aggressive with my girls. One day i went out and he growled at me and dropped his wing, so I grabbed hold of him and made him sit down with his head along the ground. Every time he brought his head up, I would tap him on the back of the head, like a dominant roo would a subordinate one. I would hold him like that for about 10-15 minutes, often time i would just stand over him and pet him, but he was not allowed to get up or lift his head.

He became really tame and I could carry him around easily, but even then i would never let him raise his head above his shoulders while I held him in my arms. He was still rough with the girls though so i sent him away, but with me, he knew better.

I read about dominance here on BYC, I cant remember who wrote the article, but it was a great one about how to handle aggressive roos without resorting to freezer camp. Another thing mentioned was to never let them mount the ladies while you are present. Every time this roo would get too frisky, i would grab hold of him and lay him out on the ground, chest down and make him wait until I gave him permission to get up. Or I would set him on the roost and make him crouch down, again with his head below his shoulders.

I had a horse trainer talk to me about my horse when she was getting saddle trained. She said that once an animal gets the idea it can get away with something, it will consistantly try to repeat the behavior to get the desired result. If your roo is doing this, dont turn your back, dont flinch or run, but face him head on and walk toward him chest out and look as big as you can until he backs down and runs. If he is chasing your daughter, dont hurt him or he will get resentful and could associate you with pain and anger. Instead, get him to see you as a firm, dominant presence without hurting him. Just make it known you will not be bullied by a 5lb ball of pin feathers.

 

[DTchickens]

OK, so we've had another "attack" incident (thankfully to me, not the boys), and I have NO hesitation that Rooster Joe must go. He will be processed this evening. If you don't mind one more question, WalkingOnSunshine? (Or anyone else! -- With your input about the hens and their fighting, do I need to worry/watch for similar aggressive behavior toward us from the hens, or are they only nasty and mean to each other? I have for sure been humbled by this rooster, so I'm not exactly carrying myself with confidence as my hubby has pointed out. So once the rooster is gone, if the girls see me hesitant or skittish, will they be aggressive toward me? Just wondering if I need to keep my guard up. Thanks for the help!! Oh, and one more thing, anyone have suggestions for a breed that is known to be docile? We're in the market for a new rooster. ; ) Thanks!!

Hens are rarely ever mean except when broody or they have chicks, even then a lot won't be though some can be. I only recall two birds that were and even they would not run after you, only bite (for the most part) when you mess with them. On roosters: That all depends upon the individual bird, rather than breed. I cannot think of any breed of fowl that has been bred to be predominately aggressive towards people, so therefore most breeds are gentle even if the individual you had was aggressive. Rhode Island Reds are commonly discussed as being evil roosters, but I have two right now that I can pick up and hold without them biting me or anything and I have even had another rooster do the same. Silkies are commonly known for being non-aggressive, but I have even seen some of those roosters attack people. It varies from individual to individual, you just have to look at the birds before buying or buy enough from a hatchery to pick from.

God bless,
Daniel.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

OK, so we've had another "attack" incident (thankfully to me, not the boys), and I have NO hesitation that Rooster Joe must go. He will be processed this evening. If you don't mind one more question, WalkingOnSunshine? (Or anyone else! -- With your input about the hens and their fighting, do I need to worry/watch for similar aggressive behavior toward us from the hens, or are they only nasty and mean to each other? I have for sure been humbled by this rooster, so I'm not exactly carrying myself with confidence as my hubby has pointed out. So once the rooster is gone, if the girls see me hesitant or skittish, will they be aggressive toward me? Just wondering if I need to keep my guard up. Thanks for the help!! Oh, and one more thing, anyone have suggestions for a breed that is known to be docile? We're in the market for a new rooster. ; ) Thanks!!

Oh, I don't think the hens will be aggressive towards you at all. What I meant was that hens sometimes fight each other when there's no rooster around to stop squabbles. If that happens, I'm a huge proponent of pinless peepers. They go on and come off easily and don't hurt the bird, but do keep them from picking on each other.

As far as rooster breed, I guess I'm not much help. I've had good roosters and bad roosters from all breeds. Right now I have an absolutely HUGE (like, 15 pounds!) Rhode Island Red rooster, and they're supposed to be nightmares, but he's a perfect gentleman. I have heard that Orpingtons and Cochins are more likely to be sweet than many. I've also heard that Welsummers are pretty good.

We've raised all our roosters from chicks, but we have so many birds that no one bird gets much individual attention. So we don't have roosters (or hens, for that matter) that eat out of your hand, or want to be petted, etc. Our flock will crowd around your ankles when you walk into the pasture hoping for treats, but will skitter out of your reach if you try to pick them up. So the roosters that we've raised all act the same--i.e. they stay away from the people. I don't know if it's been pure luck or if roosters raised that way are just people shy and don't challenge them, but we've never had an aggressive rooster and we've had Rhode Island Reds, Ameraucana, Easter Egger, Delaware, and Buff Orpington roosters. Some have been better with hens than others, and those that steal hens' food or spur them or are nasty to them have gone to the pot, but I've never had to put a rooster down for aggression towards people.

 

[HSMomma3]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the helpful info. Good to know the girls will not be aggressive toward us. They have been super calm and friendly as usual in the couple of days since the roo was removed. Ours always come up to us, and will "roost" on your lap if you sit down on the ground. Great girls. Guess we'll try another rooster come spring. Thanks for the input everyone. : )

 

[Casey09]

my daughter walks around with a plastic shovel from her mommy and me garden set and every time the roo is within 3 feet of her she turns into a little baseball player lol. he dosent mess with her too much any more

 

[beeryfun]

this is an old, old post but JIM! You are awesome, I absolutely love reading your stories and advice. I have really taken to heart what you said in the above post. I am dealing with an aggressor and could not agree more. Thanks for writing it, even if it was 3 years ago!

 

[sepaditty1]

Just this past weekend I had to make the decision. When Frankie was just challenging me, I knew I could handle it. But when he went after a little girl who was over playing with my kiddos, that's a different matter.

Yes I could make the chicken area off limits. yes, everyone who enters could carry a broom. But what I really want is a chicken run where we can all enjoy our birds. Our friends can see what having chickens is like. My boys can learn responsibility by doing chores in the pen.

An aggressive rooster doesn't fit into that plan. Just like meat birds don't fit if you want to sell eggs or vice versa.

So, he went to freezer camp. It wasn't a punishment for "just being a rooster." We have 2 other roosters that are playing by the rules (for now) and they are welcome to stay. We each have to decide which aspect of the chickens is worth keeping. We chose enjoyment and companionship.

 

[ShinShien]

I have a similar problem, but my rooster is man-aggressive. He attacks my father, and Dad, being old-school cowboy *beat it into submission* type, he kicks the rooster. I think this started because Dad was crowing at Toby, and Toby has taken this to mean he's a rival. Recently, Toby's started jumping on Dad from behind. Should I cull this bird because Dad taunts him?

 

[scooter147]

I say tell dad to stay away from Toby.

 

[azygous]

I have a similar problem, but my rooster is man-aggressive. He attacks my father, and Dad, being old-school cowboy *beat it into submission* type, he kicks the rooster. I think this started because Dad was crowing at Toby, and Toby has taken this to mean he's a rival. Recently, Toby's started jumping on Dad from behind. Should I cull this bird because Dad taunts him?

I say cull dad.