Aggressive Tom

[denasfarm]

I hatched a pair of bourbon reds about 3 years ago, raised them in the house as poults. She hatched 19 eggs her first year, none last year.
Beginning this fall the Tom has become horribly aggressive. He started out by attacking the roosters and cornering up the 140lb Bulldogs.
NOW my daughter (18yo) and I cannot go into the yard without a broom or some defensive devise.
He has gone after my husband but leaves my 20yo son alone.
I am SICK of this!!! Will he stop or is this not going to go away now that its started?
He even makes a funny noise and calls the hen over to help him attack!!!


You can see their pics on my page...

 

[chicmom]

Gee.....I'm having a similar problem with my young turkey tom. He's six months old now. He attacks any new chickens and especially my roosters. I may have to eat him. And his girlfriend too.

 

[denasfarm]

Quote:
Is it the time of year? hormonal? They arent breeding...
I think I may build them a covered pen. I hate too since they free range the whole farm and it cuts the food cost on such huge birds but we just cant go on with him attacking us. I worry he may wander next door and get after the neighbors little kids.
We generally dont eat anything with a name...If I buy them for the feezer its OK...He may be an exception

 

[chicmom]

It's definitely not the right season for mating, but my pair doesn't agree....They have been mating alot and she's even laying eggs in the hen house with the chickens. I think it's because I light my coop.

She will pose in front of me all the time...She's constantly sitting down at my feet and fanning her wings behind her......I keep telling her she's not my type!

She gets in my way when I rake the run and I literally have to pick her up and put her outside......

I love their funny ways, and I also like the way they look, they're just beautiful, but I really don't like the part where they attack my chickens........

Wish I had better news for you.......

Sharon

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

No time to properly respond right now. Search for agressive roosters and follow their advice.

There is alraedy a thread for this topic. maybe this will help https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=451941

 

[denasfarm]

Around lunch he went after my husband and got him on the leg. So My son and I went down and Wired in one of the horse stalls. I didnt want to do that, I hoped he could run free and I wanted to hatch poults this spring so I cant get rid of him. It didnt matter which one of us was going out the back door, nor what color we wore or what we carried, even the hose pipe didnt help. He was determined to run us all off. Maybe because we were all running back into the door it made him worse...He is now in Jail.

 

[chickenzoo]

I have a Tom named Narrgy that when he was younger and came of age, started to flog me.... only me. I was hurt since I raised the little bugger, but wasn't about to let him marr me. When ever he acted like he was staring me down I grabbed anything in reach and swatted at him, all the while chasing after him , mumbling a few choice words.

I chased him all over, till he was huffing and puffing and just when he thought I'd stopped and he stood still, I jumped on the little poop and pinned him to the ground. After a few times of that he finally gave it up.... he learned I was the most aggressive Tom girl around here....

That was a few years ago and he's still behaving. Every once in awhile he gets that look about him and I quickly turn around and walk towards him to remind him..... he calmly walks off.

 

[ivan3]

Definitely safer in `jail' for any little neighbor kids (yikes). Had one Slate tom that was somewhat pushy with Cass. She cranked the hose and kept the spray head in hand, waiting until he got to bumping his chest against her leg, and she let him have it with the riot cannon (didn't quit spraying with intense narrow stream right in head area until he was out of range). Only required the treatment twice. He never so much as trilled at her, or followed her too closely, after the `water-snooding'.

Some members just eat the recidivists and put those calories to use caring for the sociable sort.

Fall, in the temperate zones is `false' mating season for most birds (angle of sun same as that of Spring - currently `early' Spring) so they do get a bit frisky.

I always treat the jakes and toms like submissive betas - just matter-of-fact, consistent, boss bird behavior. If any were to persist in challenging me I'd cull (primarily out of concern for their passing on a genetic propensity for such).

You could try the water treatment. Also, corner the sucker, wrap arms around him from behind (wings folded against his body, of course), pick him up with his back against your chest (he can bicycle his legs to his heart's content) and tote him to wherever you want. Hopeful he'll take the hint (be consistent in controlling him), lest he be renamed Oven Fresh...

Good luck, or good eating.

 

[ColbyNTX]

You, your daughter and your husband are going to have to show him who is boss! Don't play around with him or swat at him as it will only make it worse! If he comes at you, grab him by the neck and pinn him to the ground and hold him down. You can even try to carry him around upside down by the feet. If he won't stop, pen him up and let him breed in the spring and then eat him!

 

[denasfarm]

Jail seems to have helped. He is rather happy to see me with the feed bucket now and isnt going at me through the fence. I have not gone in with him as I can reach his food and water but soon I will have to rake it out and we will see what he has learned. His mate was very distraught at him being confined and wouldnt leave so I locked her in too before she hurt herself trying to get it.
I think the chickens are happier since he isnt harrassing them at all now.

Thanks for the advice, we may let them out a couple days a week when I feel like jousting.