Agressive Rooster

[bburn]

I carry a broom with me into both runs and coops. I have since the roosters got some size....always for 'just in case'. I would have never thought it would happen because they count on me for feed and treats. Recently my Barred Rock roo came at me when I went in the small gate to check for eggs. (I believe what set him off was the fact that one of his girls was on the nest and that he was doing his job and keeping everyone out) He came running at me ready to take care of business and I was ready with my broom. I let him get close enough that I could lift him and displace him with the broom. He walk away and came back at me like I thought he would and I did it again...with a little more force and got a little more lift. He went across the pen and I really thought he was done. I turned to close the people door and could see him coming out of the corner of my eye. This time he was 'smartly' displaced to the other side of the pen. He then ignored me and started pecking the ground and chattering at his girls.

I stopped letting my DGD's in the pens and coops several months ago. I would certainly not trust a rooster around little ones even if I hand raised the roosters....and I did hand raise mine. There was no aggression from this roo until that moment. In fact he was in the pen with us while we built his coop before we put the girls in with him. There are reasons for roosters to get agressive and I think it is their nature. He was protecting his girls. I understand that but he also needs to understand that I am in charge and he will have to let me in there and that I am not scared of hiim. I won't ever turn my back on him because I am not stupid. But I have my broom and he can be tossed if needed. This coop the people door is inside the run. The other coop the people door is outside the pen. If my rooster in there tries to come inside the coop while I am in there I block him and keep him out. The hens can come in....I would rather they did not because they think my shoe strings are worms. But I have something at the ready to block the pop door if needed.

I think we all need to think about the nature of the animals we keep. They are animals. I love watching them and enjoy their antics. But they have a nature that is bred into them and there are reasons for the things they do. I am not scared to go in the run with them, I am however, cautious and take my broom for 'just in case'. Can't sweep with it anyway as it is all worn out!

And....my formerly 'tame' hens.....well they are swarmers now. No one is afraid of the big people that come in their run....the big people bring treats and they want theirs first!! Am thinking I need a dumb waiter to lower the treats into the run! And I did buy rubber boots to wear to the chicken coops. And new shoestrings!

 

[gavinandallison]

Friday morning will be show-down at the Chicken Coop Corral..... I never intended to kick him it was him at me!! But he will come up against a gloved hand and a self-will to break his habit! He has just started it, so I will treat him like a little child and break the habit before it starts being a problem. The British Bulldog mentality I have will take down this colonial Roo in about 30 seconds!!

I will post the fight results on Friday, my manager - Don King says I am an odds on favorite to win......

 

[gavinandallison]

Well, went out this morning, out came Roo..... So I took the offensive and went after him, managed to bowl him over with my hand, and as he stood up i went after him again, and he ran!!!! So, I kept after him, he was squwarking like i was about to ring his neck, after about 2 minutes he settled down and walked away into the henhouse. The girls stood and watched, then stood around me...... Am going outside again to see if there will be any reaction when i go in the run......

 

[1FastFlamingo]

I have a 2yr old speckled suxxex roo. Rudy has been booted across the penZ knocked on his rump, cornered, and held to no extent. He is so stubborn about aggression, I was sure that he`d never break down. Then I did something totally insane. I despurred him. Used a hot cooked potatoe skin side on his spur, not touching his leg, and his spurs just slid off after 8 minutes of potato. It`s been a year since he tried to flog me with nubbs, and he is fine. No more aggression, except every now and then he tries but backs away as soon as i raise my foot up. LOL I know that that way sounded mean, but I got the idea froma few online references. And yes, it really works! Good luck with your roos!

 

[Caseman]

Quote:
This is exactly what I've done with many in the past and it usually works.

For those who find this to be too violent though get you a stout broom. When he comes at you whack him with the bushy end hard enough to knock him over. You're not trying to injure him, but knock him over. When he gets up again knock him over again. Keep doing it until he runs from you. Every time he comes at you in an aggressive manner take the broom to him again. Every time. Make him get your of your way, do not ever get out of his.

The rooster is attempting to establish dominance and you need to convince him that YOU are the boss bird in the flock and that he'd better get out of your way when ever you are around.

Once in a while you'll get a bird that just won't be convinced. Eat those.

Couldn't have said it better.

I had two Welsummers this summer that couldn't be convinced, well one Wellie and one Wellie mutt. The first would take his whooping and be okay for a week or two. He was alpha, but he was a mutt and not my choice for a breeder. So, he became paprikash. Once the other one got to alpha, he was miserable. He was much more difficult to back down, he would stand his ground a lot more (I never could figure out why he couldn't win alpha). A whooping only slowed him down until the next day. Rooster reform school just wasn't working, so he became chicken and dumplings.

first time they start kick them good and it will be over don't wait for the second or third time do it and do it so hard that he knows who is going be boss.. I know of 1 baby girl who lost an eye to a mean rooster several years ago..

 

[Naughty]

I went to a thrift store and found a tennis racket for mine! It boots him away but doesnt really hurt him. One of them has learned - he makes a half hearted attempt when I go in -t hen goes about his business - or I just grab him and cuddle him and talk sweet to him until he calms down. He has a home for life - I wear high boots so he cant hurt me - and he does usually stop when I yell "NO" at him. He is learning his place.

My other lil roo (both are banty sized) is a LB (lil bast*) - and doesn't mess with me much at all... but has a vendetta going with my 4 -year old - when she comes in the yard - he runs at her. He is gone as soon as I find someone who will take him. Unfortunately he has her scared of chickens now - I purchased quite a few of the breeds that are mellow - hoping to change her mind.

Until I get rid of him - I have to put him in a separate cage every time we go into the yard. Can't keep him in it - because it isn't protected from the winds.

 

[bburn]

Quote:
I am going to start searching the junk stores for a tennis racket! I have my broom and it serves it's purpose. But....the tennis racket would be good for more than batting a rooster away. My hens have turned into swarmers....they want those treats I bring and they want them first! They even think my shoe strings are worms! My rooster I batted with the broom is doing much better. Still carry the broom and I make sure he sees I have it. Now he gets on the other side of the run and pecks and calls the girls. He really is a good roo to his girls...I do check now to make sure no one is on the nest....because that was what he was doing was trying to keep me away from a hen while she was laying.....perfectly normal rooster behavior. I just was determined he was not going to come after me again.

 

[Yazzo]

There are so many questions about this I'm not sure why a sticky about it isn't started.... Barred rocks tend to be a more aggressive breed, so you'll just have to work with him more. I have had several over the years, and the most recent one turned quite aggressive. However, after working with him, he was great. I outline a bunch of my techniques here:
Definite Guide to Roosters - https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=63850-the-definite-guide-to-roosters.

I can tell you that hurting him is not, I repeat NOT going to make it better. He's probably seeing you as a threat, the way he's acting, so hurting him will make it worse, I can guarantee it. Barred rocks are pretty dominant, so even if he didn't see you as a threat, he may try to show you he's the boss, so you have to make sure he knows that you're the boss and he can't hurt you.


Here's part of my rooster page that I linked to:

If a rooster is pecking, or being overly aggressive, sometimes what I do, is I hold the roosters comb, at the base with a bit of pressure, then I push his head down. Also, you can push his head down by his beak. After a few seconds, after he's stopped struggling, I let go and pet him a bit, or do whatever makes him feel comfortable (some chickens don't like petting). If he tries it again, I just repeat the process, until he stops. Sometimes, I shake him up a bit (without hurting him), just to show him that I may be a friend, but I am not a force to tangle with. This happened with my BR rooster, Jengo: he had bald patches on his wings and feathers that were just growing in, so these spots were sensitive. Jengo also happened to be a more aggressive-prone rooster, and thus, when I touched is 'sensitive spots' he pecked me. I didn't want to hurt him by touching those spots, but that is NOT something I will stand for. In a way, he did have a reason to peck me: it was obviously irritating to him when I even touched those spots, but that is NO excuse to peck me, the 'lead rooster'.
I used this technique on him, repeatedly touching his wings lightly, then pushing his head down whenever he pecked or even tried to peck, until he totally submitted, and didn't even look at me without permission. A major part of it is simply consistency: slack off and let him peck you a couple of times, and you lose that much progress. Amazing how similar to dogs they are in that way, isn't it? Anyways, Jengo was a rooster (who went to a great home BTW) that I'm 99% sure would have been very aggressive with someone who didn't know how to handle him, but I tamed him down and made him play nice by simply working with him a bit. As with many things confidence is key!

I hope you find something in the page to help you, and good luck! BRs are great roosters when they're trained right.​

 

[gavinandallison]

Many thanks for all the info. I have been in since, and he seems to realize not to mess with me and keeps away. He will come for some scratch, but now keeps his distance, even when the girls are around me and sat on my lap....