another mean roo.. OMG I hope not !

[charlotteda]

I hate to post this because I am or should be an experienced chicken person. I am with bantams...not so much with standards.

I got a 6 mo old Cuckoo Maran last fall from a fellow BYC friend when my 6 mo old Barred Rock roo turned mean.

Now 1 yr old my CM roo has been fine. During the last month or so I have been so tickled that he will finally walk up and eat bread from my hand. Last week, I was sitting in the barnyard feeding loaf bread to the hens and when I ran out.. he walked up and bit me. I was so surprised I didnt do anything but I didnt give him any more bread that day either !

Today, I walked out to let the chickens out to free range and was walking back to the barn and he ran up behind me and spurred me. This is not allowed around here ! I flipped and kicked him (not too hard but not too gently) with the side of my foot. I know you should not do this but he scared me. He backed off.

Once I had calmed down, I cornered him in the barn, picked him up and carried him around just a bit and tried to clip the ends off his spurs. Now I am NOT going to put up with a mean rooster. And I like feeding my chickens by hand.. its how I enjoy them. Before he goes to the dumpling pot I would love any advice you might have.

thanks

charlotte

 

[dawg53]

Unfortunately most roosters are like this at this time of the year. My Salmon Faverolle did the same thing to me day before yesterday, my wife was shocked when I told her about it, and gasped when I showed her some of my blood on my forearm where his toenails scratched me (I was kneeling at the time checking the feeder.) Needless to say I caught him and turned him upside down to flap, squawk and frail. He calmed down and I turned him right side up and we walked around the yard for awhile, me petting him and calmly talking to him. After about 30 minutes.I put him down and he was very humble and knew I was the head rooster in charge. It's been 2 days since the incident and there's been no issues with him coming after me.

 

[charlotteda]

He is definately on probation.. I just cant decide if holding him would make the situation worse or better.

 

[dawg53]

Turn him upside down, your hand grabbing one foot,the other hand grabbing his other foot,hold him out from you and let him do his thing til he stops. This is the roo showing his submission to you. Then turn him right side up and walk him for 30 minutes gently petting him and calmly talking to him.It works! You might have to repeat on a daily basis for awhile,roos are more hard headed than hens lol.

 

[InsaneBreeder]

Stepping on the roo worked for me. You just push him gently onto the ground with your foot and hold him there until he tires out. My rooster never attacked me after that, and I only had to remind him every once in a while until he turned 1, and since that time he has mellowed significantly.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Oh yes, Charlotte, this is the time of year that they would do it if they have the inclination. I have a bantam Cochin doing the same thing. Of course, he can't hurt me but he sure is giving my ankles a working out. I just push him to the ground with my hand on his back and fuss at him for a full 5 minutes. His comb turns purple with anger but he backs off for a few days. I know in another month he will stop but I do not like it. And a standard bird can hurt you more than one of these fluffy butts.
You picking him up and carrying him around helps. Not all roos do this mean action though. I have about 25 roos here now and only that one bantam is doing this to me. Although my wheaten Marans roo did follow me to the door of his pen the other day in a suspiciously quick way so I wonder if he was thinking about it. When I turned around he stopped and looked at me but I think he might have been going to. He has once before and I did kick his big butt to the back of the pen.

If we have to get you another roo then by golly it will be a buff Orp!