Any reforming a rooster that acts like a jerk?

[sourland]

With a toddler involved, it is an easy decision - get rid of the rooster.

 

[Rietta]

reform him into bbq chicken. the toddler can really get hurt.

 

[BantyChooks]

I am usually not one to recommend this approach, but I would say he needs to have a date with the dinner pot. He can do serious damage to a child, and as he gets older he'll only get more physically dangerous as his spurs and muscles develop. I have never met your rooster, so I can't say why he's acting aggressive, but I can say that in many cases they don't outgrow it if left to their own devices. They may stop attacking so frequently after a few years, but by then they've pretty much trained their humans not to do anything they don't like. Plus, with a toddler around, you don't have a few years to wait and see.

 

[SilberHenne]

I would find him a home with someone looking for a flock guardian. He wants to protect.

Then get yourself a Belgian D'uccle rooster. They don't have spurs and are a quarter the size of your usual rooster, yet alert and tough little suckers. I love my little D'Uccle. He never gets an attitude and if he did, he couldn't hurt anyone. Literally they are the best roosters to have around toddlers. His hens do not take him seriously, so I also got them a Lavendar Orpington rooster who is an absolute gentleman, but has spurs like kitchen knives. He never uses them, not even when my little roo tried to beat him up. There are lots of good roosters out there you could adopt that would otherwise be eaten.

 

[Folly's place]

Any breed cockerel could be wonderful, or not. My first Belgian d'Uccle rooster was 'monster man' and we put up with him way too long!
Since then, they've been fine, but that's a side issue here.
This cockerel isn't acting like a flock guardian, he's likely going to spend his time stalking humans!
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

I have a 4 month old Barnevelder rooster. For several weeks he has been rather aggressive with our hens (mating) but I haven't been too concerned since this is rather natural and there are 14 hens and only the one rooster so he doesn't pick on any one too much. The problem is that in the last week he has started stalking and attacking me and my toddler son for no reason. He will come at us from across the yard with no provocation. Is there any hopes he will mellow out as he matures or that we can win him over with treats? Worth noting, the behavior escalated following 3 hens being taken by a bobcat. Perhaps he will relax once he realizes that is not an imminent threat anymore? Or is it hopeless and I need to get rid of him?

@sarak,

If I were to tackle behavioral changes of a rooster, which I have done successfully and consistently, then I would first take your child out of the equation by penning the rooster. Ideally, rooster is to be penned by himself in an elevated location where you can work around him. Then you will have to start modifying your behavior as well. Are you up for it?

Avoid the domination approach so frequently advocated which does not yield consistent or long-term changes. You are not a rooster and there is no benefits to impressing your being a rooster unless you are willing to engage in occasional knock down drag outs with rooster every time he mounts a real challenge. He has not challenged anyone for real yet and he will likely work his way up pecking order.

 

[Quackter]

I have a 4 month old Barnevelder rooster. For several weeks he has been rather aggressive with our hens (mating) but I haven't been too concerned since this is rather natural and there are 14 hens and only the one rooster so he doesn't pick on any one too much. The problem is that in the last week he has started stalking and attacking me and my toddler son for no reason. He will come at us from across the yard with no provocation. Is there any hopes he will mellow out as he matures or that we can win him over with treats? Worth noting, the behavior escalated following 3 hens being taken by a bobcat. Perhaps he will relax once he realizes that is not an imminent threat anymore? Or is it hopeless and I need to get rid of him?

Hi, a lot of thoughts, sorry if I wind a bit.
I think the winning over with treats is more likely to encourage aggression that thwart it.
To calm him down, the stew pot always works, but if you want chicks, he's kinda needed.
A lady in another post would catch hers in a net, leave him think about what he's done in the net while she was working. Now just the sight of it sends him to the other end of the coup. I had a rooster trying to breed young turkeys, he got a couple push through whaps. Now he'll eat from my hand, but if I am carrying anything that resembles a 1/2" pvc pipe, tail feathers is all I see. It's the same snow shovel or a broom with hand reared cattle. No one wants to hurt them, but they don't want hurt either, but they want to still keep the contact. Carrot and stick only works if they know both are there, and it usually works out to just carrots after a while.
You also can pick him up, tuck him in tight, spin until you get dizzy, put him down, as soon as you can, do it again. Let your toddler push him over a couple times as he tries to get up. The rooster will be way more dizzier than you are, he will think he has gotten the whoopin' of a lifetime with out anything but his pride really hurt. You'l get a skittish bird from this for a while, but it works.
As for the toddler, **by no means am I saying to let him get hurt. Inch long spurs at eye level could blind**. As he gets older, and **it's every parents decision on how, when, and what they want to teach and raise their children**, but there are going to be a whole lot worse things in life they need to learn to just grab by the neck. The lack of a reset button. Just the respect gained. It's big and mean and scary, it can get me, but I can handle it, transfers into so much in life. I personally think any child today that has had the opportunity to develop the discipline, team work, the understanding that things can die if they don't take responsibility, learning to hold their own against something intimidating, knowing that they need to focus and plan or they will get bit, have so much of an advantage over the safe spaced, bubble wrapped, just hit the reset button, "my feels are more important than reality" generation they will be a part of. Essentially farm life, or whatever piece of it we can give to them. That no shoulder road at 16, can be compared to that electric fence they used to weed eat along at 12. Some where that "keep it in the lines" file starts. Just my thoughts.

 

[Folly's place]

No toddler or three year old can handle this! In a couple or few years, sure, but aged THREE???
Mary

 

[Mimi13]

I agree with @Quackter that kids are better off knowing how to handle certain situations. Any kid growing up on a farm IMHO will turn out to be a more well rounded individual.

HOWEVER, age 3 is not the time to begin teaching these things. Let them begin working with chicks, pullets and hens learning whatever they can absorb.

 

[Quackter]

No toddler or three year old can handle this! In a couple or few years, sure, but aged THREE???
Mary

So did I need to put double stars around "as he gets older"?