Attacking Rooster

[shareverwonder]

My Leghorn Rooster, McCoy, is 6 months old. We have hand fed him and held him since day one. He has been chasing us and trying to attack us for about a month now. What can we do? We've tried spraying him with the hose (when I do it he runs, when Dave does it he just stands there. Help!!!!!

 

[drunkdog]

attack him....no sarcasm do it...walk right through him grab him and/or push him out of your way stay on him till he runs away when he sees you coming....same as just about any animal if they even think they may have a chance at being alpha they will test and try until they find what they can get away with....let the little guy know without a doubt that not only are you the boss but that you know you are completely....I believe animals are empaths and treat them accordingly....let them sense doubt they will act on it, every animal in my "farm"

knows not only where the food comes from but who the alpha is without question because I do

 

[bburn]

All good advice. There is a woman on here....from Hawaii I think....that tells a lot about roosters and their behaviors and how to handle it. I have started with mine and they are behaving nicely and I have a crew of them! Type in rooster behavior in the search and a bunch of stuff will come up.

How funny...I just went back and read this....the woman I was talking about was Yazzo! All of her advice seems to be really sound and seems to work. It does not take away from the fact that we really messed up and ended up with 16 of 29 chickens being roosters. We HAVE to thin them out. I have tried giving them away but no takers. So the next step is try to sell them Saturday morning at the chicken swap here and if that does not work we WILL process them. They are ours and we have really taken good care of them and they are very healthy. I don't think I will have a hard time eating them, I know I will have a hard time processing them. But you do what you have to do. The remaining roosters will live out a long, hopefully happy life, here.

 

[shareverwonder]

Sounds like good advice. We're not afraid of him, it's just a little annoying. I forgot to mention, my roo is going after the dog also. When the dog is outside, the rooster isn't and vice versa. He's a cocky little fella for just 6 months old. Gotta love him though.

 

[drunkdog]

I am not suggesting animal abuse but like the cocky kid sometimes they just need someone to beat them up

.....some may require more effort to get them to stop testing and like a wolfhybrid we rescued a few years back some may just test you on occasion because they never learn their spot

...good luck and remember as has been said here before if you cant teach him you can always cook him

 

[chickenzoo]

I have a pen of dominate roos for young cocky cockerels like him... LOL Any cockerels or roos that try anything even once end up with the big boys as their play toy for awhile.

They come out a lot more submissive.

My friend brought over a vicious but beautiful frizzle roo that kept spurring her. After a day over here he now makes sure to move out of our way and has changed his attitude. I also have a band of young turkey hens and 2 toms. If they see anyone mess with me or a roo start a fight with another.... they are on him and make him mind his manners. Love turkeys....

 

[pgpoultry]

I don't currently have any rooster problems as I keep placid Brahma boys, but a Welsummer cock we used to have, Sid.(after Sid Vicious), became nasty with my husband.

I used to catch him when he left the coop and then my husband walked around with him under his arm parading him in front of the hens. We did this for 3 or 4 mornings and Sid became mellow.....no more attacking. Oh, but trim any over-sized spurs!

Sandie

 

[Yazzo]

I don't know if this will help but.....:https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=390911

 

[shareverwonder]

Thanks for the advise Yazzo. I will be working on my roo starting tonight. He will eat out of my hand, but sometimes he just gets a bug up his butt and will attack for no reason. Dave can't walk outside without the roo coming after him.

 

[cfdf]

I'vr got a little black cochin roo that took a bite out of the calf of my leg. I didn't see him coming. When he let me have it, my knee jerk reaction sent him flying across the coop. I haven't had any more trouble from him. That being said, I never turn my back to him.