You would never forgive yourself if one day that Roo got at your son when you had your back turned. He could do some serious damage to his face in an instant. Why take the chance ? Cull him ASAP.
Attacking Rooster
- Thread starter JennH07
- Start date
- Status
I haven't owned a ton of roosters but I think most are incorrigible. By the time the problem shows itself, he has already go it in his head he is Numero Uno. You have to be rough and quick. You must seek him out and bring the fight to him if you want to try to rehabilitate him. Go straight for him using feet, a stick etc. every time you see him.
I had a Barred Rock rooster that would not bend short of death. Best chicken I ever owned.
I had a Barred Rock rooster that would not bend short of death. Best chicken I ever owned.
Quote:
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
Quote:
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
Oh, I don't have any kids, it's just me. I didn't mean to hijack the OP's post, who has kids. I just also happen to have an aggressive rooster and am trying to figure out what to do. I will check out that article now, thanks!
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
Oh, I don't have any kids, it's just me. I didn't mean to hijack the OP's post, who has kids. I just also happen to have an aggressive rooster and am trying to figure out what to do. I will check out that article now, thanks!
Here is an excerpt from an interesting article another BYCer provided that should become a sticky. This could explain why so many "pet", hand-raised roos become aggressive.
How is it possible for a tame pet to turn on its caretaker or other humans? First off, all avian and mammalian neonates are born with a preprogrammed drive to imprint onto their mother. Imprinting refers to a critical period of time early in the animals life when it forms attachments and develops a concept of its own species identity. Imprinting provides animals with information about who they are and for males it determines specifically who they will find attractive when they reach sexual maturity. Only a few species like cow birds and cuckoos, that are essentially parasites in another birds nest, can be reared by surrogate parents and get things right when they reach sexual maturity. The famous German ethologist, Konrad Lorenz demonstrated the imprinting process in goslings and ducklings and showed that in the absence of their real mothers these precocial birds would imprint onto their human care taker.
Imprinting has long lasting and important biological and psychological effects on adult sexual behaviour, which is often irreversible. Males that have been imprinted onto another species tend to court the surrogate species that raised them. For example, ram lambs that are raised on nanny goats will court and try to breed female goats when they reach sexual maturity and they show very little interest in ewes. The same pattern unfolds in birds. Some farm families have the embarrassing pet tom turkey who spends his entire life courting and pestering the family members that raised him. That is why in captive breeding programs for endangered species like the whooping crane or the California condor the hatchlings are raised and fed by bird puppets. The human caretakers must stay hidden from the young birds in order to ensure they are properly imprinted onto the correct species and not imprinted onto humans. Fortunately young females that imprint onto the wrong species are usually not affected and will remain attracted to the courtship displays from males of their own species. That is why ewe lambs that are raised on nanny goats will breed to rams even though their surrogate mother was a goat.
The point to remember is that orphan males of most species will imprint onto their surrogate mothers and then later in life will direct their sexual behaviour towards the surrogate species. If humans become the surrogate species it creates a potentially dangerous situation. When the male reaches sexual maturity, in addition to his misdirected attraction, he will have bouts of male aggression that he will direct against his human competition. Male aggression is a normal part of sexual behaviour. In nearly all our livestock and wild species (horses, dogs and cats may be the exception)
bottle raised intact males will show aggression towards humans when they reach sexual maturity.
Most people mistakenly believe that dairy bulls are dangerous because of their genetics. It is true that most dairy bulls are dangerous, but it has more to do with their rearing conditions then their genetics. Most dairy bulls are hand reared in isolation which contributes to their behaviour towards humans when they become adults. Dr. Ed Price, a behaviour researcher from the University of California at Davis, has shown that Hereford bull calves raised in isolation and hand fed by humans became dangerous to people when they reached adulthood, whereas their group raised counterparts where not mean towards people.
There are numerous examples of intact male animals that were wonderful pets as young animals, but grew up to become killers or potential killers of their human caretakers. When I was a child one of my neighbors was forced to shoot and kill their pet whitetail buck they had bottle raised, after it had attacked them during rut. This story is not uncommon. There were 15 deer related human fatalities over a 5 year period in the United States (Langley and Hunter, 2001); many of these were likely the result of bottle raised males. During the same time period another 142 humans were killed by cattle. Though the statistics did not state the exact circumstances, some of these fatalities were certain to have been caused by hand reared bulls. The berserk male syndrome, talked about in llama circles, whereby a male llama suddenly becomes aggressive towards people is not a syndrome per se, but the result of bottle raising the male llama. Even bottle raised ram lambs that seem so friendly and docile while growing up have been known to inflict severe injury onto their caretakers or an unsuspecting visitor (who turns their back towards them) when the ram becomes mature.
What should you do with orphan newborns? The best option is to look for other lactating females in the herd or flock who may have lost their own offspring or who have additional milk. Such females can be excellent candidates provided that they can be tricked into accepting the orphan as their own. How to get a surrogate mother to accept the newborn as her own is a story in itself. However, assuming the adoption or cross fostering is successful, this offers the best possible method for rearing the orphan since a surrogate mother will likely have the right milk composition, plus she is willing to remain on call for 24 hours a day.
The take home message is that newborn male orphans of deer, elk, bison, cattle, sheep, goats and llamas should never be bottle raised or at the very least should be castrated before reaching sexual maturity in order to avoid a dangerous and potentially lethal future situation. Please spread the word.
References,
Langley,
Imprinting has long lasting and important biological and psychological effects on adult sexual behaviour, which is often irreversible. Males that have been imprinted onto another species tend to court the surrogate species that raised them. For example, ram lambs that are raised on nanny goats will court and try to breed female goats when they reach sexual maturity and they show very little interest in ewes. The same pattern unfolds in birds. Some farm families have the embarrassing pet tom turkey who spends his entire life courting and pestering the family members that raised him. That is why in captive breeding programs for endangered species like the whooping crane or the California condor the hatchlings are raised and fed by bird puppets. The human caretakers must stay hidden from the young birds in order to ensure they are properly imprinted onto the correct species and not imprinted onto humans. Fortunately young females that imprint onto the wrong species are usually not affected and will remain attracted to the courtship displays from males of their own species. That is why ewe lambs that are raised on nanny goats will breed to rams even though their surrogate mother was a goat.
The point to remember is that orphan males of most species will imprint onto their surrogate mothers and then later in life will direct their sexual behaviour towards the surrogate species. If humans become the surrogate species it creates a potentially dangerous situation. When the male reaches sexual maturity, in addition to his misdirected attraction, he will have bouts of male aggression that he will direct against his human competition. Male aggression is a normal part of sexual behaviour. In nearly all our livestock and wild species (horses, dogs and cats may be the exception)
bottle raised intact males will show aggression towards humans when they reach sexual maturity.
Most people mistakenly believe that dairy bulls are dangerous because of their genetics. It is true that most dairy bulls are dangerous, but it has more to do with their rearing conditions then their genetics. Most dairy bulls are hand reared in isolation which contributes to their behaviour towards humans when they become adults. Dr. Ed Price, a behaviour researcher from the University of California at Davis, has shown that Hereford bull calves raised in isolation and hand fed by humans became dangerous to people when they reached adulthood, whereas their group raised counterparts where not mean towards people.
There are numerous examples of intact male animals that were wonderful pets as young animals, but grew up to become killers or potential killers of their human caretakers. When I was a child one of my neighbors was forced to shoot and kill their pet whitetail buck they had bottle raised, after it had attacked them during rut. This story is not uncommon. There were 15 deer related human fatalities over a 5 year period in the United States (Langley and Hunter, 2001); many of these were likely the result of bottle raised males. During the same time period another 142 humans were killed by cattle. Though the statistics did not state the exact circumstances, some of these fatalities were certain to have been caused by hand reared bulls. The berserk male syndrome, talked about in llama circles, whereby a male llama suddenly becomes aggressive towards people is not a syndrome per se, but the result of bottle raising the male llama. Even bottle raised ram lambs that seem so friendly and docile while growing up have been known to inflict severe injury onto their caretakers or an unsuspecting visitor (who turns their back towards them) when the ram becomes mature.
What should you do with orphan newborns? The best option is to look for other lactating females in the herd or flock who may have lost their own offspring or who have additional milk. Such females can be excellent candidates provided that they can be tricked into accepting the orphan as their own. How to get a surrogate mother to accept the newborn as her own is a story in itself. However, assuming the adoption or cross fostering is successful, this offers the best possible method for rearing the orphan since a surrogate mother will likely have the right milk composition, plus she is willing to remain on call for 24 hours a day.
The take home message is that newborn male orphans of deer, elk, bison, cattle, sheep, goats and llamas should never be bottle raised or at the very least should be castrated before reaching sexual maturity in order to avoid a dangerous and potentially lethal future situation. Please spread the word.
References,
Langley,
Quote:
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
Laurajean, thanks for visiting my blog.
Sorin174, I read the MotherEarthNews article. My view is that if a rooster maintains aggression and will not back down, even in the face of a campaign of role redefinition via treats or status crashing via chicken jail, then the rooster needs to go. How somebody defines "go" is up to them and their circumstances....
My rooster was pretty aggressive, vocally, today because two hens died in a hawk attack yesterday. I let him make his point and I responded by walking toward him until he turned away. I expect some instability for a while as the pecking order gets rearranged. He is allowed to reassert his position as #2, gently. I will maintain my position as #1, gently.
Beekissed, the quote on imprinting was very interesting. I would love to see some chicken-specific research on the topic. I will have to rebuild my flock this year, so I may get the opportunity to test the theory.
JennH07, the best time to catch a chicken that runs away from you is when they are dozing on the roost.
If your looking for another option other than eating your Roo try out this link http://www.motherearthnews.com/happy-homesteader/help-for-agressive-roosters.aspx This person has some very interesting ideas about dealing with mean roosters that don't include violence. But I agree with the consensus that if you are worried about children, then that Roo needs to go.
Laurajean, thanks for visiting my blog.
Sorin174, I read the MotherEarthNews article. My view is that if a rooster maintains aggression and will not back down, even in the face of a campaign of role redefinition via treats or status crashing via chicken jail, then the rooster needs to go. How somebody defines "go" is up to them and their circumstances....
My rooster was pretty aggressive, vocally, today because two hens died in a hawk attack yesterday. I let him make his point and I responded by walking toward him until he turned away. I expect some instability for a while as the pecking order gets rearranged. He is allowed to reassert his position as #2, gently. I will maintain my position as #1, gently.
Beekissed, the quote on imprinting was very interesting. I would love to see some chicken-specific research on the topic. I will have to rebuild my flock this year, so I may get the opportunity to test the theory.
JennH07, the best time to catch a chicken that runs away from you is when they are dozing on the roost.
It shows that at least females don't get confused by who to have sex with.......
So, tonight, I get home from work, go to collect the eggs and as my back is turned the Roo attacks.
This time I retaliated, I chased him, got him in a corner and grabbed him, and I hate to say it - held him by his neck - to let him know I am boss. I took him to the water bucket and pushed his head under 3 or 4 times, letting him out for air, then bowled him across the coop. Before he'd got chance to pick himself up and reorganize himself I grabbed him and held him by his legs, then gave him another dunking in the water another 3 to 5 times. Then I held him firmly under my arm and stared at him eye to eye and flicking him across the side of the beak with my finger, enought to belittle him infront of the hens. He then got bowled across the coop and I stood and glared at him.
This time I let him go and he sculked off to the henhouse, so I followed him in and he cowered down in submission to me. Time will tell what happens over the next few days.....
This time I retaliated, I chased him, got him in a corner and grabbed him, and I hate to say it - held him by his neck - to let him know I am boss. I took him to the water bucket and pushed his head under 3 or 4 times, letting him out for air, then bowled him across the coop. Before he'd got chance to pick himself up and reorganize himself I grabbed him and held him by his legs, then gave him another dunking in the water another 3 to 5 times. Then I held him firmly under my arm and stared at him eye to eye and flicking him across the side of the beak with my finger, enought to belittle him infront of the hens. He then got bowled across the coop and I stood and glared at him.
This time I let him go and he sculked off to the henhouse, so I followed him in and he cowered down in submission to me. Time will tell what happens over the next few days.....
Intact male horse can be extremely dangerous.
Another point that agrees with the above article, is that when an animal is hand raised and petted, it loses it's fear of people. An animal that is not afraid, has no incentive to keep his space, and won't back down. Is not afraid to attack. Most animals, given the choice will leave the confrontation with a different species, except of course, prey and predators (well the prey would leave if they can
) Dangerous situations often occur because an animal is cornered.
But that is not what we are talking about here, and a cornered animal is not at all the same thing as an animal that will attack with no provocation. Those animals are difficult to (imho I would say impossible) to change.
It would be wonderful to have a magic bullet or word, do this and the problem is solved, but that is not the case. One really cannot trust these animals. People who have raised animals in agriculture, have had tremendous experience with animals, and once an animal is attacking humans, the success rate is slim or reversing that behavior. And if you can reverse it, it is never long term.
MrsK
Another point that agrees with the above article, is that when an animal is hand raised and petted, it loses it's fear of people. An animal that is not afraid, has no incentive to keep his space, and won't back down. Is not afraid to attack. Most animals, given the choice will leave the confrontation with a different species, except of course, prey and predators (well the prey would leave if they can
But that is not what we are talking about here, and a cornered animal is not at all the same thing as an animal that will attack with no provocation. Those animals are difficult to (imho I would say impossible) to change.
It would be wonderful to have a magic bullet or word, do this and the problem is solved, but that is not the case. One really cannot trust these animals. People who have raised animals in agriculture, have had tremendous experience with animals, and once an animal is attacking humans, the success rate is slim or reversing that behavior. And if you can reverse it, it is never long term.
MrsK
My rooster did the same thing now when I go into the run I go after him first chase him around a little, and if he stands his ground I put him in a box that I keep in the run with no windows. He only stays in there a minute or two but he behaves when I take him out.
I just bought 2 Bantum Cochin roosters and a bantum Americana each with their own females it should be alot of fun so much testosterone
just remember your bigger and in charge!!
I just bought 2 Bantum Cochin roosters and a bantum Americana each with their own females it should be alot of fun so much testosterone
just remember your bigger and in charge!!
- Status
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
Roof for metal pole run
- Started by Henhouse1001
- Replies: 0
-
Hen has been acting lethargic for a while...- Started by The Chick Addict
- Replies: 0
-
done gone and done it again.!- Started by laura29532
- Replies: 1
-
1 and half week old ducklings whistling when breathing
- Started by alva1832
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
BYC Software Update 2025- Started by Nifty-Chicken
- Replies: 173
-
-
Question of the Day - Tuesday, September 16th, 2025- Started by casportpony
- Replies: 62
-
Students need help identifying our chickens- Started by Cluckle
- Replies: 54
-
