Better than rooster ? for chickens hens

[aurimilky]

Your best bet, honestly, is to get a bunch of cockerel chicks and cull any that are aggressive. I got a straight run of Buff Orpington chicks and 16 of them were male. After selecting for size (I culled the smallest half of the batch first), the human aggressive ones, and and that were mean to hens. I had 2 left. Of the two, one of them was rooster aggressive, so I culled him. I had the remaining Rooster until last week, when I sold him off (I'm getting out of breeding Buffs) and he went to a good home with a bunch of hens.

On the other hand, I had one standard Black Cochin cockerel that came with my Buffs. He has been a delightful bird and I've never had a bit of trouble out of him. This year, I got 18 Blue Cochins and 11 of them are cockerels, they are 5 months and none of them are human aggressive as far as I can see.

Okay

If one views their chickens as pets and can't help but cuddle the hens, the rooster can't help but view that activity as a threat to their hens and will become human aggressive.

I don't hold or do anything with hens during the day. I've had hundreds of roosters and haven't had a human aggressive rooster in over 10 years and those were all Plymouth rocks. I don't mean to disparage that breed but that has been my solely anecdotal experience and may be because those were less likely to avoid humans than the breed I raise now.

My hens are all wild, they wont let anyone catch them. All of my chickens hatch from eggs.

 

[Folly's place]

If I want to pick up or catch any of my birds, I don't have issues with my roosters. I expect ZERO human aggression for the boys, and don't make excuses for them.
Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

There is no such thing as a 100% guarantee with any animal. That being said, I believe that a small part of aggressive behavior in a roo can be inherited. (Never met a nice RIR roo.) And the remainder of the roo's behavior is related to how the humans manage him. Trying to make a pet out of him is apt to back fire and result in a human aggressive roo. I suggest that you follow @Beekissed recommendation. Here's a copy of her famous post:

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

 

[aurimilky]

If I want to pick up or catch any of my birds, I don't have issues with my roosters. I expect ZERO human aggression for the boys, and don't make excuses for them.
Mary

Okay

There is no such thing as a 100% guarantee with any animal. That being said, I believe that a small part of aggressive behavior in a roo can be inherited. (Never met a nice RIR roo.) And the remainder of the roo's behavior is related to how the humans manage him. Trying to make a pet out of him is apt to back fire and result in a human aggressive roo. I suggest that you follow @Beekissed recommendation. Here's a copy of her famous post

Well he is not a pet that gets picked up a lot, only time he has been picked up is when he attacks been hung upside down by the legs. I was following a guide online and thanks for info.

http://www.joyelick.com/2015/07/how-to-train-rooster-to-be-nice-or-at.html

 

[AMoritz]

I have 6 chicken hens and 4 guineas, 2 are Cockerels, 2 are hens.
Honestly, I love my guineas, they sound the alarm for predators, and the chickens listen for it too they also help get rid of the snakes, rodents, ticks and bugs on my property too.
If you have a mean aggressive rooster though, you need to get rid of him, or cull him.
Mean rooster seems to taste much better lol

 

[aurimilky]

I have 6 hens and 4 guineas, 2 are Cockerels, 2 are hens.
Honestly, I love my guineas, they sound the alarm for predators, and the chickens listen for it too

Okay cool

they also help get rid of the snakes, rodents, ticks and bugs on my property too

Oh will they kill rats too. My run had rats in Winter.

If you have a mean aggressive rooster though, you need to get rid of him, or cull him.
Mean rooster seems to taste much better lol

Well that will be up to my mum and probably her friend to deal with, I just feed them food and clean out the muck and get in the eggs from the nests, but yes very true.

 

[AMoritz]

Okay cool



Oh will they kill rats too. My run had rats in Winter.



Well that will be up to my mum and probably her friend to deal with, I just feed them food and clean out the muck and get in the eggs from the nests, but yes very true.

Rats I don't know about. But guineas aren't afraid to take on huge snakes so who knows?

 

[Howard E]

I don't have a rooster and wouldn't want one. I got rid of mine when he became aggressive towards a young child and one of the boss hens started running things in his place and all has been well since.

 

[bobbi-j]

Okay



Well he is not a pet that gets picked up a lot, only time he has been picked up is when he attacks been hung upside down by the legs. I was following a guide online and thanks for info.

http://www.joyelick.com/2015/07/how-to-train-rooster-to-be-nice-or-at.html

Obviously hanging him upside down didn’t work if he’s still attacking people. I raise my roosters similarly to how Beekissed suggests treating them. Haven’t had an aggressive one since I started raising them that way. If you decide he’s not worth the effort to try to retrain him (and I would suggest everyone who comes in contact with him use this method), get rid of him. He’s a liability. A dominant hen will often take on the role of flock alarm in the absence of a rooster.

 

[mixedbreeds]

I agree with Redhead Rae I had an aggressive Welsummer Roo for 2 years I tried everything finally after all that time I culled him. Last fall I got a bunch of cream Legbar and French black copper Marans straight run chicks. I ended up with 7 cream Legbar and 6 Marans cockerels I watched them all for aggressiveness and culled them when I seen it at 5 months I was down to 1 Legbar and 2 Marans cockerels, one of the Marans went south at 6 months attacking me so I culled him the remaining 2 I still have and they are awesome 11 month old cockerels just both great birds.