Butthead Bantam Rooster

[jenkassai]

Sooo...yesterday my previously sweet Sebright roo tried to attack me!!! Twice before I had caught him acting in what I perceived to be a somewhat "aggressive" posturing towards me when I was handling one of the hens. The first time I had picked up what I think is his "favorite", she seems to be at the bottom of the "pecking order" and is the only one who consistently seems to listen to him

. He is the only bantam, the rest are big girls, and they seem to ignore him most of the time when he tries to call them over for food or get them to go somewhere. Anyways, when I put Ruby down, he was walking towards me, sideways, scratching the ground, and looked like he had one of his wings stretched towards the ground. As soon as I moved towards him, he ran away. The second time was similar, but with a different hen (one of my "cuddly" Doms who doesn't pay attention to him). Again, as soon as I moved towards him, he ran away. Well yesterday I was putting chickens back in their yard, and when I turned to leave the yard, he flew up and I felt him get the back of my sweatshirt!!!! My friend who saw the whole thing said he flew up as far as my head (I'm only 5' 2"), and got me on the way down. As soon as I felt it I turned around to get him but couldn't catch him. I chased him all over the yard telling him I'd turn him into a chicken wing (he's too tiny for a full meal

) if he didn't start minding his manners. Anyways, what can I do to establish that I AM THE BOSS of the chicken yard?? Do I need to "posture" at him every time I see him? I adore his tiny size, I just think he's soo cute, and pretty to look at, and good with the girls. But I won't keep him if he's going to be aggressive. Just didn't know if there was something I could do to fix it or nip it in the bud? Today I picked up my cuddly Dom, and watched him. He watched me but didn't do his posturing when I had her or when I put her back down.

Thx!!!

 

[Life is Good!]

Our Black Java roo, "Roaster" has decided to challenge us as well. He's now about 8 months old - a teenager if you will - and needs to be gently taught who's who.

We're treating one of the pullets for bumblefoot, and mercy, he does NOT appreciate our efforts with her. Yes, he's now charged all of us in order to 'protect' her.

We challenge him back. Chase him (think fast walk) all over the yard - and do not let up until he either turns tail on us (submissive) OR lets us pick him up and cuddle him as well.

I've learned that we need to pick HIM up first, then his girl(s). He's also confined while we need to treat the bumblefoot. He's put inside a pvc chicken tractor that's not being used at the moment. When we let him back out, we stay in the yard with them ALL for a good long while (15min or so) - let him think he's ruling the roost - but surprise (!) there's now black oil sunflower seeds all over the place to distract everyone from what just happened. (The good with the bad). Bribery works with chickens.

Good luck!

 

[HHandbasket]

We had a beautiful splash bantam cochin roo we had to cull because he was mean as snot (not to us but to the hens). He was very aggressive in his mating habits and killed a total of 6 hens/pullets (broke their necks) in his aggressive mating behavior. We tried everything under the sun to rehabilitate him, but he was just very aggressive in his mating practices & when he killed hen #6 over at Linda's place, we decided enough was enough & he was quickly dispatched in a humane way.

We also have a mottled java roo that challenges me... nobody else, just me. He's a great flock leader and is good to his hens, but he has attacked me numerous times, the last time spurring me in the leg and leaving a bruise and puncture wound that stuck around for weeks. The ONLY reason he is still alive is I don't have the guts to put him down myself & hubby's been working a lot. Later this week, we're going to have a couple of days off together, and Rico may meet his maker at that point.

The landlords don't really want us killing/processing our birds on the property because the smell of blood draws predators (we are up in the mountains), and we will have to do it at someone else's house. I'm gonna contact a friend from BYC that lives nearby and processes birds in November, and I might ask her to do it.

 

[mammat]

Hold him upside down by both of his legs. Just until he relaxes. ...not too long or he could asprate. Works like a charm for us if we have somebody acting like a butthead. Shows him who is boss.

 

[HHandbasket]

I've done that with Rico. Virtually every technique I've ever read about, I've used (Rico is the mottled java). He chills out for about a week, then starts in again. He REALLY gets testy when I go outside in shorts... I don't think he likes my flabby, lily-white legs.

 

[MontanaChickenLady]

I've recently been attacked twice by my Silkie roo (Simon) and put a posting for help in this forum. Someone suggested I pick him up and hold him under one of my arms and walk around the run with him for a bit so that the girls can see he's not the head roo and to embarrass him. They also suggested I hold his head down with one hand. So, I've gone out to the compound twice now, dressed like Nanook of the North (rubber boots so he can't get to my feet or legs, down parka with a hood, and padded mittens....I'm a sight for sore eyes I'll tell ya). I've done my chores and when I see him starting his rooster dance I've approached him and picked him up, held him under one of my arms, kept his head down with the other hand and just walked around for about 5 minutes with him. The girls settle down while I'm doing this and he didn't fight me the second time. I'll continue for another couple of days in hopes he will knock it off. I really don't want to have to get rid of him as he's been a good chicken BUT if this doesn't work and make him stop entirely, I'll have to get rid of him. My husband has also agreed to do the same thing if he's in the compound with them and Simon acts up. I'm very hopeful because I don't know how to get rid of him as I can't kill him and I won't ask my husband to do it after his experience with chickens when he was a kid. I do wish you luck and if you haven't tried this method already.....give it a shot.

 

[HHandbasket]

That is the method that I use the most & it only chills him out for a few days, maybe a week at most, then it starts again. I have to do it every couple of days, and quite frankly I don't have the time or energy for all that BS when I have 3 other roosters in the flock that are really sweet and very well-behaved. I hate that I wanna get rid of Rico because he's REALLY good to the hens and is a great flock leader, but if he attacks people, specifically me... well... he has attacked me while I was feeding him even! Literally flogged my hand/arm/shoulder as I was filling the feeders. I think a nice pot of Rico with dumplings is in order.

To the OP: How are things going with your roo? I hope he's chilling out some!

 

[jenkassai]

Thanks for the advice all! Hopefully it will straighten Smidge out!