BYC Café

[N F C]

I have not checked but the new article might be a reaction to the old one being removed from the LC.

There is a project on BYC to make the LC a better resource.

If you do not like the article and it has things in it that are bad like beating animals, report it using the button. Reporting an article like that is better than leaving a bad review

Wasn't aware that an old one had been removed. Maybe that's why Dobie said she'd seen it before.

 

[igorsMistress]

Thanks for the rooster feedback guys. You all have a lot more experience with them than I do (I've only ever had 2 and 1 of those died pretty young).

Just to clarify my thoughts, if any other type of animal was substituted wherever the rooster word was placed in the article it would bother me. Hitting an animal, chasing them to intimidate, etc. doesn't feel right to me...whether we're talking about a rooster, a dog, a horse, cat, whatever.

Maybe I'm too much of a softie but that's just me. Everyone has their own way of dealing with animals, children, life, etc.

I don't think you're too much of a softie at all. Beating an animal doesn't do anything but make it hate you. To be clear, I never beat the rooster, he came after me and it was a swat on his bottom and that's it. He was aggressive with everyone so it wasn't just me. He tried to spur Igor and all he was doing was filling a waterer. He went after the kids. He would stand at the fence and try to spar with the dogs. Some animals are just aggressive and can't stay.

 

[N F C]

I don't think you're too much of a softie at all. Beating an animal doesn't do anything but make it hate you. To be clear, I never beat the rooster, he came after me and it was a swat on his bottom and that's it. He was aggressive with everyone so it wasn't just me. He tried to spur Igor and all he was doing was filling a waterer. He went after the kids. He would stand at the fence and try to spar with the dogs. Some animals are just aggressive and can't stay.

Oh I never thought you were beating your rooster! Hope I didn't come across that way.

I see a swat and a hit as two different things. Again, substituting rooster for child...I had to swat the butt of my 2 a couple of times. But hitting them/beating? Never!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thanks for the rooster feedback guys. You all have a lot more experience with them than I do (I've only ever had 2 and 1 of those died pretty young).

Just to clarify my thoughts, if any other type of animal was substituted wherever the rooster word was placed in the article it would bother me. Hitting an animal, chasing them to intimidate, etc. doesn't feel right to me...whether we're talking about a rooster, a dog, a horse, cat, whatever.

Maybe I'm too much of a softie but that's just me. Everyone has their own way of dealing with animals, children, life, etc.

I don’t think you’re a softie at all! I feel the same way. And I have never really gotten the whole “would another rooster/dog/wolf etc. do this?” thing because IMO animals are not stupid. They know you are NOT another rooster or a dog. So acting like one is pointless and the animal is probably just going “what the heck is this idiot doing?”

Also the whole dominance thing itself was disproven a while ago, even the guy who did the study came out and said he was wrong and regretted using that word/saying that stuff because of the way people have twisted and misused it. The original study was done on captive wolves and in addition, they were also unrelated. So of course they fought. In the wild, wolf packs usually operate much more like a family, because they usually are. It’s usually the parents and their offspring. And also the pack structure fluctuates highly. They are often seen letting their kids eat first. So that whole “the dominant one always eats first” isn’t even true. Also even if the dominance thing was true in wolves, dogs are very different from wolves and they’ve even done studies on how different they are. Dogs are much more in tune with humans and bred to cooperate and work with them so dominating isn’t even necessary. Also even if people who still believe in the alpha theory, a lot of them are now saying to never ever do the “alpha roll” thing. Pointless and a good way to get bit. So I’ve never really bought into any of that stuff. Not that my animals don’t have rules and consequences for their actions, I just don’t believe in dominating and intimidating them and would much rather have a cooperative relationship, willing partnership, etc. and want them to want to work for me. Not because they have to.

But that’s all I’ll say on that so I don’t get in trouble haha

And because I’m getting pretty far off topic now ha sorry

Anyway, yes, I think the hitting, chasing, intimidating an animal is definitely a bit far, whether they’re livestock or not. It’s unnecessary, doesn’t always work anyway (as in IMs case), and they know you are not their species. They’re not stupid. I believe kindness works much better in most cases. Not necessarily spoiling them of course but not intimidating them either. You attract more flies with honey than vinegar so to speak.

Sorry, I’ll stop talking now.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don't think you're too much of a softie at all. Beating an animal doesn't do anything but make it hate you. To be clear, I never beat the rooster, he came after me and it was a swat on his bottom and that's it. He was aggressive with everyone so it wasn't just me. He tried to spur Igor and all he was doing was filling a waterer. He went after the kids. He would stand at the fence and try to spar with the dogs. Some animals are just aggressive and can't stay.

That rooster sounds horrible and definitely better you got rid of him. Sounds like a danger. And doesn’t sound like he could be helped. I used to think every animal could be or almost but I’ve realized sometimes some are just wired wrong. This rooster sounds like one unfortunately. And there are way too many nice roosters out there to bother keeping a liability. I hope he was tasty! Haha

 

[ShrekDawg]

Oh I never thought you were beating your rooster! Hope I didn't come across that way.

I see a swat and a hit as two different things. Again, substituting rooster for child...I had to swat the butt of my 2 a couple of times. But hitting them/beating? Never!

Very true. They’re definitely different. But even without actual hitting, the chasing and psychological intimidation seems rather unnecessary too

 

[igorsMistress]

Oh I never thought you were beating your rooster! Hope I didn't come across that way.

I see a swat and a hit as two different things. Again, substituting rooster for child...I had to swat the butt of my 2 a couple of times. But hitting them/beating? Never!

No I was just clarifying for the record lol. I didn't feel that way at all!

 

[ronott1]

Wasn't aware that an old one had been removed. Maybe that's why Dobie said she'd seen it before.

It looks like an edited version of the old article. This is the comparison between the old and new:

• 
  

  [*]Here's something that works and works well if you follow through and do it with attitude:
  
  When is the last time anyone saw one rooster holding another as he walked around doing his daily chores? That doesn't even compute in his brain case. Chickens respond to chicken behaviors, not human behaviors. Treat him as one chicken would to another...in this case a dominant rooster would do to a subordinate. And dress for the job..other chickens have scales and feathers, so put some cloth on your legs as protection. This kind of behavior modification doesn't take long but it does take a confident manner and consistent behavior from all humans who walk into that coop and no one feels confident when they are only wearing shorts around a crazy acting rooster .
  
  [*]As Lazy Gardener said, make him give you space at all times, even when he's making friendly. Roosters don't commonly make friendly with one another unless they were raised together and have already established pecking order. When you turn your back, keep one eye on your nether regions...you can bet all the chickens do the same thing which is why it's hard to catch a normal, untamed chicken. Don't be on the defensive...dominant birds never are on the defensive. They are always the aggressors and they act first, not last.
  [*]As @lazy gardener said, make him give you space at all times, even when he's making friendly. Roosters don't commonly make friendly with one another unless they were raised together and have already established pecking order. When you turn your back, keep one eye on your nether regions...you can bet all the chickens do the same thing which is why it's hard to catch a normal, untamed chicken. Don't be on the defensive...dominant birds never are on the defensive. They are always the aggressors and they act first, not last.
  [*]Watch your birds as they interact and eat...watch what the dominant hens do to the subordinate ones. They make them MOVE. The lesser hens are always on the look out for the dominant ones because they have already learned this one principle "If I do not move away from this food, this roost, or this nest right now, she is going to peck me...but HARD". The lesser hens eat with while keeping a wary eye over their shoulder...and your rooster needs to be feeling exactly that way when you get done with your behavior modification.
  [*]Watch your birds as they interact and eat...watch what the dominant hens do to the subordinate ones. They make them MOVE. The lesser hens are always on the look out for the dominant ones because they have already learned this one principle "If I do not move away from this food, this roost, or this nest right now, she is going to peck me...but HARD". The lesser hens eat while keeping a wary eye over their shoulder...and your rooster needs to be feeling exactly that way when you get done with your behavior modification.
  [*]Find yourself a light weight but sturdy rod about 4-5 ft. in length and take a chair into your coop/run where you feed. Sit down, get comfy. Keep your wand at ready and when the rooster approaches "your' hens, give him a peck. If he doesn't move and move fast, stand up and peck him harder...then move towards him calmly and surely, and keep pecking him until he's on the run. Sit back down and watch. Don't let him at the feed or near your hens..you should be able to accomplish that now with just a point in his direction with your wand.
  [*]Find yourself a light weight but sturdy rod about 4-5 ft. in length and take a chair into your coop/run where you feed. Sit down, get comfy. Keep your wand at ready and when the rooster approaches "your' hens, give him a peck. If he doesn't move and move fast, stand up and peck him harder...then move towards him calmly and surely, and keep pecking him until he's on the run. Sit back down and watch. Don't let him at the feed or near your hens..you should be able to accomplish that now with just a point in his direction with your wand.
  [*]Now, while you are doing this your hens may be running around and freaking out but they will soon realize they are not the target and you can see them visibly relax as they realize he is your target. Be calm, don't move fast but move decidedly and with purpose. Stare at him and don't take your eyes from him.
  [*]Now, while you are doing this your hens may be running around and freaking out but they will soon realize they are not the target and you can see them visibly relax as they realize he is your target. Be calm, don't move fast but move decidedly and with purpose. Stare at him and don't take your eyes from him.
  [*]Then, let him come into eat...let him get comfy eating and not getting pecked. When he's the most unaware of you, give the floor next to him a resounding WHACK with that rod, hard enough to make him jump and run. If he comes back to eat, peck him until he leaves the premises. Stand up and "hold" him in the corner with your presence and with your rod...don't corner him but just hold. If he is facing you, advance and peck him until he's running for his life. If he is pacing back and forth, trying to get away from your presence, your work there is done for the day. Exit stage left/right and let him eat.
  [*]Then, let him come into eat...let him get comfy eating and not getting pecked. When he's the most unaware of you, give the floor next to him a resounding WHACK with that rod, hard enough to make him jump and run. If he comes back to eat, peck him until he leaves the premises. Stand up and "hold" him in the corner with your presence and with your rod...don't corner him but just hold. If he is facing you, advance and peck him until he's running for his life. If he is pacing back and forth, trying to get away from your presence, your work there is done for the day. Exit stage left/right and let him eat.
  [*]
  The next day when you go in to feed, walk directly towards him with your wand until he is moving, moving, moving. Preferably move him out of the coop into the run and don't let him back in until you are done feeding. Don't let him in until you are ready to leave.
  
  If all of this is working, don't think your job is done. Keep acting like you own this coop, that no 2 ft feather duster is going to rule your roost and every chance you get surprise him with a touch, a lunge in his direction or a peck from your wand until he is moving away from you quickly. That's how the big boys do it and, until now, that's what he's been doing to you...the sneak attack, the attempts to get you to MOVE and run away, inducing fear until you have to worry about attacks from behind.
  
  [*]Don't feed him treats. When is the last time anyone ever saw a dominant rooster call over another rooster and let him eat the goodies he just found? Nope. That is only reserved for the hens. Let the hens eat goodies, keep the rooster away from the treats. He can pick up any crumbs that are left when you and your hens move off.
  [*]Don't feed him treats. When is the last time anyone ever saw a dominant rooster call over another rooster and let him eat the goodies he just found? Nope. That is only reserved for the hens. Let the hens eat goodies, keep the rooster away from the treats. He can pick up any crumbs that are left when you and your hens move off.
  [*]
  Just turn the tables on him and he should settle right down. Then remember to keep him looking over his shoulder with the occasional peck or jump at him out of nowhere so he doesn't relax around you. And that's how the big boys do it. Soon you won't need the wand, just your confidence and presence should do it but I find it's a little fun to sit down in the coop and have a "train your rooster session" just to see if they still remember. It's good entertainment!

  

Sorry, the edit colors did not show up!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey there thanks for the coffee Shad needed it okay chime in beekissed wrote their opinion we all have one I have a walking stick named one cockerel Randi held him down with that once when he tried to come after me he would peck at BF but kept his distance from me but was great to his flock just my humble opinion

 

[CapricornFarm]

Debby I'll be honest, that didn't work for me and the rooster went to freezer camp. I'm also not in Shads camp with grooming them and such. I don't snuggle my roosters and hold them and expect them to sit on my lap and give me googley eyes either. I do handle them at night on the roost, but that's it. No hand feeding either.

I've had better luck with a rooster that is wary of my presence, but not because I chase him or beat him with a stick. I've also learned that the rooster sees the hens as his, and they are. I was able to keep the peace with Fugly by treating him, tossing the treats on the ground at his feet, and letting him call the girls for them, when he would follow me away from the flock, keeping an eye on me for sure. I never walk around them, they get out of my way right from chick size, but when he made the predator warning I always went to back him up. We had a great relationship and I never carried a stick. If I have to, it's time for freezer camp.

My theory is that young roosters go through a stage where they think they need to challenge us. They can learn that it is not prudent. I have one that has his first batch of hens. He tries to flog me, so I just carry a feed bucket or water jug. He can't get at me and can hurt himself trying. As they get older, they learn that I am just there to feed and water, then leave.