Can you “train” a cockerel to be docile?

[bobbi-j]

It depends on what you mean by "docile". In my opinion, a "docile" rooster respects my space. He moves away from me when I come near, and doesn't approach me when my back is turned. In the past few years, I have started pretty much ignoring my cockerels once I recognize them. I will walk toward them, and make them move if I want to go from one place to another and they are in my way. If one approaches me, I walk toward him until he backs up. (I have one currently that likes to come see what I'm up to when I go out to do chores. "Big Red" will come toward me, check things out, and I make him move away. So far no sideways looks, no threatening moves, but he's only 4 1/2 months old.) I have never handled my cockerels much, so I can't say for sure that that's what makes some of them aggressive. I have read many, many posts, though, that begin with, "My sweet baby that I have hand raise since he hatched has turned into a monster." So there could be some correlation.

 

[Chickassan]

Oh duh! That is a boy you're worried about. Forgot to tell you.

 

[dalasgalas]

My roo was sweet until he hit 1 year. It's hit or miss.

 

[Folly's place]

I also don't try to make 'pets' out of my cockerels; they are expected to move out of my way, and busy themselves with the other chickens, not me. I make a point of walking 'through' them, never around, and often will 'just happen' to need to go somewhere past one, so he has to move.
Right now I have three adult roosters and four cockerels, and everyone is behaving well. Two of the spring cockerels are starting to crow (it's too funny!) and one of them is chasing the girls, except when his daddy chases him off.
Watching flock dynamics is so much fun!
Mary

 

[LRH97]

I posted pics of my two 5 1/2 month old Dominique’s.
If the one In question is a he, any idea of the typical temperament of roosters for this breed?

I've heard good things about Doms but I've never actually owned one. Like Chickassan said, the poor guy will be a feathered hormone factory and he'll be at his most unstable at this point. That doesn't mean he'll be aggressive though. Just keep an eye on him and don't put up with any insubordination from him. The roo may be the natural flock leader, but you're the flock master. Like the others said, don't focus on taming him. Focus on getting respect from him. You know, like the Aretha song.

 

[centrarchid]

View attachment 1526517 View attachment 1526518 View attachment 1526520 View attachment 1526521 View attachment 1526522 Here are some pics of the bird in question. It had some feather loss, (flock mates picked him/her clean) so the brown is pine tar I had just applied prior to taking pics

It is a pullet. I keep American Dominiques and have done so for about 10 years.


You can promote niceness, what you are concerned about is not aggression. Can can you place a partition in coop to limit interactions between subject bird and balance of flock?

 

[HeidiN]

It’s not aggressive at all to the other birds. In fact it rarely forages with them, but stays off with one other pullet. Its not aggressive towards people, just much more flighty than the other pullets. It rarely comes to you, even for treats. And it will give a solid peck on your arm if you pick it up, which we have had to do, to dress wounds when back feathers got pecked out. Even drew blood on my arm and my kid’s a couple times.

 

[HeidiN]

It is a pullet. I keep American Dominiques and have done so for about 10 years.

What age do doms typically start laying? It seems like they should be laying by now, our orpington of the same age has been laying for over a month now.

 

[centrarchid]

Mine start in the 6 to 8 month range. They take longer when light levels lower.

Do you have access to live meal worms?

 

[HeidiN]

Mine start in the 6 to 8 month range. They take longer when light levels lower.

Do you have access to live meal worms?

They free range about 75% of the time, lots of grasshoppers right now, and whatever other bugs they find in the dirt. We have dried soldier fly larvae that we give as treats.