Cockerel aggression - what are my chances?

[Malkaris]

Please don't subject yourself, your pullets or any of your family members to this continual threat. Consider what could happen if someone with a young child approaches and is attacked - NOT WORTH IT. Some will say let him mature and so on- but in my book a cockerel that is willing to invade my space to bite me, much less draw blood - that's a done deal. no-go, no if ands or buts. If they're willing to take him back in a trade, that makes it easier - but

I'm also going to point out a little biosecurity red flag here along with a potential integration issue. On the biosecurity front, everyone's ground is a little different, and I mean the very dirt our feathered friends kick around - depending on what wildlife frequents the area and so on, the immunity their birds raised on their property have built up might differ from your birds, and as such your birds may make the new bird sick or vice versa, not because any chickens were sick to begin with, but because they've developed immunity based on their environment.
If they're willing to take the cockerel back and trade you a pullet, it sounds good - but please consider that the exchanged pullet will have grown up on different dirt and may have immune system differences - and if they'll take back your problem cockerel ... they've likely taken back others too, which heightens the risk of something from someone else's flock being brought along with the exchange pullet. If I add birds from someone else's flock, they're chicks whose feet have never touched the ground.

From an integration standpoint, adding just one hen might start a whole other problem - it's notoriously difficult to add a single bird, especially in confined spaces.

So ... end of novel - if you're not up to 'doing the deed' and prefer to hand him back, do that- but I would forgo the exchange pullet. You can always do another hatch later ... and really you lucked out getting just the one cockerel to begin with, so you're ahead of the game already!

That's a good point actually - thanks for bringing it up.
The other birds don't live super far away but definitely a wilder and differently. I was worried about different parasites but immunity is definitely something to consider.

I'd be getting my hen's sister but I doubt they'd remember each other so that wouldn't really matter.

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I've been reading BantyChooks' article "A Viewpoint on Managing Roosters" and wondering what I could do and where I went wrong. But he takes up a huge chunk of the time I have for chickens.

 

[aart]

The place I got him from is willing to take him back and provide a pullet (another challenge?).

Just give him back, adding in another pullet is whole other learning curve.

 

[BGcoop]

The comments on here have made me feel so much better
I recently bought a Rhode Island Rooster
Hand reared and from someone who advertised how nice he was
I have never owned a rooster before
He came in a cardboard box on the pet bus
He was very handsome and must have been relieved to get out
I put him in with my Orpington and shavers and they looked happy to see him
He was out of the run when I arrived next morning to feed them so I opened the gate to let him back in with the hens
You would think he would be pleased but he flew at me and attacked my leg !! Wow it hurt ☹ every day after that he seemed to be waiting for me and viciously attacked me
my son in law re homed him in the end advising that he was protective of his hens and needed an experienced handler
Anyway all this is to ask you experienced chicken owners plz ,Are All Roosters Aggresive like this ?

No not ALL are aggressive. A fair number can be especially as they go through their “teenage years” where hormones are raging. they really are just “doing their job”, but they can be dangerous to those unaware or children. And there are enough nice roosters that many people won’t put up with bad behavior. There are some breeds that are known to be more aggressive than others but it really just all depends on the individual bird how it is going to act.

 

[Sally PB]

The only time one of my birds got out was when I still had the two cockerels that I have since culled. Shortly before I culled them, the same pullet made a run for it as I came in the door. I was able to catch her, thank goodness, both times.

Since it's been down to one cockerel, nobody has ever tried to get out the door, even though they are waiting eagerly for me when I go down to the run.

It was difficult to cull the two birds. I cried. Hard. As much as they had to go, it wasn't their fault they were born male.

 

[Malkaris]

The only time one of my birds got out was when I still had the two cockerels that I have since culled. Shortly before I culled them, the same pullet made a run for it as I came in the door. I was able to catch her, thank goodness, both times.

It was difficult to cull the two birds. I cried. Hard. As much as they had to go, it wasn't their fault they were born male.

I 100% sympathize. I think that's my issue too - there are interesting aspects to this bird and his personality beyond being a bitey mcbiteface. He came charging at me yesterday but tripped over a flower pot! And he probably wouldn't exist if I hadn't wanted chickens. It isn't his fault he was born a male - and maybe if he had been raised around full-grown roosters and hens he'd have better manners - which is my fault too.

But maybe he'd still be a jerk too. He's super aggressive and where he can learn you'd think he'd learn to behave a bit. He's ridiculously time consuming, and comes to the door and crows all day, he still bites me and trys to bite when I'm putting down his food, and is so rough with the pullets that I can't have them together. He chases other pets, so would need his own coop and run, and what kind of life will he have alone? Especially in winter...

And he may have a perfectly good life where he came from... I'm scared to ask tho lol.


Edit: I just know there are tons of people here wondering why this thread is more than 2-4 posts long!!

 

[Malkaris]

Just give him back, adding in another pullet is whole other learning curve.

Fair point. It would be chipping at my daily goal for eggs potentially is all.

 

[Malkaris]

Here's another question: has anyone else encountered a cockerel that gets extra aggressive at a certain time of day? Say late afternoon or evening?

 

[Ceeker]

The comments on here have made me feel so much better
I recently bought a Rhode Island Rooster
Hand reared and from someone who advertised how nice he was
I have never owned a rooster before
He came in a cardboard box on the pet bus
He was very handsome and must have been relieved to get out
I put him in with my Orpington and shavers and they looked happy to see him
He was out of the run when I arrived next morning to feed them so I opened the gate to let him back in with the hens
You would think he would be pleased but he flew at me and attacked my leg !! Wow it hurt every day after that he seemed to be waiting for me and viciously attacked me
my son in law re homed him in the end advising that he was protective of his hens and needed an experienced handler
Anyway all this is to ask you experienced chicken owners plz ,Are All Roosters Aggresive like this ?

 

[Malkaris]

There are cockerels and adult roosters who spend their time paying attention to their flockmates, and watching out for predators, and that's what should be happening.
Then there are idiots who would rather spend time stalking and attacking the giants who bring food every day, and that's just not what they should be doing. This behavior is both (mostly) genetic, and then somewhat a management issue, often not fixable.
The fighting bird people selected for extreme intraspecies aggression (cock fighting!) and no human aggression, and so that's how those birds mostly behave. Genetics!
Some breeds of chickens tend to have a higher % of human aggressive roosters than others, but it's still up to the individual cockerel; there are no doubt very sweet hatchery RIR roosters, and horrible Favorelles, but the trend is opposite. Nice Favorelles, for example, and nasty RIRs.
Parentage matters! Selecting for the temperament desired in breeding stock shows in offspring, not 100%, but it does show.
Mary

Exactly. I thought an OrpingtonxAustralorp raised over 2 months in my living room would be almost a pet.
I thought the early pecks were accidental - thinking something (like my lip apparently) was a treat.
But he's not guarding the hens well if he's on the opposite side of the house waiting to see if I come out the door so he can make a run at me.

RIR roosters don't have that greatest reputation in the world do they?

I wanted to post a pic now where....

 

[Folly's place]

I don't know about traditional RIR's, the deep red birds mostly from show breeders, but the orange hatchery birds seem to often be obnoxious roosters.
Mary