Cockerel Getting Aggressive Sometimes

[The Dim Side]

Hi! My cockerel is around 15 weeks old. And recently, normally during sunrise and sunset I think, he's been more aggressive to my boyfriend. (He also hops on the pullets [same age as him] periodically and pulls on their feathers. Is that normal behavior or excessively aggressive?)

I'm not usually around when it happens, so we haven't been sure if it's to any person or just to BF or what. But this evening, I went into the fenced-in area after he picked on one of the others, and he seemed okay till my boyfriend came up. The cockerel followed him as BF walked around the fence and looked like he was getting ready to jump BF or something. I kind of shooed him a bit just by walking up near him, and at one point, he looked back at my shoes and looked like he was considering attacking them. I took a step back, and he lost interest but seemed to go back at my boyfriend to follow him around the fence. So is it hormones causing this? Will this behavior get worse, or is it more or less normal, protective behavior? And why does it seem like he's more okay with me (for now) compared to BF? Testosterone thing?

Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

He's thinking bad thoughts, and may or may not turn out to be okay.
Do some reading; @Beekissed , @BantyChooks , and @Shadrach all have good articles about rooster behavior. Shadrack has a very different management set-up, so not as pertinent to most of our smaller places and flocks.
Always walk 'through' your flock, never back up or walk around any of them! You are the giants who bring food, not another flock member who can be intimidated. If your cockerel thinks he can push you around, it won't end well. The best roosters spend their time interacting with their flockmates and looking out for danger, not paying attention to, or going after, humans.
Human aggression is both due to genetics, and then management matters. You can't fix his genetics!
It's possible that he will work out for you, maybe.
Mary

 

[aart]

He's thinking bad thoughts, and may or may not turn out to be okay.

The BF, not the cockerel.
Kidding, kinda.... but animals do react to humans demeanor.
If human is nervous, it can provoke a reaction from bird.

 

[MTR]

If he’s aggressive he’s only good for the pot. Especially if there are kids around. I don’t fool around with aggressive roosters. People try to “train” them but your trying to train out there genetic instinct.

 

[aart]

So I think BF letting the rooster "chase" him away initially (and a few times since then) has given the rooster the idea that he can try and intimidate BF.

More than likely, yes....and I'd bet your BF is anticipating an attack and the bird feels that.
This is one of the hardest things to learn/teach, and do even if you know.
You've got to stay cool, calm and collected.

It mainly seems to be at sunset though, too, so I don't know if it's a territorial/hormonal thing with another male or something?

I've noticed that early morning and evening are times of increased mating activity.

 

[aart]

One question I don't think anyone addressed yet, is his mounting on the pullets normal behavior for this age? Or is this aggressiveness? I'm not sure what to chock up to just hormones and growing (16 weeks old) or to aggression.

Yes, it's normal.
Some are much more aggressive about it.
Grabbing the neck and trying to hop on but letting them go pretty quickly is one thing,
if they don't let up and chase them down and never give up, that's too much.

 

[Folly's place]

Short people (children) tend to run around and be loud, all behaviors not appreciated by many birds, at least. And because the children are short, it's easier for them to be attacked in the face, and eyeballs. Dangerous!
Chasing birds is fun, except it just isn't good. At all.
And many of us start with chickens and make excuses for cockerels who behave badly. Most of us get over it over time. Our first rooster was a little monster!
Mary

 

[demonic]

Hi! My cockerel is around 15 weeks old. And recently, normally during sunrise and sunset I think, he's been more aggressive to my boyfriend. (He also hops on the pullets [same age as him] periodically and pulls on their feathers. Is that normal behavior or excessively aggressive?)

I'm not usually around when it happens, so we haven't been sure if it's to any person or just to BF or what. But this evening, I went into the fenced-in area after he picked on one of the others, and he seemed okay till my boyfriend came up. The cockerel followed him as BF walked around the fence and looked like he was getting ready to jump BF or something. I kind of shooed him a bit just by walking up near him, and at one point, he looked back at my shoes and looked like he was considering attacking them. I took a step back, and he lost interest but seemed to go back at my boyfriend to follow him around the fence. So is it hormones causing this? Will this behavior get worse, or is it more or less normal, protective behavior? And why does it seem like he's more okay with me (for now) compared to BF? Testosterone thing?

Thanks!

I know this is late but I had a rooster kind of similar except my rooster never attacked people. during sunrise and sunset, when we opened and closed the coop, he became extra hormonal and was crazy for the hens. As soon as we opened the coop he would choose a hen and chase her around for 5 minutes and she would hide. This would go on for a little and after a while he would stop going crazy but go crazy again when the sun was setting. However, 15 weeks is young. Mines only started doing this at around 7 months.

 

[The Dim Side]

I know this is late but I had a rooster kind of similar except my rooster never attacked people. during sunrise and sunset, when we opened and closed the coop, he became extra hormonal and was crazy for the hens. As soon as we opened the coop he would choose a hen and chase her around for 5 minutes and she would hide. This would go on for a little and after a while he would stop going crazy but go crazy again when the sun was setting. However, 15 weeks is young. Mines only started doing this at around 7 months.

That information is helpful! Thank you! I guess then he's about 3 months younger, but maybe it's just because of the time of year? But it does seem to mainly happen at sunset, and maybe sunrise, but I'm not the one who gets up that early to let them out, hahaha.

Yes, it's normal.
Some are much more aggressive about it.
Grabbing the neck and trying to hop on but letting them go pretty quickly is one thing,
if they don't let up and chase them down and never give up, that's too much.

Hmm, I'm not sure at what point he is. He might be a little in between at the moment, the pullets seem to get away after a bit, but he was chasing them down for a while. But again, it seems like it's mainly at sunset when he gets that worked up.


I have confirmed that the aggression to people is just toward BF though. My dad came by yesterday and walked up to the fence by the rooster, and the rooster looked at my dad and then turned away and pretended to eat, lol. And tonight, BF went to close up the coop, and the rooster charged out of there and chased BF out of the pen. I went in and "scolded" the rooster and told him to go to bed, and he listened and didn't give me any guff. So I think BF letting the rooster "chase" him away initially (and a few times since then) has given the rooster the idea that he can try and intimidate BF. It mainly seems to be at sunset though, too, so I don't know if it's a territorial/hormonal thing with another male or something?

 

[The Dim Side]

He's thinking bad thoughts, and may or may not turn out to be okay.
Do some reading; @Beekissed , @BantyChooks , and @Shadrach all have good articles about rooster behavior. Shadrack has a very different management set-up, so not as pertinent to most of our smaller places and flocks.
Always walk 'through' your flock, never back up or walk around any of them! You are the giants who bring food, not another flock member who can be intimidated. If your cockerel thinks he can push you around, it won't end well. The best roosters spend their time interacting with their flockmates and looking out for danger, not paying attention to, or going after, humans.
Human aggression is both due to genetics, and then management matters. You can't fix his genetics!
It's possible that he will work out for you, maybe.
Mary

Thank you for the references! And he's generally good about warning the flock if he sees any danger and just keeps an eye on them. His mounting them and demeanor toward my boyfriend are fairly recent. Since he seems pretty okay with me still (even this morning, I just fed him some feed from my hand), I wonder if maybe he sees BF as competition or something, lol.