cockerel personality change

[Studio2770]

Our 11 week old cochin cockerel Oliver always runs away when I try to pick him up and it's so tiring trying to catch him. He wasn't like this before. We've always snuggled with him as a little chick. Any ideas why?

 

[chooks4life]

Has anything happened to shake his trust in humans?

I would move slowly with him, handfeed him treats, not walk directly towards him, and watch my body language around him. He might be thinking he's being aggressively approached when in fact you're just walking about minding your own.

There's a chance this is only a temporary phase due to puberty, but if it persists and he won't tame again despite your efforts, then he might not be great breeding stock unless you don't mind working with flighty poultry. Some don't mind, but I do.

Some chickens are human-averse without due cause from a young age, some others adopt that mentality as they grow. I don't appreciate it, since a spacky chicken tends to breed more of its sort which makes it hard to handle and treat the individual as well as running a risk of that bird inciting others to panic around humans. I've had the occasional rooster that I've culled for making the 'beware' and 'predator' alarm vocalizations whenever I approached the coop or the flock. A human-averse bird can turn friendly ones against you. It makes tending the flock difficult, which is a risk to their well-being.

I would work on regaining his trust and friendliness and hopefully he'll settle down again.

Best wishes.

 

[Studio2770]

Not really, him and the other cochin and EE chicks get picked on by the older ones, so maybe that's why. He was in a corner of the run to stay away from 2 head pullets and I went in to get him and petted him gently and put him in the coop. I'll try to rebuild the bridge between us whether it was broken because of us, the older chickens, or hormones.

 

[chooks4life]

Best wishes with regaining trust and I hope he settles down again.

 

[Studio2770]

Thanks, he's looking SO handsome! I'll try to get some pictures. He tried crowing 2-3 times this morning, but the older ones put him to shame with all their clucking and screaming!

Today they were LOUD!

 

[sherry36]

My cockerel who is 6 months, is aggressive and attacks me and others. I have 15 hens and no other roosters. I do not care about having chicks. What do I do? He is a beautiful Ameraucana.

 

[donrae]

Roosters really aren't wired to be pets. Aggressive roosters are not to be tolerated and should be culled.

 

[sherry36]

Thanks so much for your reply. I am new to raising chickens. I am enjoying it so much.

Sherry36

 

[Studio2770]

Well, my mom was the one who told me that Oliver crowed and now I doubt that. Right now she woke me up saying he kept cock a doodling. I heard the noise before I got outside and it sounded familiar. Sure enough, it was the older ones whining to be let our. Oliver and his girls were hiding in a nesting box. So I doubt he has even made a peep.

 

[chooks4life]

I expect you'll see a change in behavior when he's crowing regularly. Also you'll likely hear some embarrassing practice crows or neck-wringing noises before he belts out a real one.