Cockerel suddenly aggressive after I was gone for a week

[jmb52]

Thank you all! I feel like my time with him when he was good opened my eyes to how a rooster can be a positive part of the flock, and I’m enjoying this conversation. I put my padded winter carhartt overalls and eye protection on yesterday, let him wail on me a bit, then backed him down, and today he did not confront me. But he has lost my trust. If it was just me, I might give him a little more of a chance, but not with my kids. The search to rehome him continues. Thank you all for your insights!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you all! I feel like my time with him when he was good opened my eyes to how a rooster can be a positive part of the flock, and I’m enjoying this conversation. I put my padded winter carhartt overalls and eye protection on yesterday, let him wail on me a bit, then backed him down, and today he did not confront me. But he has lost my trust. If it was just me, I might give him a little more of a chance, but not with my kids. The search to rehome him continues. Thank you all for your insights!

And thank YOU for listening to all the advice! So many peoole continue to make excuses and justify keeping a dangerous rooster for way too long. There are good ones out there - I know; my Rojo is a jewel. But his predecessor was of the "not so much" camp, and he had to go after he hurt me unprovoked.

 

[MROO]

Yeah, the more I try to read on this the more I’m aware that there seem to be two camps- those who don’t socialize/pet the rooster bc they get too familiar/comfortable and may challenge, and those who believe in a lot of interaction. It’s interesting. And then just throwing treats to them not the hens, and not petting or holding my hens… Are these just the games you need to play to pacify an aggressive rooster? If a rooster is not human aggressive can you avoid needing to do these things? If I have another roo in one of my chicks, I’d like to encourage him to be a good guy, but it seems there are a lot of conflicting opinions on how to do that (and if it’s even possible vs just going to come down to the bird’s personality and breeding)!

If you really want to try to keep your rooster, give this a read. It's the best advice I've come across, so far:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...er-becomes-dinner.844018/page-4#post-12626931

 

[McChooky]

Yeah, the more I try to read on this the more I’m aware that there seem to be two camps- those who don’t socialize/pet the rooster bc they get too familiar/comfortable and may challenge, and those who believe in a lot of interaction. It’s interesting. And then just throwing treats to them not the hens, and not petting or holding my hens… Are these just the games you need to play to pacify an aggressive rooster? If a rooster is not human aggressive can you avoid needing to do these things? If I have another roo in one of my chicks, I’d like to encourage him to be a good guy, but it seems there are a lot of conflicting opinions on how to do that (and if it’s even possible vs just going to come down to the bird’s personality and breeding)!

Roosters have to build up their nerve to attack you whether you notice any signs before or not .You haven't had him long enough to know him very well.Probably attacked his previous owner too

A cockerel was abandoned at my house earlier this summer. I’m not sure how old, he was pretty big but he wasn’t crowing yet. He was very endearing and not at all aggressive toward us so I decided to keep him, and integration with my 7 hens and 3 chicks being raised by a broody girl was going really well. He started crowing about two weeks ago. Would run up to me seemingly happy to see me and I had gotten him to the point of taking treats from my hand. Then last week I went on vacation, came back yesterday, and it’s like he’s a different rooster! He’s suddenly aggressive, and I swear bigger. My chicken sitter said he was aggressive toward him on the first and fifth day but otherwise ok, and he’s tried to come after me three times now since we got home last night. Today I thought we were doing better, he was mostly ignoring me while they free ranged, but then out of nowhere after I tossed treats to get them in for the night he came back out of the run at me. I feel like he’s crowing more when I’m around now, too. I’m using a round sled as a shield when near him and currently not letting our kids be outside if the chickens are out, which isn’t sustainable. Did my 8 day absence trigger this? Did he have a poorly timed surge of hormones while we were away? Is there any chance he’ll go back to being the way he was before and he just needs a few days, or does aggression tend to persist if it starts? I’m so sad! I have lost all trust in him and he makes me feel on edge now. Could things go back to how they were?? I took this pic of him a couple minutes before he attacked me last night for the first time. I feel like a switch flipped in him or something. View attachment 4190066

If my rooster gets too close I throw him in a cage .The farther away you keep them the more time you'll have to respond and defend yourself if they plan an attack .Roosters aren't known for playing fair.

 

[FrostRanger]

I would strongly advise culling rather than rehoming as aside from becoming the problem for whomever you give him to, if he breeds he will pass on his bad temperament to whatever chicks he fathers and if those chicks are sold or given away, what was your problem is now other people's problem

 

[McChooky]

And thank YOU for listening to all the advice! So many peoole continue to make excuses and justify keeping a dangerous rooster for way too long. There are good ones out there - I know; my Rojo is a jewel. But his predecessor was of the "not so much" camp, and he had to go after he hurt me unprovoked.

Raising cockerels and getting a good one is like winning the lottery