Difference Between Protection and Aggression in Young Roos

[aart]

I am reminded of my favorite rooster and his protective actions on the days that I dusted his hens. I was nearing the point where he wanted to take action but never did. A delicate balance of fertility, correct behavior and action on the part of the farmer that will flip his switch.

Had an experience like this. I picked up a hen, she squawked and cockerel came running into the coop but slid to a stop when he saw I had her.
He cocked his head at me(I swear I saw him nod and think OhOK haha!) and walked away.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I suspect Mike is getting old and feeling overwhelmed by his increasing responsibilities. Twenty-five hens, 15 of them juveniles, are more than he can keep up with. He attacked me from behind yesterday as I was tossing scratch out to both flocks, as I do, or my kid does, daily. I was surrounded by hens, young and old. I was between him and half the flock. I think he just perceived me as a rival. But regardless of what was going on in his head, I don't appreciate being nearly flogged and spurred, whatever the reason, and I know this would be terrifying to my kid. If he hadn't growled just before he launched, he would have gotten me pretty good!

 

[Roo5]

@BigBlueHen53
I own a 9 week old Easter egger who acts just like your boy, he’s crowing and standing off with me.The main key is catching a behavior before he’s too old/too late.Them being so young the most my boys do at this age stand with in aggression stance, I walk through them, and I also won’t allow in aggressive boy to get on my lamp.I broke my boy within about three days , he doesn’t get on my lap anymore and he doesn’t drop his wings tot he side nor threaten me with his vocals.

I have noticed sometimes the most dominant bird can show the most aggression due to fear of losing its spot, defiantly have watched and noticed this in a lotta dominant birds,escpecially my young Ee cockerel.Whilst all the chicks run up to each other and peck and cheat hump when they run up to him he flips out and gets dead serious no game playing, he rips feathers and combs and anything else,the more aggressive the less likely someone will test him.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks, @Roo5. I don't play with, cuddle or handle my birds unless I have to. It is my belief that it is unnatural and stressful to them. After all, the only reason anything in nature would pick up a chicken would be to carry it off, kill it and eat it. I know many people here will disagree with me, and their birds have been accustomed since hatchlings to being handled and that's great and I don't mean any criticism or disrespect to them. This is just how I am with my birds. I'm actually the same way with my cats and my dog. I'll hold and pet them if they come and ask for it but I won't grab them, I just don't. So, no roosters in my lap, lol. My rooster belongs on the ground. No assumed familiarity. Mike is 3 or 4 years old and this just started a couple of months ago and has been escalating.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Y'all, I think I may have discovered the problem.... turns out Mike has been intimidating my kid, whose job it is to gather eggs and toss out scratch every afternoon. I think it started out with a little threat and has escalated as my kid has backed down, and now Mike thinks he rules the roost. My kid has not said much to me about it. When he mentioned it a couple months ago, I watched to see what was happening. After that I gave the kid a towel and told him to swing it at Mike hard if he did it again. I watched for the next few days and that seemed to work and I never heard any more about it so I thought the problem was resolved.

Apparently not.

 

[aart]

Huh, that's interesting.
Reminds me of a dog I had, she was sweet with everyone
(except that one guy I was dating for a very short time who got deep growls)
she was never aggressive to anyone until the new mail carrier who was terrified of her. She picked up on that terror and started barking and lunging at him, then she started to do it to other people...

....until the day a person walking down the street chewed her out big time, told her to go home and shut the hell up in no uncertain terms. She ran back with tail between legs, it was kinda hilarious and I thanked the person, and never threatened another person again.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I'd wait and see. I have always had roosters for protection of the hens because unfortunately I have to work and they are alone outside. I would love to sit in a chair with the .22 and a beer and supervise all day. My rooster I have now has attacked me, but he doesn't do it every time. I am going to cull him, but have not yet. So because I have not culled him, I have noticed if something scares a hen he runs as fast as he can tripping over things and jumping over tree branches to get to that hen. I like that cause he's doing his job. I also noticed if a hen is scared/causing a scene and I stand still he doesn't see me as the threat that scared the hen. So I am in this dilemma also.. I love his traits, but I have had MUCH better roosters and much worse too..

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I would never have thought that a rooster could hurt me as bad as Mike did today. CAUTION: This tale ends badly for Mike, and is moderately graphic. We had been on the road all day, picking The Kid up from camp. Got home, went out to open gates for the chickens (some of them free range) and toss out scratch. When I had my back turned, Mike (the rooster) ran up behind me, this time without warning, and flogged and spurred the back of my bare calves once, hard - I was wearing Capris. It hurt and shocked the snot out of me! I turned around and swung at him with my cane but he came at me and SMACKED me hard with his beak, flogging me again. It felt like getting smacked just under the knee with a bat! I could not believe he could hit me that hard with his beak! I knew I was both bruised and bleeding. I swung at him again and we went at it a few rounds. I am frankly amazed his head didn't go flying, I was that mad. I came in the house crying like a little girl and put ice on my knee. DH and I took care of him after sundown. So, to @Chelsa'sChicks and anyone else dealing with a questionable roo, I would just say, "a word to the wise is sufficient." That's my story and I'm done.

Edited, as usual, to correct typo.

 

[starri33]

@BigBlueHen53 , I "had" a roo who only drew blood once, he was shown a couple of times who was boss, but he insisted on continuing, he now resides in my freezer, his son has started acting like he wants to get stupid.. he will find himself in the freezer as well.

 

[Folly's place]

Human aggressive roosters aren't worth keeping, and certainly can be dangerous. Who needs it? Not me! Sorry you got hurt; it's one of those events that won't ever happen again, I hope. I learned too...
Mary