Do I have an aggressive rooster?

[wallace707]

My 5 mo old roo over the weekend pecked my 3 yo daughter in the face. He was doing that wing down side stepping dominance dance (that's what I call it... Only had chickens for about 9 months) and then jumped up at her. We were out there yesterday and he danced over to her again and then ran after her when she moved away. Do is he bring mean or just trying to show dominance? He does it to me when I'm squatted down but has never pecked me and he lets me rub his chest ALOT.... He's just so big I'm scared he will hurt someone. Advice?!

 

[CochinLover1]

That does sound like the beginning of an aggressive rooster. My recommendation is to not look at him or pick him up. Also, do not let him mount any of your hens in front of you. That is a tell tale that he thinks he's dominant. YOU are dominant, therefore knock him off (gently) when he mounts a hen in front of you. Dominant roosters will knock off the mounting inferior rooster.

 

[wallace707]

There is only one hen he is with, I have an 9 mo old silkie hen and a 3 mo old pair of silkies that he just stalks outside of their pen.... I let them out together once and he immediately jumped on the young rooster and hen and I couldn't handle it so he hasn't had access to them other than seeing them in their run. I didn't know if he would hurt them or just dominate but he's an amerucauna mix and seems huge to me..... Just not sure if I should get rid of him

 

[CochinLover1]

If he's hurting your kids, I'd recommend it. We do not keep any aggressive animals on our farm. Especially aggressive roosters. I recommend learning how to clean him, nothing tastes better than your own chicken I tell you. That way, he fed your family, and you did not give him to someone else to worry about.

 

[Clucka]

That does sound like the beginning of an aggressive rooster. My recommendation is to not look at him or pick him up. Also, do not let him mount any of your hens in front of you. That is a tell tale that he thinks he's dominant. YOU are dominant, therefore knock him off (gently) when he mounts a hen in front of you. Dominant roosters will knock off the mounting inferior rooster.

I (personally) haven't thought of this and my rooster mounts hens in front of me. I have few problems. In fact my two silkie boys will try to knock my big welsummer rooster of the hens. Our wellie roo is dominate, the silkie Roos are a couple of gang members. (They also continue to try to mount the hens. They scream bloody murder when they do. our hens are basically silent when "Big Daddy" mounts them).

But every Rooster is different. Ours does that "come at me!" Dance. I usually ignore him and can let him.
I don't think Wallace707's rooster is aggressive. I had to deal with an aggressive one, he didn't even dance, he would just go right to the kicking, and I couldn't touch him either! At any point!

My advice would be to get it in the roosters head that your daughter is above him, show him that he is below you and your daughter.

Just wondering.... What did your daughter do when your rooster "danced" towards her?

P.S. I pick up my rooster all the time and he isn't aggressive at all. Just saying. But every rooster is different...

 

[Clucka]

If he's hurting your kids, I'd recommend it. We do not keep any aggressive animals on our farm. Especially aggressive roosters. I recommend learning how to clean him, nothing tastes better than your own chicken I tell you. That way, he fed your family, and you did not give him to someone else to worry about.

I do agree that if he is hurting your kids then he has to go. Bantam Roos are better if you have small kids around

 

[CochinLover1]

I (personally) haven't thought of this and my rooster mounts hens in front of me. I have few problems. In fact my two silkie boys will try to knock my big welsummer rooster of the hens. Our wellie roo is dominate, the silkie Roos are a couple of gang members. (They also continue to try to mount the hens. They scream bloody murder when they do. our hens are basically silent when "Big Daddy" mounts them).

But every Rooster is different. Ours does that "come at me!" Dance. I usually ignore him and can let him.
I don't think Wallace707's rooster is aggressive. I had to deal with an aggressive one, he didn't even dance, he would just go right to the kicking, and I couldn't touch him either! At any point!

My advice would be to get it in the roosters head that your daughter is above him, show him that he is below you and your daughter.

Just wondering.... What did your daughter do when your rooster "danced" towards her?

P.S. I pick up my rooster all the time and he isn't aggressive at all. Just saying. But every rooster is different...

Every rooster is different. I recommend not picking up aggressive ones though. Mine always seems to make mine more agitated (and i have had LOTS of roosters turn on me before...but they tasted good) It's your call really, sometimes picking them up intimidates them.

 

[wallace707]

I didn't see what he did until he jumped up at her,i was a few feet away but she said she was trying to feed him (which we always do, I have had him and the hen since a few days old) and she said he kept scooting towards her (I'm thinking the dominant dance) then he jumped at her face, she has a thick surface scratches below her eye). I haven't seen him mount the hen he's always with but I think he tried to do the little silkie hen the one day and just kept going after her when she tried to run. I'm not about rehoming him, I don't think I can eat him though as these are our "pets" but can someone tell me the NEED for him? Especially if I can't let the other chickens out without him attacking them so to speak? Seriously newbie here so tell me what I need to know.

 

[CochinLover1]

he will protect your hens.

 

[CochinLover1]

For your "need". If he's a pet, just work with him the best you can.