Does dubbing a rooster change behavior?

[6 littleHens]

Hello,
Just wanted to know if dubbing my rooster will decrease his aggression? I have to consider it anyway for frostbite prevention. Keep in mind, I didn't grow up on a farm, I'm not a breeder/shower, and I don't raise for meat. Just a country gal who loves animals and eats eggs. Advice would be appreciated!
I have a few options:
1. Hypnosis for behavior management (probably effective temporarily)
2. Place red band on leg ( study done for ID marking showed that other chickens were aggressive towards the one marked) to change social status
3.Dub (depending on your answer)
4.Neuter
5 Rehome
6.Cull
Tammy

 

[speckledhen]

Are we talking aggressive to humans here? Wasn't sure what you meant. I've never seen any bird who was aggressive enough to other birds to want to get rid of it--that is normal pecking order.

Hypnosis? Um, never heard of that and I'd say no way. Were you kidding?

Red band on leg will not change his behavior.

Dubbing will not change his aggression.

Neutering is expensive if you have someone else do it. I wouldn't do that.

Rehoming is not advisable unless you find someone who wants a human-aggressive rooster. Temperament is heritable so I simply will not keep a human aggressive rooster.

Cull is the best option, IMO. I've never been able to really change the behavior of a mature rooster who is flogging and being aggressive toward humans. If they are very, very young, pre-mating age, maybe, if it's just boundary-testing, like biting, but flogging roosters don't get to stay.

 

[6 littleHens]

I got a belgium d'uccle at Royal King March 20th. He was just a chick. So, he's at least 4 months old. He is human aggressive and he flogs. And, I think he is already mating with the barred rock hens. Of course this is all new to me, but it looks like his practice attempts are now perfected. All the resources say that belgium d'uccles are the most docile roosters, but of course there are some in most breeds.

I read a linked article on here about a woman that tamed a wild aggressive rooster by hypnotizing him and read another article online about a study with ID bands and markers for poultry foul that changed behavior of the other chickens towards the one with the red ID band, therefore stressing it out and changing it's social status. Just thought it might work and it really couldn't hurt. And, no, I wouldn't allow him any children with that disposition.

I'm just studying and learning all I can for answers.

Thanks
Tammy

 

[speckledhen]

Well, he didn't read his breed manual. Neither did the one I owned, either. The only D'Uccle rooster I ever had was also a flogger. Bad hatchery stock, I guess. Now, the Belgian D'Anvers are known to be nasty little buggars and I have one right now who'd sooner peck your face off as look at you.

You won't be changing your boy's behavior, in my opinion.

 

[NYREDS]

I got a belgium d'uccle at Royal King March 20th. He was just a chick. So, he's at least 4 months old. He is human aggressive and he flogs. And, I think he is already mating with the barred rock hens. Of course this is all new to me, but it looks like his practice attempts are now perfected. All the resources say that belgium d'uccles are the most docile roosters, but of course there are some in most breeds.

I read a linked article on here about a woman that tamed a wild aggressive rooster by hypnotizing him and read another article online about a study with ID bands and markers for poultry foul that changed behavior of the other chickens towards the one with the red ID band, therefore stressing it out and changing it's social status. Just thought it might work and it really couldn't hurt. And, no, I wouldn't allow him any children with that disposition.

I'm just studying and learning all I can for answers.

Thanks
Tammy

You will read all sorts of things here & on other websites that are less than valid. Chicken Hypnosis certainly falls into that category. I use coloured &/or numbered leg bands to identify birds routinely & have never seen anything to indicate that the presense of leg bands affected behavior toward the banded bird. I'd love to see the methodology of that "study".
Dubbing doesn't affect behavior & neutering doesn't make sense as he'd no longer be useful as a rooster so why have him.
Frankly, if you don't plan to breed there's no real reason to keep a rooster around. He'll eat but not contribute.
To clarify one point; temperment CAN be an inherited trait but it is not uniformly so.

 

[speckledhen]

You will read all sorts of things here & on other websites that are less than valid. Chicken Hypnosis certainly falls into that category. I use coloured &/or numbered leg bands to identify birds routinely & have never seen anything to indicate that the presense of leg bands affected behavior toward the banded bird. I'd love to see the methodology of that "study".
Dubbing doesn't affect behavior & neutering doesn't make sense as he'd no longer be useful as a rooster so why have him.
Frankly, if you don't plan to breed there's no real reason to keep a rooster around. He'll eat but not contribute.
To clarify one point; temperment CAN be an inherited trait but it is not uniformly so.

I would agree with all that.

 

[6 littleHens]

Thanks, to both speckledhen and NYREDS!

Tammy

 

[Pele]

I have to agree with the previous posts, if a rooster is truely human aggressive, just get rid of him. The entire point of domesticated animals is that they are non-aggressive towards humans and cohabitate with them. If your rooster can't do that, he has undesirable traits and should be removed from breeding more like himself.

There are plent other roos out there that are not human aggressive and would just love the chance to woo your girls. Give em a chance!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

You can neuter a rooster??!!

As for the leg band- Are you sure? I've heard zebra finches can have a better or worse chance of finding a mate depending on a leg band, did you get hear about that and get confused it was social then figure chickens could? Just wondering..


Culling seems the road to go- sure he'll be tasty!

 

[Pele]

You can neuter a rooster??!!

As for the leg band- Are you sure? I've heard zebra finches can have a better or worse chance of finding a mate depending on a leg band, did you get hear about that and get confused it was social then figure chickens could? Just wondering..


Culling seems the road to go- sure he'll be tasty!

You can, it used to be all the rage in Victorian times, for whatever reason. However, it's a very risky proceedure to the bird, since the target organs are actually located deep in the body cavity, close to the spine. Additionally, it's very easy not to get everything on the first try, and have the bird regenerate the organs off of what you missed.

And all of that is only if you can find someone who A.) is trained in it (super unlikely, since nobody does it anymore) and B.) is willing to do it (again, high risk surgery since birds are extremely difficult to aneasthetize properly)