The Bishop Don Juan (our EE roo) bit my foot the yesterday as I was 'swooshing' him into the coop. A full deliberate bite that actually hurt. I thought he was a well behaved roo - 13 weeks old - but seems he may be turning to the dark side. Normally I'd just keep my distance, but I have a 1 1/2 year old that loves to feed and play with the hens and I dont want her to get bit too. Will people still buy a roo on craigslist that isnt too nice? Should he become a broiler? -- what age do I keep him until he goes to freezer camp?
We had a Rhode Island Red rooster that was so mean you could not go in the yard without something to defend yourself, huge spurs and I still have scars to this day. Only one we have ever had that was psycho and we offered it free to a neighbor and as a pet with no hens it is all sweet and lovable now Anyway he started out just biting and doing the rooster growl too, but quickly was out of control and soup pot bound if we couldn't find a taker for him.
Yikes! I may be practicing culling after all... I just wanted a few laying hens, never thought I would be chopping heads in the backyard... Ill see if I have what it takes. I guess I have to do one and see if I can before I can get any meat birds to raise.
It's your call on what you do with your chickens. I have 16 pullets that are 18 weeks old & they bite me sometimes. I just thump em back on their heads.I did the same with my roo when he bit me. He hasn't bit me since. I figure their just checking me out. They learn not to do this atleast mine have.
His hormones are just kicking in. All of my roos have gone through a demonic stage, they usually calm down at about a year old. They stop biting before that if you assert dominance every time he does it. Just scoop him up and hold him until he stops struggling. A tug on the tail feathers (not hard) when he learns to do run by bites is also effective. Some roos will never learn but I think yours is too young to tell yet. If he tries to spur you, that is a whole different story. My BO was nasty for a few months but he never tried to spur. My other little biter is now a lap roo. They both challenge me from time to time......they do so by untying my shoe ..... I can live with that. Edited to say: I just reread and saw that you have a small child. I would get rid of the rooster. I wouldn't even trust a "nice" one around a baby.
Some may snap out of it but some don't, I agree if there is a small child in the home that the roo should probably go. I was just bit the other day by a cockerel about 16 weeks old who latched onto my inner wrist like a pit bull, I had to pry his head off my arm squeezing him while I pried so he would let go. I held him really tight for about 10 minutes batting his beak telling him no biting, the next night I went to grab for him to put him on the roost and he didn't even think about biting me then.
Our birds will be 5 months on July 4th. Our Cochin "boss" Wyatt Earp has always been so cool and mellow. The kids and I roam freely in the yard. I feed, pet and pick up my girls. (I leave him alone just cause) My step son who is seldom here and 14 years old tried to pick up Wyatts favorite girl last night and when she yelled for help he cam RUNNING, pecked the boy on the foot and was flapping trying to jump on him. Boy dropped chicken and ran! Rooster ran after him about 20 yards. Boy stopped touching chickens and all was back to normal the rest of the night. I am hoping this is just Wyatt doing his job and I should not expect any aggressive behavior. Hubby and I really feel like he was rescuing his girl. We will just not let him free range with the girls if company is over.
