I got a nasty rooster, need some advice, and the stew pot is not a answer!
I have always told my 10 year old that we will never keep a naughty rooster. They get a new home, a 1 pound banty is not much for stewin.
The banties are our daughters. She knew that getting the trio of adult Dutch she would be getting birds she could breed and hopefully show. That not all of her chickens would be her pets too, to get a quality bird sometimes meant getting a adult with possible temperment risks.
Get ready to read the "tail" of Dr. Evil and how he got his name.
However, we now have a nasty one, and paid good money for him to boot! Shipped in a tri of quality Dutch from a breeder, the roo was about 9 months old. We were told he was never really handled but had never shown any aggression, the breeder did admit he did bite her when she put him into the shipping box.
At the time I thought, well he was scared and thats why he bit. When he arrived we kept him in single cage without the hens for awhile, breeders recomdation. He was very scared but once caught did not try to fight when he was held. This "sweet" stage did not last long, first he started to bite when held so I would hold him where he could not get me. Then he moved onto being aggressive as soon as the door to cage opened. I got hubby involved as I did not want him knowing he could get the better of us, I could not even open the door to change his water.
We thought that he would be happier in more space and with some ladies. His feathers had much cage wear so I am sure he never had much space. We let him have a 4x6 breeder pen with 6' height. He loved having ladies and high perches. However, he got even nastier. Now he was not only protective of his house but also his ladies!
There was no way to even enter the cage during the day, he would be flying and flapping ready to bite and hang on for dear life. Hubby, who is a leather worker, made a leather arm guard just like to a falcon, so that he could handle Dr. Evil without being bit up. The more you tri to avoid the beak the more he was determined to get you and he bites hard and hangs on.
Trying to take a different approach on roosters, we did not try the typical naughty rooster tricks, holding him upside down, chasing him, ect.
Hubby would go into his pen at least once a day and catch the little devil and hold him quietly, stroking him, when and only when he quit squirming he would set him down.
He finally figured out that it was not too much fun biting the leather, but if you had bear arm and hand that was different.
During all this time I would bring him and his ladies green treats from the yard, he loves it and is very good about sharing with his girls. He finally figured out that treats were worth having his door opened part way for as long as I did not dare cross the pen threshold with my foot. The flying and thrashing would begin then.
By now Dr. Evil and his girls also have a small outside pen, this is the best life he has had and yet he is a little 1 pound stinker!
I have finally gotten sick of not being able to enter the cage to feed, water, collect his girls eggs without a major commotion. I have braved it and enter without hesitation, face the thrashing and do my chicken thing. He actually does not really do anything but leave a few scratches. I even do it now in shorts and flip flops but it is really annoying, I mean come on I am the one bringing you food.
His nature I think is not aggressive, he is kind to his girls. We have 6 Dutch cockerals and Pullets which have several times ventured into his pen while I was rooster battling. The first time I thought, oh my gosh there is going to be a blood bath with the 3 month old cock. He did not do anything, and let the little intruders share his clovers.
So any ideas of gaining some respect from this little stinker?
Were not looking at him being a safe roo for our daughter to play with but would like for him to not attack a judge at a show and it would be reall nice to enter his house without being having your ankles attacked!
I have always told my 10 year old that we will never keep a naughty rooster. They get a new home, a 1 pound banty is not much for stewin.
The banties are our daughters. She knew that getting the trio of adult Dutch she would be getting birds she could breed and hopefully show. That not all of her chickens would be her pets too, to get a quality bird sometimes meant getting a adult with possible temperment risks.
Get ready to read the "tail" of Dr. Evil and how he got his name.
However, we now have a nasty one, and paid good money for him to boot! Shipped in a tri of quality Dutch from a breeder, the roo was about 9 months old. We were told he was never really handled but had never shown any aggression, the breeder did admit he did bite her when she put him into the shipping box.
At the time I thought, well he was scared and thats why he bit. When he arrived we kept him in single cage without the hens for awhile, breeders recomdation. He was very scared but once caught did not try to fight when he was held. This "sweet" stage did not last long, first he started to bite when held so I would hold him where he could not get me. Then he moved onto being aggressive as soon as the door to cage opened. I got hubby involved as I did not want him knowing he could get the better of us, I could not even open the door to change his water.
We thought that he would be happier in more space and with some ladies. His feathers had much cage wear so I am sure he never had much space. We let him have a 4x6 breeder pen with 6' height. He loved having ladies and high perches. However, he got even nastier. Now he was not only protective of his house but also his ladies!
There was no way to even enter the cage during the day, he would be flying and flapping ready to bite and hang on for dear life. Hubby, who is a leather worker, made a leather arm guard just like to a falcon, so that he could handle Dr. Evil without being bit up. The more you tri to avoid the beak the more he was determined to get you and he bites hard and hangs on.
Trying to take a different approach on roosters, we did not try the typical naughty rooster tricks, holding him upside down, chasing him, ect.
Hubby would go into his pen at least once a day and catch the little devil and hold him quietly, stroking him, when and only when he quit squirming he would set him down.
He finally figured out that it was not too much fun biting the leather, but if you had bear arm and hand that was different.
During all this time I would bring him and his ladies green treats from the yard, he loves it and is very good about sharing with his girls. He finally figured out that treats were worth having his door opened part way for as long as I did not dare cross the pen threshold with my foot. The flying and thrashing would begin then.
By now Dr. Evil and his girls also have a small outside pen, this is the best life he has had and yet he is a little 1 pound stinker!
I have finally gotten sick of not being able to enter the cage to feed, water, collect his girls eggs without a major commotion. I have braved it and enter without hesitation, face the thrashing and do my chicken thing. He actually does not really do anything but leave a few scratches. I even do it now in shorts and flip flops but it is really annoying, I mean come on I am the one bringing you food.
His nature I think is not aggressive, he is kind to his girls. We have 6 Dutch cockerals and Pullets which have several times ventured into his pen while I was rooster battling. The first time I thought, oh my gosh there is going to be a blood bath with the 3 month old cock. He did not do anything, and let the little intruders share his clovers.
So any ideas of gaining some respect from this little stinker?
Were not looking at him being a safe roo for our daughter to play with but would like for him to not attack a judge at a show and it would be reall nice to enter his house without being having your ankles attacked!
