Favorite cockrel pecks me hard

[Roxannemc]

Out of all the chicks i hatched out my batch of Light Brahmas were my favorite.Calm and sweet since day one,.All 10.
Sold all but 2 then the pullet died unexpectedly so put my cockrel Georgie in with a pair of laced brahmas a week older for friends but they stayed a pair and he has always been a loner since Oct.
Long short he started biting me and pecks me the last 2 weeks when i reach in the coop or pick him up.Before he was the best of all.Very calm and sweet
I am very disapointed as im pretty attached to him.

The laced roo was beating him up the last few days and he didnt want to go in the tractor for the night so 2 days ago I put him in with my LB older girls where i intended to anyway hoping hed finally have friends

Tonite when i reached in the coop to add water he bit and held on.
It hurt too.
Should i tap him or flap at him to let him know i dont like it and im the boss ?..or wont that work on chickens. Hes 17 weeks old.
He isnt playing or thinking im food.Its a leave-me-alone-peck
Im worried he'll get worse.
Thanks for any help

 

[sourland]

He's a male starting to mature. You are correct in expecting that his behavior will escalate if you do not show him that you are dominant and such behavior is unacceptable. He is in the early stages of aggressive behavior so your chances of redirecting him are good. Do a forum search on aggressive roosters. There are many threads dealing with behavior modification.

 

[Roxannemc]

He's a male starting to mature. You are correct in expecting that his behavior will escalate if you do not show him that you are dominant and such behavior is unacceptable. He is in the early stages of aggressive behavior so your chances of redirecting him are good. Do a forum search on aggressive roosters. There are many threads dealing with behavior modification.

Thanks I will look.Guess i missed them in the last search Need to use the word agressive instead of peck i think