Got Flogged by A rooster tonight

[TaraBellaBirds]

This description cracked me up. I have a 14 wk Speckled Sussex that is a bit too big for his britches too. I may have to try this!

 

[Vytania]

My dad's game rooster spurred me in the back of my leg Sunday evening. I wasn't doing anything, getting ready to shut them in the coop for the night. I wish I'd known ahead of time what to do afterwards other than a few choice words and going back in the house to stop the bleeding. Now I try to carry some sort of stick and threaten him when he gets too close to me. Can't trust the sucker anymore even though he's back to being friendly towards me and following me around the yard like he used to.

 

[Beekissed]

My dad's game rooster spurred me in the back of my leg Sunday evening. I wasn't doing anything, getting ready to shut them in the coop for the night. I wish I'd known ahead of time what to do afterwards other than a few choice words and going back in the house to stop the bleeding. Now I try to carry some sort of stick and threaten him when he gets too close to me. Can't trust the sucker anymore even though he's back to being friendly towards me and following me around the yard like he used to.

I wouldn't threaten him with a stick...that's like telling a bratty child that you're "gonna spank" him but never following through. Sooner or later he will try it again, stick or not, and then you'll be doing defensive maneuvers instead of offensive tactics.

Take the stick and do the rooster training with it BEFORE you have to do it and then you'll never have to carry the stick again.

That's my best $.02...

 

[luluann]

I agree. Even though it has been a while since my rooster attacked me I some times run him thru the yard. When I go out back he starts hollering and getting ready to disappear. That's how I like it. I can walk and turn my back and not have to worry.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Yeah, if I hadn't been reading BYC forum and especially this thread, I would be another terrorized human and fearful for my grandchildren. Once I learned the concept of pecking order involving roosters, I totally "get it." My five-year-old granddaughter chased RandyRoo around the yard with a big stick and just lightly tapped him on the behind as she chased him around. He was running from her. He never once stood his ground and it gave her confidence to know what to do if he ever did go for her. RandyRoo is doing great and we've had a good week of him just paying attention to his girls and not feeling threatened by us in Upper Management. He is crowing a lot more, but I guess he needs to pretend he is all that. Thanks BYC forum.

That's great LisaLou!

 

[LUVMYCHIKAS]

I have a bantam Cochin who was gentle as could be for the first 12 weeks. Suddenly week 13 he's becoming a aggressive to everyone ! Not as much to me as I am the main care taker. But out of nowhere the hormones have kicked in. I've been heeding everyone's suggestions but does anyone know a chicken whisperer? What is the reasoning behind the sudden change in behavior? I'm one of those people who needs to understand the cause.

 

[Beekissed]

I have a bantam Cochin who was gentle as could be for the first 12 weeks. Suddenly week 13 he's becoming a aggressive to everyone ! Not as much to me as I am the main care taker. But out of nowhere the hormones have kicked in. I've been heeding everyone's suggestions but does anyone know a chicken whisperer? What is the reasoning behind the sudden change in behavior? I'm one of those people who needs to understand the cause.

Did you feed your chicks from your hand, talk in a special voice when doing so, pick them up and cuddle them until they slept, carry them around and make a big deal of them each time you fed~or any single one of those listed items? If so, you might want to read the article below.

Nearly every single post about aggressive roosters starts out much like your story...he was gentle (most find out if a rooster is gentle by handling him, hand feeding him, etc.) and then got aggressive when it was the age of sexual maturity. Same story but thousands upon thousands of different posts on this forum...all the same.

Their solution? Carry the bird around to "tame" or "shame" him, or re-home him or even kill him. Poor confused birds raised by confused and ill-informed, but nicely intentioned humans, result in this very problem.

I've never picked up or hand fed a cockerel chick...or any of my pullet chicks, for that matter. They are not pets, no matter how much we really, really, really want them to be. The hens can turn out to be quite friendly and moochy and some would consider them a pet. Even some roosters turn out to be big lap chickens, though it is definitely the exception to the rule.

Mostly? The birds just get confused about being chickens and lose all their normal instincts for flocking, ranging out on pasture, and dominance rituals.

Thirty-seven years now and I've always kept roosters and never had one flog my body and, if they displayed a posture of aggression, were quickly redirected...but most of them never really even attempt it. Because they were treated appropriately from the day they arrived on the land and it always works.

Quote:

surrogate mothers and then later in life will direct their sexual behaviour towards the ​

surrogate species. If humans become the surrogate species it creates a potentially
dangerous situation. When the male reaches sexual maturity, in addition to his ​

misdirected attraction, he will have bouts of male aggression that he will direct against his human “competition”. Male aggression is a normal part of sexual behaviour. In nearly all our livestock and wild species (horses, dogs and cats may be the exception ​

 

[LUVMYCHIKAS]

Thanks for the great information! Sure wish I had looked into this prior to loving all over my roos!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Yep BUT the main thing now is we ARE learning better so that's the good thing at least now we know. Mine are some hard headed critters and today I had to tap them just a bit harder with my stick to get their attention. Got one of the cockerels looking over his shoulder while he's eating.

Just as long as he is and I AINT that's what counts. So glad I am learning what to do NOW so I can change my bad stuff I have been doing thanx to Bee.

The main problem I am having now is since I backed off on giving them all so much food is, they all come running every time I walk out the door thinking I have food. They're not getting too far away from their pen either now which is really weird because you would think they really would be hungry since they've not had anything since the night before and that wasn't but maybe a gallon of food for 35 birds. They're out free ranging but wont go far now for some reason. I just don't get it. Totally throwing me off because you'd think they would go out farther in hunt for food. We do give them scraps like tomato ends or whatever some times during the day so I'm wondering IF we need to stop that so they will stop running to us for food every time we walk out the door. I have my stick and I have been making the cockerels stay back away from me and some times I have to tap em pretty hard with it to get their attention to make them stay back.

 

[Beekissed]

Rose, that is happening right now with my flock too, so it's just a stage, time of year, etc...you know how to fix that? Feed even less. Tonight my older flock got next to nothing to eat and the younger birds were full from free ranging...but not the older flock. They camped out by the back door all day long waiting to be fed. They've been doing that for the past two weeks and only a few are actually going out on free range...so rations are getting cut drastically until all are out hunting for their provender again.

They actually don't need any food at all if they have excellent free range...and mine do. So, time to get those fat girls back to hunting again. The only ones that foraged today were Little Red, The Wild Bunch and the Foster Mom and Barbara Ann, one of my BRs. The rest sat around waiting for supper...ALL DAY LONG. I have chicken poop on both porches and that DID it!

Time to play rough...no more than one cup total~for all 14 birds~of FF each evening until I see some foraging by all birds. If that doesn't do it, NO FOOD.