Got Flogged by A rooster tonight

[UrbanFarmerGreg]

I have only owned chickens for about a month now (I have 2)... they are between 5 and 6 months old and he doesn't like it when I touch his woman... he only came at me once and luckily, for him, he didn't hurt me and starting that day when he gets all clucky and puffed up I grab him by the beak and hold his head down on the ground or floor so thatthe side of his head is touching... seems to work as far as him doing anything to me... or maybe its because I am quick to the draw with 'teaching' him.... Is this successful or do you think its doing nothing long term?

 

[Betsy57]

Sigh. The deed is done. R.I.P. Jack. Pretty traumatic for my first one. Now to find a replacement. Poor hens are widows at 6 months.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
It doesn't sound as you are being consistent with your corrections and just flitting from one method to another but not being persistent in just one long enough to see if it pans out. Desparation will do that to you, I guess.

It's sort of like those parents who spank their kids only after they've let them get by with murder all day and then, when they spank them, it is only hard enough to make the kid mad and relieve some of the frustration of the parent. Never effective.

I'd love to be like Cesar Milan or the Super Nanny gal and come to people's places and "tame" their roos...would be great fun!

Try reading back the thread until you come to the one where you actually use the stick and the methods that go along with it and try it for the prescribed period of time...then get back to us.

I am in this thought camp, and I wonder if your physical attempts weren't quite adequete enough, if it were he would surely be a changed man. try the AL defrocking method with enthusiasm.

 

[off-grid hen]

Quote:
It doesn't sound as you are being consistent with your corrections and just flitting from one method to another but not being persistent in just one long enough to see if it pans out. Desparation will do that to you, I guess.

It's sort of like those parents who spank their kids only after they've let them get by with murder all day and then, when they spank them, it is only hard enough to make the kid mad and relieve some of the frustration of the parent. Never effective.

I'd love to be like Cesar Milan or the Super Nanny gal and come to people's places and "tame" their roos...would be great fun!

Try reading back the thread until you come to the one where you actually use the stick and the methods that go along with it and try it for the prescribed period of time...then get back to us.

I am in this thought camp, and I wonder if your physical attempts weren't quite adequete enough, if it were he would surely be a changed man. try the AL defrocking method with enthusiasm.

Yes, I think the "taming" involves training the owner of the rooster, NOT just the rooster itself- just as this thread suggests. Similar to how a good dog trainer really needs to work with the dog owner and not just the dog.

I think there's something to Beekissed's description. This is my first flock of chickens. I didn't recognize the early shows of dominance by the rooster. Even though I did what was suggested in this thread, my roo was already too big for his britches. If it was just me and my husband, I would have kept him so I could train myself, so to speak. That roo hated my 6-year old more than he hated me!

 

[Beekissed]

I believe you are right. There is more to training a bird than just correcting his actions...there needs to be a confident and dominant attitude by the owner. I've seen posts on here where people state they don't want a bird in their yard that requires them to carry a stick and always be looking over their shoulder.

I say, if you are doing things correctly, you don't NEED to look over your shoulder nor carry a stick at all times. It's nice if the stick is leaning in a corner of your coop, though, because when you do need it is not the time to be looking around for an appropriate tool of correction.

It's sort of like my dog's leash. I take it with me when we go places~just in case. Most of the time he is very tuned into my commands and I don't have to worry about a thing, but I don't want to be caught without a leash if he is having an off day or something totally unexpected occurs.

I've used the roo stick a grand total of ONE day in the past 6 years. It took all of maybe 20 min. total to correct the very first aggressive move on a new roo in that one day and I never had to use it again. And that roo was as big as a turkey, I kid you not! Biggest chicken I'd ever seen in my life.

My niece had his flockmate and they went round and round, nobody in her family was safe from this backyard dictator. They wouldn't listen to my roo training tips that worked wonderfully fast for his brother and it finally ended quite badly for the roo. My BIL finally tackled him and cut his head off with some loppers right there in the yard after another viscious attack upon his person had been committed....and ALL of that drama could have been prevented by Rooster Logic 101 as described in this thread.

Sad, really, but most folks work like anything to make a pet out of a rooster and are surprised when the bird "turns" on them(which he is not, he is merely confused about rank and species) and then decides he has to die for their mistakes.

 

[oshun55555]

Quote:
Your right on, people think we like to brutalize our roosters, not true, I have no trouble from rooster other than an occasional re-assuring them whos boss. I always walk with a cane but some days I feel good enough to go out in the yard without it, then the head rooster tends to want to challenge, LOL maybe he thinks i am spurless without my cane.

 

[Tricorn]

This might be a silly question, but is there and age or growth stage when roos start to show agression? I keep waiting for my guys to turn on me.

 

[Farm_Maven]

Quote:
puberty! Hormones gone wild.

 

[Tricorn]

Quote:
puberty! Hormones gone wild.

XD

I'm assuming that puberty has passed if they're crowing, growing spurs and helping the ladies produce fertilized eggs? Is it possible I've been lucky enough to get four roosters who will forever cower at the sight of me??

Still sounds too good to be true!

 

[Farm_Maven]

Quote:
puberty! Hormones gone wild.

XD

I'm assuming that puberty has passed if they're crowing, growing spurs and helping the ladies produce fertilized eggs? Is it possible I've been lucky enough to get four roosters who will forever cower at the sight of me??

Still sounds too good to be true!

I'd say it's quite possible!! If you can handle them, it may still be good idea to hold them down into a squat once in a while, and herd them around, just to reinforce your dominance. My two are nice boys(well, one is a man, lol), but I still do all that just to make sure there are no problems. You may have already established your dominance in a clear way, and that's why you've had no problems.