Has anyone ever actually succeeded in retraining an aggressive rooster?

[blackgum]

had a blach wyandotte that would get me untell i would grab him afer a week he stayed away from me no problems after that

 

[jak2002003]

I had only one that would not move out of my way, and if I got my hand hear him he would bite it and hold on. He never tried to kick me or anything, but I did not like it.

After that I kept picking him up (gently) and walking about with him, and only put him down when he stopped biting and was relaxed. After a few weeks he stopped biting me and actually like being picked up and petted and now he is a lovely friendly rooster (and he will also move out of my way and never try to bite my hands).

 

[appps]

Good to see more examples where picking them up has helped!!

I'm finding my biggest problem at the moment is catching him. He can move darn fast and I'm not sure the chasing him round to catch him is a good thing?

I did give him a hold today because he was sitting on this chair they like to perch on so I could get him before he could get away.
Later he pecked my sons finger quite painfully while he was holding feed for them in it. Not honestly sure if it was a missed the seed accidental one or if he bit hard to make him drop it all but wanted to hold him then to say its not okay but he ran round and finally pushed his way out into the backyard and so then I just couldn't get him.

Wondering if I need to make a little coral to herd him into or something because I'm worried the constant chasing to hold him twice a day is going to undo the good of holding him.

 

[jak2002003]

If you are only chasing him 2 times a day that is fine - so long as ifs only for a few minutes each time.

Roosters will chase each other many times in the day - and they will spend most of the day chasing the hens lol.

If he is running away from you that is very good sign. It means he knows you are the boss of him - and you are stronger and more dominant than him.

If he is running to you and jumping at you then he is a problem - that is real aggression.

If he is just giving you a peck sometimes that is not too bad at all if you keep it to that level, it will eventually go away after a couple of weeks.

 

[azygous]

Why don't we approach this from the angle of a skittish rooster? The objective is to calm him and tame him, and teach him manners. Yes, roos should have manners.

What do you give them for treats? Even if it's only a ration of scratch grains each day, feed him first by making him take it out of your hand. And please find a comfortable leather glove for you and your kids to use so a finger won't get nicked.

Get comfortable and hold out the treat to him. He will come over to see what it is, but don't grab him. If he eats it from your hand, give him more until he's had all of his share. If he doesn't eat any, keep trying for fifteen minutes, then feed the girls their treats.

Do this once each day until he's eating calmly from your hand. It may take a week. Next step is to slowly touch him while he's eating from your hand. This exercise is to get him to trust you and not be afraid of your hands. Once a day is all that is necessary, but do it every day.

Once, he is eating from your hand and allowing your to pet him, then pick him up after he begins to eat. Do this by holding out your hands toward him, and then slowly inching forward until you can make gentle contact. Remember, no sudden movements! Carry him around or just sit quietly with him in your arms. After a while, you can even kiss his little head, if you're so inclined.

So, work on this. It's easy and fun, no running involved, no stress. Remember, no sudden movements.

 

[bunnibird55]

I have had great success with retraining three roosters and even a tom turkey with the "pick up and carry" method. I would pick up the roos every time I was out near them....carry them while I gathered eggs, fed and just while I was checking on everyone. It didn't take them long to realize that they were not the alphas over humans. Kindness works, hitting them does not work - that makes them more aggressive. My tom, Big Ben, thought he could get me. Nope, I didn't let that happen. He is too heavy to carry around, so I pick him up and sit with him on a bale of hay and make him settle down. He has even learned that if he leaves me alone, I will leave him alone! All I have to do is say, "Ben, settle" and he backs away. Patience, patience, patience!

 

[azygous]

People don't believe me when I tell them roosters can be taught manners. They're way more intelligent than most people think. All of my roosters have answered to their names, and like your tom, have always stopped doing something when I hollered at them to stop.

It would be enough for most people if they could just get their roos to stop being aggressive toward them and family members. But if you keep at it, be consistent, be calm, you can get a roo to be a docile pet.

I wish Ky's laptop would hurry up and get fixed. He has so many amazing stories of taming some pretty hard cases.

 

[cyw iar]

Azygous, have you noticed any difference if the roosters (and hens for that matter) are handled or at least petted while asleep at night? Could this be a sort of subconscious/unconscious reinforcement for a skittish bird that your touch and presence are not dangerous? Or are they too passed out to notice?

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Azygous, have you noticed any difference if the roosters (and hens for that matter) are handled or at least petted while asleep at night? Could this be a sort of subconscious/unconscious reinforcement for a skittish bird that your touch and presence are not dangerous? Or are they too passed out to notice?

I think picking the chicken off the roost after they have settled down is worth a try especially if it is tough to pick them up without a chase. I would still try the feeding out of the hand as suggested during the day.

 

[azygous]

I used to take my timid rooster Darrel off the roost sometimes. Although all chickens are helpless to resist when they're roosting, Darrel reacted with aversion. It was clear he didn't like being snatched from the safety of his perch even if he permitted it. I don't really know if anything was gained by doing it. It was more reinforcing, I believe, to train him during waking hours with trust-gaining exercises such as touching him as he ate from my hand. Sometimes, I would hold him as he ate. Associating being touched and handled at the same time as getting a wonderful treat is pretty much guaranteed to make a difference in a rooster's attitude toward you.