Help ! 5+ month EE Rooster aggressive towards my young children!

[Lspears218]

Please help! My Easter egger rooster is 5+ months now. We had him since 3 days old and he has been handled by our family ever since we brought him home. He was always regularly handled by our family including our young children. Never did he show aggressive behavior, in fact he still comes running to us every day when we greet our flock. He always would sit on the young girls shoulders and hang with the family . Of course we know he is going through some changes being a full grown rooster but he is overly aggressive towards the young girls. For no reason he will chase them, kick them and try to attack them. I have a video of our little one attempting to pick him up (which is typically a normal thing every day) and he went sideways and attacked her. I fear it will become worse. She is 4 but we also have a 2 year old that is now scared of him.

Will this behavior subside? Will he stop? What can we do to stop this aggression. I do not want to get rid of him but I cannot allow him to attack my children. Please help. Thank you.

 

[DobieLover]

Will this behavior subside? Will he stop? What can we do to stop this aggression. I do not want to get rid of him but I cannot allow him to attack my children. Please help.

There are things that could be done but children cannot do them with consistency so the only recourse is to rehome this cockerel. He is not a full grown rooster. He has ways to go and he is already showing that he is overly protective, reactive and not really thinking about what is an actual threat to his pullets. He is a danger to your children and a liability to visitors. Period. Pen him up, advertise him and move him out.
I have read too many threads about spurs being driven into legs and arms. He hasn't developed them yet but just think about your child taking a spur in the eye.

 

[jus10inla]

wouldnt even be a thought… that be a DEAD rooster to me. and wouldnt feel bad about it. I dont care if i pulled it out the hens butt myself and cracked the egg to help hatch, and handled since day one. Too many roosters get grinded at a factory daily or people give away to put up with that nonsense.

 

[LittleBANTAMchickens]

Please help! My Easter egger rooster is 5+ months now. We had him since 3 days old and he has been handled by our family ever since we brought him home. He was always regularly handled by our family including our young children. Never did he show aggressive behavior, in fact he still comes running to us every day when we greet our flock. He always would sit on the young girls shoulders and hang with the family . Of course we know he is going through some changes being a full grown rooster but he is overly aggressive towards the young girls. For no reason he will chase them, kick them and try to attack them. I have a video of our little one attempting to pick him up (which is typically a normal thing every day) and he went sideways and attacked her. I fear it will become worse. She is 4 but we also have a 2 year old that is now scared of him.

Will this behavior subside? Will he stop? What can we do to stop this aggression. I do not want to get rid of him but I cannot allow him to attack my children. Please help. Thank you.

 

[LittleBANTAMchickens]

Little fricker. Im sorry to tell you this but he needs to go.

 

[Coops Dad]

Roosters are plentiful enough to not have to put up with aggression especially around children. Don't underestimate the power behind a rooster's kick- a spur or a nail can open a nice cut or even put out an eye. With a 2 and a 4 year old in the mix, it wouldn't even be a thought. The rooster would be culled and replaced with a suitable rooster.

Some believe that a rooster that's imprinted on people and well-handled in his youth is the most likely to see people as adversaries when their hormones kick in. Ive had that experience, and none of the replacement roosters (fed and watered without handling or other familiarity) have shown any aggression. They've tended to be leery of human interaction and prefer to keep their distance even when the hens are shrieking while clipping their nails, dressing a crossbeak, pulling a broody out of a nest box, etc.

Cull it, eat it, raise up another with minimal interaction.

 

[Folly's place]

He's dangerous and needs to be someone's dinner soonest. This can't be fixed, and your children are much more important than this bird.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I also like cockerels who stay out of my path. 'Friendly' is often actually 'bold and fearless', and when those hormones kick in, the cockerel wants to run the humans in his life.
Consider having zero roosters until these children are a few years older, for their safety.
This is a learning experience for you: think about his interactions with people over the last few months, leading up to this really awful behavior. Next time, be ready to eliminate the problem before he gets this dangerous.
Mary

 

[LittleBANTAMchickens]

Roosters are plentiful enough to not have to put up with aggression especially around children. Don't underestimate the power behind a rooster's kick- a spur or a nail can open a nice cut or even put out an eye. With a 2 and a 4 year old in the mix, it wouldn't even be a thought. The rooster would be culled and replaced with a suitable rooster.

Some believe that a rooster that's imprinted on people and well-handled in his youth is the most likely to see people as adversaries when their hormones kick in. Ive had that experience, and none of the replacement roosters (fed and watered without handling or other familiarity) have shown any aggression. They've tended to be leery of human interaction and prefer to keep their distance even when the hens are shrieking while clipping their nails, dressing a crossbeak, pulling a broody out of a nest box, etc.

Cull it, eat it, raise up another with minimal interaction.

If you want a different breed I’ve got a suggestion: bantam Cochin roosters. Sweetest things EVER from my experience.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I am in the camp that believes handling chickens from day 1 isn't a guarantee they will be friendly. That goes double for roosters. I know some people swear by it but my hens are friendly and rarely get handled. The roosters I have raised for other people get the same treatment and are good boys.