Help! My rooster is attacking me!

[WaterFowl209]

Lmao to funny

 

[so lucky]

to the original poster: You don't say how old your birds are, but your rooster may have become agressive "overnight" just because it was time for him to. Having the stranger there feeding could have set things in motion. When they start maturing sexually, 4 to 6 months, they get all weird, just like humans do. You probably know this, but some reading this thread may not. Now if he were a couple years old and suddenly turned mean, that would be odder. But I would vote for the stew pot if he stays mean, or if you feel threatened. I can't imagine having a mean rooster around my grandkids, or around me, for that matter.

 

[big mami]

Thanks for all the info. After trying a little with treats and holding, he's still problematic so he is headed for the crock pot sometime this week. And it might have just been his true nature coming out, since he's now 6 months old. Ah well, wish me better luck next time.

 

[leadwolf1]

Wow, better luck next time!

4 days isn't nearly enough time for behavior training...but, you have to do what you have to do.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

I have a pair of shoes that set off my RIR rooster. He doesn't like them they are some old running shoes and have a little bit of reflective material on them. I think he's trying to protect me from those shoes.

Do what's best for you and your situation, and you are not a failure if you have to cook a rooster.

I don't let children near any roosters....ever.

 

[Daisy8s]

Not all people are equally suited to owning intact (not neutered) male animals. I grew up on a farm and around people who used bulls, stallions, rams, and boars on their farms. It requires a greater level of respect and understanding to keep a safe intact male animal around than a female.

It is interesting to me, however, that it's easier for us to accept the protect-and-defend instinct if we're talking about a mother. If a broody hen cackles and fluffs her feathers in warning, or even strikes at us if we approach her eggs or chicks, we chalk it up to her protective instincts and back away. But, if a rooster does the same if we approach one of his hens then he's totally dangerous and his actions are completely intolerable. The hen gets understanding and space whereas the rooster gets killed.

Personally I feel a female defending her young is 10x more dangerous than a male because she is acting out of fear and is therefore unpredictable. A male, in the course of his usual tasks, is far more predictable and therefore easier to manipulate as needed.

As I said, some people are able to observe an animal and look for causes to his actions and decide whether he's truly a danger or behaving reasonably...whereas others perceive any kind of aggressive act as an unreasonable danger that must be extinguished (unless the aggressor is a female with young...in which case we'll excuse anything).

Animals are understandable...it's people that are weird.

 

[Loghousemom]

Animals are understandable...it's people that are weird.

I agree!

We just took in a rooster from a friend who wanted three hens and ended up with two and a roo. This is my first go at chickens, and the rooster has me a bit nervous after reading so much about bad ones. I am not beyond having rooster stew, but I am hoping that he continues with his behavior thus far and will be one of the friendly ones. So far he is wary, but friendly. And I havent let my kids get close to him either.

 

[leadwolf1]

I agree.

Not all people are equally suited to owning intact (not neutered) male animals. I grew up on a farm and around people who used bulls, stallions, rams, and boars on their farms. It requires a greater level of respect and understanding to keep a safe intact male animal around than a female.

It is interesting to me, however, that it's easier for us to accept the protect-and-defend instinct if we're talking about a mother. If a broody hen cackles and fluffs her feathers in warning, or even strikes at us if we approach her eggs or chicks, we chalk it up to her protective instincts and back away. But, if a rooster does the same if we approach one of his hens then he's totally dangerous and his actions are completely intolerable. The hen gets understanding and space whereas the rooster gets killed.

Personally I feel a female defending her young is 10x more dangerous than a male because she is acting out of fear and is therefore unpredictable. A male, in the course of his usual tasks, is far more predictable and therefore easier to manipulate as needed.

As I said, some people are able to observe an animal and look for causes to his actions and decide whether he's truly a danger or behaving reasonably...whereas others perceive any kind of aggressive act as an unreasonable danger that must be extinguished (unless the aggressor is a female with young...in which case we'll excuse anything).

Animals are understandable...it's people that are weird.

 

[Daisy8s]

This is my first go at chickens, and the rooster has me a bit nervous after reading so much about bad ones.

I'd suggest you ignore 90% of the posts from people who say their roosters are mean and instead chalk those up to "user error". But, there are several experienced poultry owners on this site and you'll learn to distinguish them as you spend more time online.

Pay attention to those who have success stories about their roosters that don't involve "and then I beat him silly so now he's afraid of me". People who talk like that aren't really having success, they're just managing an ongoing problem that they are an equal participant in.

Look for posts from people who write thoughtfully about what caused the problem and who can identify the small posturing actions the rooster took along the way. Those people are actually observing and attempting to understand their rooster. Someone who says their rooster "turned mean one day for no reason" has been missing lots of signals the rooster was sending for days.

Good luck!

 

[HOUDINI1961]

Great response Daisy.

I have no respect for someone who abuses a rooster. They call the roosters mean when they attack. But what are the humans who beat the roosters with brooms called? I've read numerous articles and it says DO NOT act like a rooster. If you attack them, then you are a rooster in their eyes and they don't forget that.

I've read you have to scoop them up in your arms and hold them tight until they submit. They are Alpha males and have to be shown who's in charge. Granted that is hard to do when they are attacking your ankles.

I have 2 roosters, each over 2 years old and another rooster who is the offspring of one of them.

Roosters are beautiful creatures but yes, they are hard to understand sometimes.

My Buff Orpington will not let me change my sandals. It can be the same color, same brand, everything but Buff will come after me, if I wear different sandals or wear a pair of sneakers. I assume it's because he is used to those sandals on my feet up close for so long. The only time I was able to start wearing new sandals was when I went on a two week vacation. I came back and did an experiment by putting on new sandals. Buff looked at them suspiciously but then accepted them. My feet were so happy! Now I'm back again with worn out sandals, my feet hurting and no vacation in sight. So I've glued in innersoles, etc. to ease the discomfort.

Did any of those people who abused their roosters and/or eat them ever think, maybe a different pair of shoes set them off? And the people ending up making an enemy out of the rooster by attacking it.

My Buff doesn't like me to wear pants either, luckily I live in Fort Lauderdale. Once they get accustomed to seeing your legs and feet a certain way, that is it. So if you love your rooster, you will oblige them. If you don't want to cater to them, then you shouldn't have had them in the first place.

Buff grew up in my house with another rooster who has since passed away. So Buff is a pet although he now lives outside in a coop. He will sometimes now bite my foot but I understand that means he is upset about something I'm doing, like yelling. Or he sometimes nips when he wants to get picked up. And yes, sometimes he just is in a bad mood, or he misunderstands my actions. I was holding him and I bent over to pick something up off the ground, he nipped under my chin. He thought I was going to put him down on the ground and he wanted to be held. It does make one mad when a pet bites but you have to try to grasp the whole situation, not just say, he turned bad, he will be eaten.

I admit my situation is different because most people don't think of their roosters as pets, they think of them just as hen watchdogs.

So I made the chose to have sore feet some of the time and wear the same crappy sandals every day instead of getting rid of Buff.

Mookie the rooster who passed away at age 1, hated to be picked up when living in my house. He wanted to come to me when he wanted and that was fine. Then one day about 2 months after being in the coop, he couldn't be held enough.

So roosters do go through changes, whether its hormonal, I don't know.

My rooster Lucky was a rescue and also grew up in my house. The mistake I made with him was not getting him a mate immediately. I waited too long and by the time I figured out he needed a mate, and brought a chick home, he would attack the chick all the time, almost pecking its eye out. I had to give the chick back. I more or less became Lucky's Mom and he wanted all my attention. I didn't know he was a rooster until the crowing started. He started attacking the other rooster in the mirror and started humping towels. Then he started attacking me. He got really bad but I could not take him to the coop then, I had to wait for space to open up.

He attacked me in the coop for a long time, and I was about to get rid of him. But then started to think of him as a problem child, would a parent get rid of their child who had behavior problems? I admit he was my pet whereas most other people the rooster was just a bird. I loved Lucky so I took the time to understand him. I finally got him a hen and he was better. He's now over 2 years old and only nips now when he's startled. When I first get to the coop, he flies up at the door. Anyone else would think he was wild, ready to attack so kill him. Me? I know he is a rooster first and a pet second. He needed to calm down from being a rooster and then realize who I was. He knows his name and you can see him calm down and within minutes, he's in my arms, resting his beak on my chest and closing his eyes. That's when it makes it all worthwhile.

So I'm rambling now, but from what I've learned...

Roosters don't like loud noises. I was holding Lucky and for some reason, I made a noise like a bomb going off. He bit the edge of my nose, blood went running down my face. I was ****** sure, but it was my own fault, I scared him. When they are scared or get startled, they bite.

Roosters in general DO NOT LIKE kids! Kids are noisy, with high pitched screams. Kids are low to the ground and most of the time running or flailing their arms around. They scare roosters and roosters see them as a threat. Plus kids are smaller than adults and easier to get to.

Sometimes roosters are in a bad mood. When you see they are, leave them alone. It's hard for me because I love to hold them and carry them around. But if they are not in the mood, then I go with the flow.

So to all those people who have killed their roosters....did the rooster have hens or was he alone? You CANNOT have a rooster all alone. They need something to do and yes, some hen to "F".
--------------------------------

The problem I am having now, which is confusing because this time I have no experience with it. Buff's rooster offspring, B.J., was born in the coop and grew up in the coop, not in my house. He was cuddly like a kitten for months. I would carry him around, and he would just relax and stare up at me with those big loving eyes. Then one day, he bit me while I carrying him. I put him down and he went after me. I was crushed.

I thought my love and the time I spent with a rooster was enough to tame a wild rooster who grew up in a normal environment and not in my house. And that I lived up to the nickname people started giving me "The Chicken Wisperer". But I guess not.

Actually, I think someone went into the coop that day or did something to spook him. The animals are in a public place where people go by the coop every day. And that day, a saw a person standing at the gate to the coop.

One day I went into the coop back-first for some reason, and he went after me. One time I had a tie-dye shirt on, he went after me.

One day, I wore a t-shirt that had a face on it, he went after me. After I stormed away from the coop, I decided to take the shirt off and went back to the coop shirtless. He was fine and I carried him around the yard as usual! Did the face on the shirt spook him? Not sure.

But now, the excuses are wearing thin. He has bit me while I was hand feeding him. He has come after me right after I fed him his favorite, Superworms. So this time, I'm in a dilemma. He's the first rooster who didn't grow up in my house and it's hard to figure him out. I tried grabbing him and holding him tight and it seemed to work for a bit. But I just don't have the time to do that every day. I have the 2 other roosters to care for plus lots of hens.

Money is getting tight, lots spent on foods, Superworms and now vet bills since Lucky and Buff both have bumblefoot infections. It's rough because I want B.J. to be loving like the other 2 roosters are now. I'm feeling like I don't have the time to devote to him.

I am far from having him sent away and will NEVER kill him. But I'm starting to feel like some of the other people at the end of their ropes. I just can't spend any more time at the coop than I do, I have to keep the money flowing in or I'll be living in the coop with them! I'm just hoping B.J. does not get sick or injured because I don't know if I can spend lots of money on a rooster that bites more than he loves now.

I just wish I could make money taking care of them all, because that's what I really enjoy. It is my passion, but can't think of a way to make money with them. Hope to win the lottery someday and start a rooster rescue place.

I enclosed a few pics of Buff the Orpington, Lucky my, I think, Rhode Island Red mix, Mookie, my deceased Barred Rock, and B.J. the troublemaker who actually looks to be smiling in his fake-Poloroid shot!