HELP my rooster won't let me near the hens!

[Mutchi]

Don't worry we will keep giving ideas

 

[PostGhostParty]

And I also hope that your tetanus booster is up to date!
He's a dangerous idiot who's attacking the giant who brings food every day, and when he's stalking you, he's not taking care of his hens at all.
For the future, think back on the behaviors he showed before they grew into actual attacks, so you can be more aware when you raise your next cockerels. It takes experience, which you are getting now, to know what these birds are thinking, before they act out.
Human aggression is both genetic and management driven, and you can't control his genetics, except to not add it to your flock's gene pool.
Mary

Haha yea tetanus shots are up to date and any wounds that little heathen inflicted on me were disinfected! I wish I had caught on sooner but for me it was like someone flipped a switch in him and he just started being mean one day. But I mean, for the longest time I wouldn't even accept that he was a rooster so maybe I'm just not that observant

 

[Folly's place]

How many of us have started with chickens, and that first rooster was a total jerk?! That's our story too. A cute bantam boy, who could fly up to adult face level to attack, which happened every day. It was necessary to carry a weapon out to the barn to fend him off, not a good scene. When he left, life was so much better!
And then we tried to reform cockerels who started off being aggressive; never worked, really. The 'three strikes and you're out' plan wasn't so terrific either.
Now, only polite cockerels stay, and most of the time they grow into good roosters.
Twice, we've had roosters who decided to stalk and try attacks as one or two year olds, and they didn't get any second chances. Given that we have four to six roosters here almost always, and in summer, more cockerels growing, those couple of outliers have happened.
Mary

 

[MissE]

There is no reason to keep a mean rooster, unless you keep him tucked in between the pork chops and t bones.

I would have ended his little show after the first attack. I know a little girl that got her face ripped open and needed stitches because of a jerk rooster. There are plenty of respectful roosters out there.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you! I've only held onto him this long because I felt like I was giving up on him if I didn't try my hardest to make him friendlier but I guess I just have to accept that there are some things in life I can't change

I understand. He was a sexed female, just in that 10% error rate.

FWIW, with a mixed age flock, any future males will be taught manners by the older girls. He’ll have his fluffy butt handed to him repeatedly by the experienced girls, and will potentially be better behaved. However, even a well behaved male will come to the rescue if a hen who might be squawking bc of a problem. We had a perfectly behaved GLW male. One time my young teen needed one hen to check (maybe for bumblefoot, or something?). She squawked like she was just taken by a predator (to be fair, my teen was a bit abrupt in grabbing the hen). So the male GLW, came over in intense mode - no attack or flared neck feathers, but may have done something if she kept up her fussing. So, you can’t assume best behavior all the time, but they can learn proper behavior around a human caretaker.

 

[Folly's place]

My roosters will look to see what's offending their flockmate, and if it's me holding the bird, the roosters will look but not act out.
Mary

 

[Acre4Me]

My roosters will look to see what's offending their flockmate, and if it's me holding the bird, the roosters will look but not act out.
Mary

Exactly! This was GLW response...he rushed over, made a few noises but never once showed aggression to teen or myself. He was a really good flock leader.

 

[LaFleche]

Mean aggressive roosters that are too dense to distinguish between the caretakers and a real danger to their flock, are the tastiest

 

[PurpleCArTires]

My RIR Roo (Prince) was my baby. And turned into a monster one day. I tried everything. For 6 months carrying him around, smacking him with a switch, running at him, not letting him eat or mate in my presence, list goes on. I thought he had learned his lesson and one day, i didnt have my stick with me and he went for me bad. It actually scared me so I grab the closest thing and wacked it his way. I thought i killed him, he did the death flop, and laid still for minute. Then got up and took off running. For about 2 weeks after that, he steered clear of me and I thought we had made our peace, but still carried my stick. One day, after grabbing the eggs, he stalked me up the trail... Like I would quickly turn and he would look away and sorta walk around like he wasnt doing anything. Then as soon as id turn my bad he start running toward me again.

After that day, i realized he is a lost hope and i am sick of watching my back in my own yard. He found his way to a beautiful chicken graveyard (for our pets) the next morning and peace is finally back in the yard. His subordinate Roo, Kyle, has stepped up as King of the Castle and has taken very good care of the ladies. Kyle is a RIR too and has never been human aggressive ever. Both Prince and Kyle were handled often and treated the same way. One turned evil and the other is a wussy.

 

[PurpleCArTires]

My RIR Roo (Prince) was my baby. And turned into a monster one day. I tried everything. For 6 months carrying him around, smacking him with a switch, running at him, not letting him eat or mate in my presence, list goes on. I thought he had learned his lesson and one day, i didnt have my stick with me and he went for me bad. It actually scared me so I grab the closest thing and wacked it his way. I thought i killed him, he did the death flop, and laid still for minute. Then got up and took off running. For about 2 weeks after that, he steered clear of me and I thought we had made our peace, but still carried my stick. One day, after grabbing the eggs, he stalked me up the trail... Like I would quickly turn and he would look away and sorta walk around like he wasnt doing anything. Then as soon as id turn my bad he start running toward me again.

After that day, i realized he is a lost hope and i am sick of watching my back in my own yard. He found his way to a beautiful chicken graveyard (for our pets) the next morning and peace is finally back in the yard. His subordinate Roo, Kyle, has stepped up as King of the Castle and has taken very good care of the ladies. Kyle is a RIR too and has never been human aggressive ever. Both Prince and Kyle were handled often and treated the same way. One turned evil and the other is a wussy.

And i just realized this thread is a few weeks old. LMAO!! What did you end up doing with Eggs?