How do I deal with a mean rooster?

[cindyschicks]

We have a standard Ameraucauna Roo that came with a flock of black star sex link hens. At first they were all just standoffish. But with a little time The Donald a/k/a Combover dude started going after myself and my husband. We both chased him out of the coop yelling, screaming and striking out toward him. Now I take my Catahoula with me, but The Donald knows better, even without the dog he stays out of our way now.

He was so bad he went after my 18 year old daughter and actually gave her two small scars. She insisted I not sell him for Chicken Pot pie though and has also taught him a lesson.

Until the Donald, I had not had an aggressive roo, but we definately take care of it immediately, we are used to making sure the dogs in our rescue pack know we are boss, so no 12 pound feather puff is going to take over the farm!

 

[AHappychick]

Seperate him from the others and keep him in a cage in the garage. go out to spend time with him 3 times a day, at first he will be po'ed but soon you will be his only companionship. Take him out, hold him and stroke his chest. talk to him and feed him treats. Do this for at least 2 weeks and he should change and grow to trust you and like you, then return him to the group.

Always worked for me

 

[sourland]

8 weeks old is really young for such agressive behavior. If both agressive cockerels are from the same source, I would guess that this is genetically inherited behavior. If so, remember that like begets like.

 

[CHICKENBOY 1]

same thing is happinging to my rooster its spring those horamons just multipy in roosters. just kick him in the breast he will calm down eventualy he won't love you but he will leave you alone.

 

[BarredBuff]

Give him away or process him and send him to freezer camp. I dont have the faintest idea on how to tame a rooster or a hen. He will also get worse this is just the beginning.

 

[PhilErvin]

I have the same problem with a roo that I hatched and raised from a chick. I figured that since I had raised it from a chick that it would be nice to me, but I have heard that this is why they are so mean is because it is not afraid of me. I carry a stick and try to keep it between me and the roo. I would get rid of him if my son would let me but he loves this roo. He simply picks it up and carries it around .

 

[BarkerChickens]

Gritsar has a wonderful page on rooster reform. It is quite helpful!! At 8 weeks old, he had better be retrainable...if not, then too much testosterone or something and he may end up being too rough with the girls. We had one like that that we ended processing. Biggest boy parts I ever saw in a cockerel! Made sense why he was a terror! But, I have had roos that were reformed via Gritsar's recommendations. VERY helpful!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4810

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
I love what I read! Understanding the animals and acting like them instead of trying to get them to act like us makes complete sense to me. I will stop coddling my little cockerel NOW.

 

[eaglegreen]

I need help with a terrorist chick! I don't know if it's a roo or pullet, but it was always head and shoulders taller than the other bantam chicks I purchased from Tractor Supply 3 weels ago. It's marked exactly like two others--dark brown 'chipmunk' like marks on it's heads, speckled wing feathers, the rest of it is brown. I introduced 4 Barred Partridge chicks to this little flock on Sat. (8 total bantams, including the terrorist). They are about the same size as the bantams, but are standard size chickens. The terrorist grabs the back of one's head, and has almost drawn blood. I grabbed him, held him by his legs, till he calms down. Put him back in with the little flock, and he goes straight for the poor little chick again. I grabbed him again and held him by his legs, held him upside down, then laid him back in the flock's pen. He got up, ran straight for the same little chick. I'm afraid when I'm not present (they're in my workshop) he'll draw blood and they'll gang up and kill the chick. Right now I've got him in detention. I don't know if I need to keep him there, if I need to add one or two of the chicks that look like him, or if I need to wring his scrawny little neck! Could someone please help me with this?