How to calm down a hand raised Rhode Island Red Rooster

[BENNY]

I have a Rhode Island Red rooster that just turned 20 weeks old . I also have six pullets the same age. The hens just started laying eggs this week. I was on a golf trip to Myrtle Beach . The first night I was gone the wife called and said the rooster had attacked her. He and the hens have been hand raised since they were one day old. The next day he did it again. When I got home after four days we had our first eggs and a rooster that attacked my shoe. I just pushed him back and he showed some anger but I stood my ground. It has been a few days since and he shows no anger to me now but my wife is scared to go into the back yard. Is there some way to teach him not to do this.
BENNY HITE
[email protected]
BARDSTOWN, KENTUCKY

 

[Olive Hill]

Quote:
Roosters are generally calmest mixed with carrots, celery and noodles and simmered on low heat for a better part of the day. Don't forget a clove of garlic and a dash of pepper.

 

[bburn]

Benny....do a search in the search box. Lots and lots of stuff will come up.

I had 29 chickens and 11 were hens and my husband left to work out of state. Then we had 14 chickens. Rehomed. Freezer camp and give aways.

The day I decided that freezer camp was an option was the day one of the seven RIR roos side stepped me while dropping his wing. I booted him away gently but never walked easy again.

I have a BO roo in the coop and run with the 11 hens.
I have a BR roo in a coop and run by himself now until his girls are out of quarantine.

I don't want to be scared to walk into my run.

Read all the articles you can and then make your own decision. It is the coming of age of the rooster first. He is protecting his girls from you....and making sure you are not there to breed them. All rooster behaviors.

My BO is gentle so far....he did beat the heck out of the BR roo three days running so I moved the BR to his own digs. But no aggression towards me......yet. But I don't let anyone else in the run besides me. I know what to do but my grandaughter would not do anything but stand there and scream!

Good luck.....

 

[The Lisser]

The rooster needs to understand that humans are dominant. He senses your wife's fear and when she backs down from him, she is reinforcing his dominance. She needs to make him get out of her way, and if he attacks her she should pick him up and carry him around so that he can't do what he wants. If he is that young, he doesn't have spurs that could hurt yet - he really can't do much to hurt her as long as she is wearing long sleeves, etc. You can trim his toenails like you would do a dog to make them less sharp. You can also remove his spurs as they grow - if you use the search tool on BYC there are some good threads about how to humanely remove the hard outer cover of the spurs.

When she/you feed him, make him wait to eat - if he starts to eat in her presence, she should push him away from the food. Stand her ground until she is ready to let him eat. Don't allow him to mount hens in your presence. He needs to think that humans are the dominant roosters. Pick up the hens and pet them in front of him.

I have six roosters that free range in my barnyard. I love them all - raised them since they were chicks, but I make them get out of my way and I touch them every chance I get. It makes them think I am dominant. I pick up the dominant one every chance I get just to remind him who the boss is.

Good luck!

 

[BENNY]

Thanks for the help with my rooster. I am new to chicken raising and any help is helpful. I am also new to the forum and learning this system also is different for an older man. Thanks again.

Benny

 

[Yazzo]

Hi Benny.

This is a question that comes up so, so often, and I decided to create a thread about it. Unfortunately, it got befouled, and closed by the comments of a few aggressive people. Still, I think there's a lot of info there: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=390911 .
Hope it helps!

 

[BENNY]

Thanks again for the help. The articles had very good information in them and I will start on my rooster today. I think I can calm him down to me, I just hope I settle him down for the wife and grandchildern. Thanks again.

Benny

 

[centrarchid]

I am having a similar problem with some of my young dominique roosters. My dominiques come from several different sources but I raised all in same manner. Only some from source with mean birds are actually mean. Pullets of same lot also more inclined to rush me as I approach with feed. It appears genetics a big part of problem. The same bunch that are aggressive also inclined to peck when I pick them up off roost. I am clearly dominant yet the morons attack even at risk of being punted across yard. They appear hardwired to be aggressive. My vicious games never attack in this manner. Selective breeding will be employed.

 

[sourland]

Hopefully your rooster can be readjusted; however, just think of the potential for permanent damage to a child's eyes or face. If you decide to keep him, don't trust him around children. An aggressive rooster is an aggressive rooster "rehabilitated" or not.

 

[Chainsaw385]

Quote:
I have New Hampshire Reds that are very close in age to yours,eggs started a couple weeks ago.......my first chickens and had the boss rooster get fiesty a couple times..........picking him up and carrying him around really helps.He doesn't like that one bit......he is calm while holding him but heads for the coop after I let him go.I think it embarrases him.

I stir up things at times with him to keep it fresh in his mind who is really tougher.I often hand feed them treats and after he gets his share and starts pecking the hens I take my back hand and keep bumping him away.

He will fluff up and start acting tough but I keep bumping him in the chest 'till he backs down....so far so good a few minutes after our showdown he will come back for a few more treats.It seems he knows I'm showing him I'm the boss and no hard feelings.

Since they free roam during the day I want him to be cocky but not towards humans.