How to tame a roo??

[Chick1043]

Thanks everyone! Whenever I'm near him and pet him he puts his wings real low but doesn't bite...But I'm afraid it might lead into another bite..

 

[coleridgedane]

Perfect time 2 pick him up & hold him. Have a bunch of sunflower seeds or cat food in your hand that he can eat. THEN walk him around like he's a handbag.

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
Let us start this anew.

What breed?

Hold old is this male chicken? Chick, juvenile, subadult, or adult. You answers provides reference about your level of knowledge about him.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Well, just throw my experience on here, not sure if it will help or hinder LOL! I have a mean Silkie roo named Snowflake. He was my baby, I thought he was a hen cause he was TINY growing up, zero comb developement--a total late bloomer. Well, I had him and his brother Tony in with the 12 remaining hens and I noticed him getting a little grumpy towards the hens and then posture at me a tad. I wasn't too concerned, figured he just was starting to get a little macho feeling. Then one day he kind of moseyed on over to me, so I bent down to give him a hug/pet and he launched and bit me on my face--drew blood and everything.

I immediately grabbed his legs and held him on the floor (hoping that Tony would come over and bite him, but he didn't

) and yelled "NO!" at him. I held him there until the blood was too profuse and I felt I needed to get my wound cleaned up. But in the end, he didn't care that I held him on the ground. He still is a mean little brat. I have him seperated from the rest of the flock. I have picked him up and held him--still no change. Nas-ty! I'm use to horses and dogs needing seperate pens, I have a big barn, so keeping extra roosters is not at all unmanageable, and I quite like their characters. But for some people, it's way not in the cards. So, anyways, good luck and I hope it works out for you.

 

[HetaChick]

I'd agree with dominance "training." I had a roo who made minced meat of my friends moms foot and that was it for him. They gave him to me and I put him in his place. Cruel or not animals respond to dominance, it's a language they understand. It's not cruel in my eyes, as social oriented species thrive on placement. Wolves, chickens, people... They have a structured group mentality. People are less likely to mouth off or hurt someone they respect, chickens are like that too. My roo ended up sweet as can be and never attacked again. I think I ruined his pride though, my little red rooster ended up dominant to him despite being about 1/3 his size lol

It doesn't always work but it's worth a shot. ^^

 

[centrarchid]

With respect to roosters, I do not agree dominance training is required or optimal for interspecific interactions with human keeper. I keep a good number of game roosters and smaller numbers of American dominiques. When all works as desired the birds do not even regard you as being within the pecking order continuum. You are an obstruction, something that might step on them, a source of food, and / or a force they can call upon to deal with threats but need not be their boss or subordinate.

OP's bird has not been defined in respect to age. Age is extremely important in respect to how minimizing aggression can be achieved.

Treating a motivated rooster like a dog can easily create a man-figher. With young birds in particular, I ignore aggression since no real harm is done. If a bird is persistant with his aggression, then I give him the opportunity to wear himself out or get bored with attacks. No response by me is shown and bird seems to think attacking me is a akin to attacking something inanimate like a lawnmower. Recoil; bird will think he can beat you. Counter attack; he may up the stakes and begin treating you as a threat which is not another rooster. If you go the pecking order route, be prepared have repeat your aggression to keep him in his place as it is his job to test you and turning your back on him will be a sign of weakness or stupidity he can not fail to take advantage of.

 

[mjlabs]

Quote:
Well said......thats some good info for a beginner like me. I posted this else where but maybe you could give me your opinion on roosters. I'm ordering approx. 15 chicks and was wondering what the hen/rooster ratio should be? Should I order one roo, two? three? for this size of flock. Thanks for your input......

 

[wbruder17]

My little D'Uccle roo was a biter from 3 days old. He has never been super friendly, but he's a little guy, so no biggie. One day,, I was holding him, which I don't normally do, and he bit the fatty part of my arm! He twisted and pulled, drawing blood, much to my dh's amusement.... well, I turned him upside down, gave him a few firm, but not harsh, raps on the beak and said Bad Rooster! No!. He did NOT like that, but has kept his distance from me and has NEVER attacked or flown at me in. The run.

My young cockerel, Gash, is sweet as pie, trained to fly onto my arm. He is a "teeneager" now, just perfecting his crow, and I make sure to hold him and pet him EVERY DAY, to try to make sure he stays sweet. The dh might make me only keep one, and I want to keep him if he stays sweet, as he is going to be a bigger boy than daddy and should be able to service more hen s..... trying to find a way to keep both. Maybe he won't crow a lot!

 

[mjlabs]

haha......"teeneager"....good one....

 

[wbruder17]

Quote:
Well, I work with teenagers and know that not all teenage activities necessarily portray the outcome of the adult! Gash is certainly getting more independent and I want him to be a good roo, so I'm trying to keep him in "check"