There are many ways to come to an arrangement with roosters. I agree with centrarchid; setting out to show a rooster you’re the boss is likely to end in failure.
For me the key has been trying to understand why a rooster behaves in a particular manner and adjusting my behavior accordingly. You can force a rooster to behave in a different manner but more often than not I’ve found it easier and more productive to adjust mine.
I have yet to find a one size fits all solution.
I had one rooster who was fine until he got his own hens. He went from standoffish but handleable to a try to flog and attack little monster in the space of a few days. The problems always arose at feeding time. I would put the feed down in front of his hens and he would go for me.
A bit of thought and knowledge of how a rooster attracts his hens helped here. One way a rooster attracts hens is to find the best ‘treats’. Although junior/satellite roosters will often not make vocal calls to the hens for fear of alerting the senior rooster, they will still nod at the point where the food is and hope a hen will notice and come to investigate. If he keeps doing this and what he finds the hens like he builds a reputation of being able to find food. This is really important when it comes to improving a roosters mating opportunities. A cockerel that can entice a hen away from the main flock and away from the watchful eye of the senior rooster may just get to mate with that hen before the senior rooster chases him off.
I changed how I fed this particular group. When I prepared the food the normal course of events was the hens would run to me and gather round waiting. This is what made this rooster aggressive. In his eyes I was stealing his hens and there was no way he could compete with my never ending supply of food.
I started to drive the hens away when they gathered for food, much like roosters from other groups did. Instead of placing the feed in front of the hens I carried it to where their rooster was and let him eat first while I held the food off the ground. When I placed the food on the ground in front of the rooster he would then call his hens over to feed. That rooster never tried to attack me again.
Now, when that rooster wants to feed his hens he comes and gets me if I’m close by. His hens stay under cover wherever that may be. I prepare the feed and offer it to the rooster. He takes a few pecks and we both walk over to the hens together. It looks very funny to watch. I put the food down and as far as the rooster is concerned it seems, he has provided the food and gains credit from his hens.
He’s happy, I’m happy and it doesn’t take any more time, or effort really.
Simple really but it requires some knowledge of how roosters attract hens.
Other roosters may pose different problems depending on circumstances and personality.
For me the key has been trying to understand why a rooster behaves in a particular manner and adjusting my behavior accordingly. You can force a rooster to behave in a different manner but more often than not I’ve found it easier and more productive to adjust mine.
I have yet to find a one size fits all solution.
I had one rooster who was fine until he got his own hens. He went from standoffish but handleable to a try to flog and attack little monster in the space of a few days. The problems always arose at feeding time. I would put the feed down in front of his hens and he would go for me.
A bit of thought and knowledge of how a rooster attracts his hens helped here. One way a rooster attracts hens is to find the best ‘treats’. Although junior/satellite roosters will often not make vocal calls to the hens for fear of alerting the senior rooster, they will still nod at the point where the food is and hope a hen will notice and come to investigate. If he keeps doing this and what he finds the hens like he builds a reputation of being able to find food. This is really important when it comes to improving a roosters mating opportunities. A cockerel that can entice a hen away from the main flock and away from the watchful eye of the senior rooster may just get to mate with that hen before the senior rooster chases him off.
I changed how I fed this particular group. When I prepared the food the normal course of events was the hens would run to me and gather round waiting. This is what made this rooster aggressive. In his eyes I was stealing his hens and there was no way he could compete with my never ending supply of food.
I started to drive the hens away when they gathered for food, much like roosters from other groups did. Instead of placing the feed in front of the hens I carried it to where their rooster was and let him eat first while I held the food off the ground. When I placed the food on the ground in front of the rooster he would then call his hens over to feed. That rooster never tried to attack me again.
Now, when that rooster wants to feed his hens he comes and gets me if I’m close by. His hens stay under cover wherever that may be. I prepare the feed and offer it to the rooster. He takes a few pecks and we both walk over to the hens together. It looks very funny to watch. I put the food down and as far as the rooster is concerned it seems, he has provided the food and gains credit from his hens.
He’s happy, I’m happy and it doesn’t take any more time, or effort really.
Simple really but it requires some knowledge of how roosters attract hens.
Other roosters may pose different problems depending on circumstances and personality.
