I followed advice given to me BUT….

[Brooks_]

It is funny how Big Jim is. When he sees me coming up to their area, he and the hens run to me. He will get about 5 feet from me and stares. I will carefully toss the mealworms at his feet, but he just makes this soft sound and lets the hens eat it. He takes a while before he starts eating and allows the hens to snatch the mealworms from his mouth. The time he jumped on my back, I had finished feeding them and was leaving. I turned to face him and he didn’t do anything but when I turned around, he did it again. It didn’t hurt, I was not sure what he was doing. I don’t know how I should deal with this.

Treat him as human aggressive. I would say that right now he is testing. Before long he will attack to your face.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree. This rooster is not going to be a good boy, he's going to get more aggressive and dangerous. If you have small children, or visitors, he needs to be isolated or gone.
We've never succeeded in 'reforming' an attack bird!
Have you let him jump on you when he was younger? The only relatively good reason I can see for this not to be serious developing aggression. You can attempt to establish yourself as 'the giant who brings food', rather than as a flockmate to be dominated, but don't be disappointed if it fails. And be safe out there!
Mary

 

[Got13now]

Agree. This rooster is not going to be a good boy, he's going to get more aggressive and dangerous. If you have small children, or visitors, he needs to be isolated or gone.
We've never succeeded in 'reforming' an attack bird!
Have you let him jump on you when he was younger? The only relatively good reason I can see for this not to be serious developing aggression. You can attempt to establish yourself as 'the giant who brings food', rather than as a flockmate to be dominated, but don't be disappointed if it fails. And be safe out there!
Mary

I have not handled any of the chickens when they were young. When they were old enough, they were put outside. I have given names to them but I don’t spend time making them friends. Out of 9 hens, one seems to want my attention. I wanted a rooster to protect the hens I realized after reading the responses regarding the rooster’s actions, that getting rid of him may be the best way to go for safety.
I never thought a rooster could be so dangerous. Ireally appreciate all the advice from others.

 

[SmiYa0126]

If he tries to stare you down I would walk right through him so he has to move for you. Don't be cautious around him.

 

[Folly's place]

Be aware of his behavior, he's done things that are warning signs of how he's thinking. Useful when raising your next cockerels! I like cockerels who pay attention to their flockmates, and get out of my path. Right now I have a three month old cockerel who has bitten me twice when I'm moving him to a new spot at night. He has otherwise been fine, but it's early times yet. He's on the 'might be dinner' list, and needs to take it to heart.
Mary

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I have not handled any of the chickens when they were young. When they were old enough, they were put outside. I have given names to them but I don’t spend time making them friends. Out of 9 hens, one seems to want my attention. I wanted a rooster to protect the hens I realized after reading the responses regarding the rooster’s actions, that getting rid of him may be the best way to go for safety.
I never thought a rooster could be so dangerous. Ireally appreciate all the advice from others.

There have actually been deaths reported, caused by a rooster. Not immediately from the attack, but from bleeding out (I believe that one was from a fighting game cock with razor-sharpened spurs) and from infection.

Just wear long sleeves and heavy pants (jeans), boots, gloves, and consider face protection or safety goggles if you really want to be as safe as you can around him - until you can get rid of him.

You might consider keeping a cockerel chick to raise. He might turn out better. NOT every rooster is human aggressive. Some are real sweethearts, but still very protective and attentive to their flocks. You just have to keep rotating them in and out until you find the keeper(s). Sucks, but it keeps you well-stocked in chicken soup.

 

[Folly's place]

Often cockerels raised with mature birds behave better. Not always, because human aggression also has a genetic component, but it still helps.
Raise some straight run birds next spring, and see if one of those boys will work out in your flock.
We have five or six cockerels right now, three and four months old, with a rooster and hens. They won't all be staying!
Mary

 

[Got13now]

There have actually been deaths reported, caused by a rooster. Not immediately from the attack, but from bleeding out (I believe that one was from a fighting game cock with razor-sharpened spurs) and from infection.

Just wear long sleeves and heavy pants (jeans), boots, gloves, and consider face protection or safety goggles if you really want to be as safe as you can around him - until you can get rid of him.

You might consider keeping a cockerel chick to raise. He might turn out better. NOT every rooster is human aggressive. Some are real sweethearts, but still very protective and attentive to their flocks. You just have to keep rotating them in and out until you find the keeper(s). Sucks, but it keeps you well-stocked in chicken soup.

Wow ! I had no idea. I’m so glad I am getting the advice from all of you. Big Jim is maybe 20 inches tall. Plus he has these things like 3 inch long claws at his ankles. The hens of the same species don’t have them. I guess those are “spurs “ ? I have been going in the chicken yard wearing shorts and just t shirts and sandals. I have a lot to learn. I got all the chickens when they were a day old. I think I gave them enough attention and handled them but Big Jim didn’t want me to bother him also he got too big. I’m going to be careful from now on. My husband will be the one to kill him if he continues to be aggressive.

 

[Folly's place]

One of our hens is really pushy, and we've had many 'chats' about it. She still sometimes gets behind me and grabs jeans. If it was my leg, I'd be wounded. She's not mean, just demanding. Nothing like an obnoxious rooster!
Mary

 

[Cosmiclemons]

So I put my ladies and gentleman into the run for a week. They all were quite accepting of this to my surprise.
I watched them, looking for an egg eater. I searched for any evidence that may prove that there is a bad chicken egg eater. I did come to the conclusion that there is no egg eater but I made changes to the nesting boxes so the eggs rolled into a compartment which prevents the chickens from getting the eggs. Well, some don’t get upset with the new set up and use the nest boxes. Some are laying eggs in the coop but not in the boxes.
There is a good bit of feathers scattered around. I don’t think the chickens are molting because they all turned a year old this month. I never have seen them scratching their bodies. Some have a loose feather here and there but they are not sickly looking. They seem to get along with each other. Now Big Jim my rooster , I am not sure if he likes me or hates me. Yesterday, after giving them some meal worms, I turned away to leave and that lil monster jumped on my back . I spun around and he was really fluffed up. I turned my back on him and he did it again! What is that about ?
Currently, the egg count has gone up from 0 to 3 eggs a day to 3 to 5 eggs daily. Not like the 8 to 10 eggs. The only change to their lifestyle was that 2 hens were mothering 2 chicks they hatched. Also, another hen just hatched 2 chicks but they all don’t seem to even notice that.
So, I am so confused about the feather loss, and decrease in eggs.
I really appreciate all the help from you all thus far and appreciate any advice now.

The behavior you are describing to me sounds like you may have had a predetor in your coop before when you thought you had an egg eater. I’m not sure what part of the world you are in but there are lots of critters that will eat eggs and spook chickens (and a roo!) but not attack. I’m wondering if Big Jim is responding in this manner because of a late night unwanted visitor. My roo Buddy was the best rooster ever, after we had one attack he would attack me (only when I turned my back) for like a month after. Just thoughts!