I Hate to Say It, But,

[3KillerBs]

My hitherto trouble-free and well-behaved rooster, Rameses, who is about 16-months-old, was pushing at me and reluctant to yield when I walked through him yesterday afternoon and then, this morning, pecked me on the back of the boot while I was propping the coop door this morning.

I put him into submission then carried him around as I finishing the opening up process, giving him a lecture about how I had a broomstick and he has sons.

I understand that his hormones are rising with the lengthening days and he's got 3 sons in the pen just hitting puberty who might be making him antsy, but if he can't tell the difference between The Giant Who Brings Food and another rooster, well,

It would screw up my breeding plans for this spring but he's got 3 sons almost old enough and I've got eggs in the incubator.

I had planned on keeping him until I was done hatching this spring -- at which point I'd have been breeding him to his granddaughters -- and then selling him as a proven flockmaster with a couple hens as a breeding trio.

 

[3KillerBs]

Personally, if he hasn't shown issues before, I would give him a third strike opportunity. I know it goes against what I usually preach, but it sounds like he's an older male that still hasn't latched on to or kicked out at people, and is starting to feel the season grow favorable. Now granted, that leaves room for a worse attack for the third strike, but I'm just not sure that's going to happen, honestly.

are you sure this was aggressive and not a greeting peck on the cheek/bit he could reach?

Give it time, see if he regressives to sweet/tolerable or moves on to aggressive. He may have given a welcoming peck, or you have a spot I need to remove/eat...

He'd been pushing boundaries yesterday too and it was a pretty hard hit.

I've told my family to stay out of the coop and run until this resolves, even though that robs me of my assistant on the days the arthritis is bad.

He's got until the next reasonably good-weather day I have off to shape up. Or, if he draws blood he's gone as soon as I can catch him.

 

[Coops Dad]

My hitherto trouble-free and well-behaved rooster, Rameses, who is about 16-months-old, was pushing at me and reluctant to yield when I walked through him yesterday afternoon and then, this morning, pecked me on the back of the boot while I was propping the coop door this morning.

I put him into submission then carried him around as I finishing the opening up process, giving him a lecture about how I had a broomstick and he has sons.

I understand that his hormones are rising with the lengthening days and he's got 3 sons in the pen just hitting puberty who might be making him antsy, but if he can't tell the difference between The Giant Who Brings Food and another rooster, well,

It would screw up my breeding plans for this spring but he's got 3 sons almost old enough and I've got eggs in the incubator.

I had planned on keeping him until I was done hatching this spring -- at which point I'd have been breeding him to his granddaughters -- and then selling him as a proven flockmaster with a couple hens as a breeding trio.

I like the way you separate emotion from the equation and your awareness of need vs want. For the sake of your future plans, I hope Ramses gets his head straight.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Chicken Math.


I'm certain you will make the right choice. Would be easier if the sons were a little older and easier to judge their promise though

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally, if he hasn't shown issues before, I would give him a third strike opportunity. I know it goes against what I usually preach, but it sounds like he's an older male that still hasn't latched on to or kicked out at people, and is starting to feel the season grow favorable. Now granted, that leaves room for a worse attack for the third strike, but I'm just not sure that's going to happen, honestly.

 

[3KillerBs]

I was busy yesterday and knew I wouldn't be home by dark so I left them in the coop with plenty of feed and water and wasn't out there at all.

Today I went out and adjusted a few things so that I wouldn't have to bend down with my back to the pen. Rameses stepped aside for me while I was filling feeders and waterers and I walked through him a couple times. Had he failed to yield I would have picked him up and carried him around for a bit.

Maybe being held down and footballed the other day after he pecked me reminded him not to mess with The Giant Who Brings Food.

He's on probation and his fate is in his own claws.

 

[3KillerBs]

Rameses walked out past me this morning without taking any more notice of me than he used to and yielded when I walked through him moving feed and water.

I'm not turning my back on him and I'm not having other family members in the coop again yet, but he seems to have come to his senses.

 

[3KillerBs]

As of today I haven't had any further issues.

I'm starting to wonder if they had a predator scare while I was at work one day.

It used to be that when I was opening up for the day before it was really light Rameses would stay up on the roost. Since the day of the issue, he's been flying down as soon as he hears me and refusing to let hens out into the run in the dark -- even chasing them back in if they went out.

This morning he jumped down off the roost when he heard me and then, when I went in so he was sure it was just me, went back to roost instead of patrolling the door.

I wonder if, in his limited chicken mind, the original crowding and even pecking behavior was his way to trying to get me to go into the safety of the coop instead of being out in the dangerous dark?

I had to turn my back on him a few times while working in the coop yesterday and he didn't do anything but continue to scratch in the straw I'd dropped while refilling the nests.

If the good behavior holds until the end of the month I'll let my husband and teens help with chores again.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sorry this is happening, but he should be on that 'short list' before he does real harm. It won't be better later.
Mary

I gave him one chance to reform.

He still attacks my husband and my grandson (17).

My philosophy is not to be part of the flock at all.

I am The Giant Who Brings Food. Attacking me should be as much out of the question as attacking a cow or a horse that shared the pasture.

I won't tolerate an aggressive animal of any species.

 

[LizzzyJo]

giving him a lecture about how I had a broomstick and he has sons.


“He had sons”!!!! Omg that sent me into chuckles this morning. I now know what you meant but I was thinking you were threatening him for the sake of his family. Good luck with him and I hope he shapes up! If not I hope his sons are good boys.