I hit my rooster in the head what do I do

[Sonya9]

Also I would like to add that being "dominant and taking control" doesn't have to be negative or ugly.

With my little roo I pick him up and if he struggles I firmly hold him and pull him against my chest and then tell him how beautiful he is, while gently scratching his neck etc... He gets LOTS of kind soft words even if he is fighting (which he doesn't do anymore...males like having their ego stroked...go figure).

Showing your strength doesn't have to mean being scary or abusive.

Now if I had a very aggressive roo I would figure out other means....if they were extremely aggressive I would figure out what ticks them off and refrain from doing it (unless they were abusing the hens, that would cross the line).

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I find I'm using a lot of techniques with my rooster that I learned at dog training classes. Im even using the language, ha! though it means less to him than it does to the dog. If rooster approaches me too fast, too aggressive, I growl and stomp and tell him that's not a good idea. Then when he turns, sidles away, backs off, goes back to the hens, I shout out praise: "good decision you hunky thing!" In a cheerful, extra corn for you tonight sort of voice.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

What I meant to stress is that we should reward the good behaviour by backing off, taking the pressure off, sounding cheerful, as well as punishing the bad behaviour with stern voices, strong body language and whatnot.

 

[chicken vs duck]

What I meant to stress is that we should reward the good behaviour by backing off, taking the pressure off, sounding cheerful, as well as punishing the bad behaviour with stern voices, strong body language and whatnot.

I've tried that and all the suggestions before this one/ when I held him he acts nice and justs sits there calm in my arms I also talk to him softly as well but when I put him down he will start chasing me again , now I can't even get close enough to him to pick him up

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I've tried that and all the suggestions before this one/ when I held him he acts nice and justs sits there calm in my arms I also talk to him softly as well but when I put him down he will start chasing me again , now I can't even get close enough to him to pick him up

Again, I'm not the expert, just someone who is going through the same problems you are. But I don't handle or pet my rooster. When he was a little yellow chick I petted him. When he announced himself a rooster and I tried to rehome him to the neighbour and he came back to me a very bloodied soldier and needed hospital care for a month, yes, I petted him. But now he is a grown up rooster with six hens of his own and he will never care about me and my petting again. So you start by getting your head around that.

Your advantage is you and him probably have some communication channels going. But don't be sentimental. You need him to respond to your demands, respect your space, and leave you alone.

 

[coffeychicks]

I have 47 chickens all housed together and a mix of breeds. 42 are hens 5 are roosters. My roosters know to move when I walk towards them. I have had aggressive roosters then went to the freezer I refuse mean roosters. Last time I checked chickens were food. But that is my opinion

 

[centrarchid]

I have 47 chickens all housed together and a mix of breeds. 42 are hens 5 are roosters. My roosters know to move when I walk towards them. I have had aggressive roosters then went to the freezer I refuse mean roosters. Last time I checked chickens were food. But that is my opinion

What you describe is a classic farmsted henhouse. My grandmother had such running in parallel to her commercial hatching egg production and my great uncles cockyard. We also had a lot of walks where the cool stuff occured. We did not have the mentality that the males needed to be dominated or else. The were valued for a range if purposes in addition eating. The henhouse males were more for emergency chicken soup. The males of the hatching egg production setup, well they were needed for eggs to hatch otherwise those 100+ hens were useless. Those in the cockyard which were also in the cockyard were used for well, you know and many were sold for close to $100 each and you had a difficult time getting reliable buyers if they were manfighters. The cool stuff was on the walks where raising chicks was tough and those roosters that pitched in helping the hens had a better chance of producing harvest-able young. especially when predators like Coopers (blue-tailed darter / chicken) Hawks would target chicks. My family had great respect for the roosters and valued highly even though they did not study the particulars of why they were so good at what the roosters did. Now that I am up in years enough I am making it a point to study these guys and finding there is way more to them than a physical threat to me and my very small kids that must either be feared or dominated.


Linked below is what I am watching currently with a single rooster that is representative of my line of games.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882368/what-to-look-for-in-a-broody-rooster

There is even more to these very interested creatures and all is relevant if you are like me where your family history has been linked to these birds for a very long time.

 

[Sonya9]

I find I'm using a lot of techniques with my rooster that I learned at dog training classes.

I have also learned about using body language around chickens FROM my dog. He is a mature livestock guardian and while he is extremely dominant and often aggressive with human males and other canines he is the exact opposite around livestock. He is like the "chicken whisperer" even though we only got chickens a few months ago.

He walks into the chicken pen and even new adult hens that have never been around dogs calm down with him in a few seconds. He is a master at body language and the results are amazing, when he enters their run he does not look at ANY of the chickens, he just calmly focuses on the grass and starts "grazing" as if he is unaware of them, he is careful to avoid sudden movements. Within a few seconds the chickens start "grazing" too and slowly head in his direction to join him in the grass, even chickens that have never been around dogs before.

I rarely ever let him in with the chickens (mainly because he will eat all of their food) but I want them to be used to him in case we ever have a predator problem and he needs access to the run at night.

 

[centrarchid]

My male dog when flogged by hens or roosters has an elaborate display to my eyes that seems to stop the attack. He closes is eyes, bows and turns is head away from attacker. Then he freezes. It takes just a second or two for attacks to stop and then dog slowly resumes relaxed alert position. Scoob has been on the business end of 3" spurs probably more than just about any human yet I have seen more than a scratch. I have been so flogged and spur damage is caused decidedly by a scratching rather than a poking action. Pecking damage is obvious but wings deliver a pretty sound and sometimes bruising blow. Additionally some of the scratches I have gotten from flogging, especially from hens may be caused by the single claw in each wing. When I manipulate the claw I do not see how it could be brought around to cause damage.

 

[Sonya9]

My family had great respect for the roosters and valued highly even though they did not study the particulars of why they were so good at what the roosters did. Now that I am up in years enough I am making it a point to study these guys and finding there is way more to them than a physical threat to me and my very small kids that must either be feared or dominated.

I am sure there is far more to these animals, they are not dumb creatures, they are pack animals with complex social hierarchies and sophisticated methods of communication.

Many people used to think dogs were just "dumb animals" that needed to be constantly dominated, roughed up, or killed if a problem arose. These days MOST folks recognize that many dog behavioral problems are due to HUMAN ignorance.

Many of the people on this site DO keep chickens as pets. I realize others raise them for meat and do not see these animals as sentient creatures however many of us do and I won't apologize for seeing it that way. I have taken in older hens simply because I love their personalities, I find them quite beautiful, and enjoy being around them (particularly the older OEG Bantam Hens), their value has nothing to do with "food", they are delightful creatures and seeing them enjoy life brings me pleasure.