I may have finally "broke" my crazy cock

[CNJ]

I put my aggressive rooster on a leg cord and work with him. Its easier to catch them this way.

 

[Isadora]

This has been a very interesting read! My thought was is it worth all the time and repeated effort on your part? Obviously you mentioned this is more of an experiment than anything else and have seen some results, but I know that for me this sounds too time-intensive, especially when he's still challenging your dominance.

 

[Weetamoo93]

I put my aggressive rooster on a leg cord and work with him. Its easier to catch them this way.

What do you do to work with him?

One quality I appreciate is how stressed he gets when away from the hens in our acre yard, so I'm not sure how a cord would work for him in that scenario if that is similar to a tie-out for a dog.

This has been a very interesting read! My thought was is it worth all the time and repeated effort on your part? Obviously you mentioned this is more of an experiment than anything else and have seen some results, but I know that for me this sounds too time-intensive, especially when he's still challenging your dominance.

For me, it is worth it for the time being. And I recognize it takes a while to train most animals, or in this case retrain. He got it in his head that he was "top cock" and my thoughts are that he has not fully resigned because I'm not out there as constantly as an rival cock to remind him of his position.

For a lot of people, it may be too much effort and if I had more chickens of both sexes, it'd be too much effort for me as well. I'm not certain of my next opportunity to acquire a cock of the same breed and color, so in the mean time I get to run this experiment to see if maybe it's worth it in the long run.

 

[CNJ]

What do you do to work with him?

One quality I appreciate is how stressed he gets when away from the hens in our acre yard, so I'm not sure how a cord would work for him in that scenario if that is similar to a tie-out for a dog.

I only do this if the next step is the killing cone. I pick the rooster up by both legs and smack his heaad until the feathers on the back of his heads stands up and he makes an uk,uk sound. I re-enforce this through out the day.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Day 9

Since their was a break in the morning routine, I fully suspected at least a minor issue since Baz has always been moody when his schedule is different. Initially he let me be when I let them out for the evening forage and we had no issues with stalking near the house or anything of the like. Any time he was too close, he was easily dissuaded from the area with walking and shooing gestures.

For some reason, he and most the hens decided to stay out later than I had thought and I went to round them up initially, but changed my mind and started back toward the house. I had been right near the run door, so in the last territory he is trying to maintain "top cock" in. He did a small run at me, which I dissuaded, but on the second pass I set to correct. He was more reluctant to give in and I had to push him a good deal back, occasionally switching my downward pats for more of a side swipe to push him in a certain direction and keep from backing him into a corner or under a bush. I wanted to make certain he ducked into a retreat, which he did. He did so much that I couldn't even steer him back towards the coop area and instead started going further into the back of the yard. That wasn't my intent, but I thought it may get it into his little head that I am the boss regardless of where he and the hens are in the yard. It was still light enough also that I had no cause for concern with him getting lost or to go missing due to predation.



Day 10

I think it is safe to say that my last area to work with Baz is in the run and its immediate vicinity, which is his home so I can see why he is more protective of that area. I had no instances of challenge near the run and even had him rather calmly pass around my legs with one of his hens looking for handouts. Somehow compost alone has spoiled my flock into thinking they can beg for handouts.

I went inside the run to tidy up the coop and add a source of Poultry Cell to combat any ill all the rain may provoke and to give my recently failed broody a health boost. A few hens and, of course, Baz followed me in. Since our excercises seem to be working, I've been trying to appear more relaxed around him and less guarded to gauge his attitude. Instead of using one of the five nest boxes available, one of the hens had decided to lay on egg in the middle of the run. Baz kept a keen eye on me as I went to collect the errant egg and gave my leg a test bump with his chest. I turned, held my finger in his face as if scolding a child and firmly said "Stop". He backed off and I continued with my task, picking up the egg to place it in a nest box for the time being. After a moment, he stepped at my heel. Again, I scolded him with the hand in his face as a threat. Once I had turned to reach in the coop with the egg, he hopped at me, but without flogging or scratching. Just another bump to gauge my reaction I suppose. Since he was getting bolder with each action, I turned and pat him as usual, forcing the retreat until he turned in submission. This time, it was emphasized by my terrier mutt that he backed into while he concentrated on me. I had forced him out the coop and he retreated under the nearby tree in defeat.

Overall, I would say this technique is starting to pay off. He is generally much calmer than he used to be which is actually leading to a calmer flock. He is all but ignoring the kids and I, although I will never fully trust him and remain aware of his location. I think he's only bothered my husband when he is near the coop and run, which as I stated is a bit understandable as that is the home of his flock and his safe space. My husband takes no nonsense and bats him if he even gets close with a nerf sword which quickly dissuades Baz from further action and he walks away.

 

[Weetamoo93]

I only do this if the next step is the killing cone. I pick the rooster up by both legs and smack his heaad until the feathers on the back of his heads stands up and he makes an uk,uk sound. I re-enforce this through out the day.

I had read in an older thread when looking up how other people dealt with aggressive roosters about "waterboarding" them by dunking their heads in a bucket as a last resort before the cone. I was getting close to that as well.

If this method backfires, I am not opposed to smacking him in the head. I just about kicked him clear across the yard once or twice. This is his last chance before the cone and he's only getting this extended grace period because you can't have chicks without a cock in the flock.

And honestly, I'm deriving quite a bit of pleasure from his frustration at his vain attempts to thwart my "attacks" and it's rewarding to watch him fully retreat in submission.

 

[CNJ]

I can only catch my chicken when they sleeping or call them back in the coop with scratch feed. I thinking about buying this leg catcher from Mcmurray:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/fowl_catchers.html

I bought my rooster leg cord from ebay.

 

[roosterhavoc]

You guys are forgetting about the tried and true hulk hogan leg drop from an elevated position. Once a mean rooster receives one of these classic moves it’s all over. He’ll be eating out of your hand in no time.

 

[Weetamoo93]

I thinking about buying this leg catcher from Mcmurray:
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/fowl_catchers.html

I've thought of getting one of those to catch chickens in general when the need arises, for health inspection or otherwise. It seems like a great tool to have on hand.

You guys are forgetting about the tried and true hulk hogan leg drop from an elevated position. Once a mean rooster receives one of these classic moves it’s all over. He’ll be eating out of your hand in no time.

I'll reserve that for when I'm ready to turn him into soup. This method is taking longer to get results than something more drastic, but I am seeing results. Like any animal, training just takes a while, especially if it's against their liking. He wants to be on top, but he's starting to submit and let me go about my business and I let him go about his.

 

[Weetamoo93]

Day 11

The only confrontation I had was this morning upon moving the chickens into their tractor. However, there had been quite a stir in the coop and run as one hen, whom I suspect is top hen, has taken to tormenting my lowest hen, 007 and recently failed broody. She sat away from the flock for almost four weeks and had already been a lower flock member.

As I released everyone and they eagerly ran to the little tractor, he gave the challenge dance toward me. I leaned over and pat him twice and he ducked and continued to his hens.

Day 12

In a manner, I challenged his today because yet again the hens had pushed 007 into a corner where she was hiding. Due to plans for the day, the chickens were allowed a morning free range versus the tractor, so I simply turned them loose. I waited for 007 to come out, which didn't take long, crouching by the run door. I've decided that now that Baz has begun to settle down that I will mingle witht the flock more during moves and release to maintain more presence to further assert my dominance.

Something about going broody has made 007 fond of me, so she came out and stayed around me close enough and calmly enough that I can gently stroke her. Maybe she was looking for those nonexistant treats or sees me as a protector. In any case, Baz was not pleased and did his little angry dance, so from my crouched position, I bat him away. He tried a few more times and I would only pat and bat him hard enough to keep him backed away. He made a more violent lunge as the hen was clearly favoring me in this situation, so I pinned him to the ground in front of all the hens, including little 007 who walked up and looked down on him. Atta girl. When I let off, he walked away to sulk.

I've been seperating 007 whenever I put the chickens back in the run during the day in an adjacent run so she is protected from the tormenting hen, but still within sight and all. I let everyone out later than usual for a last free range before dark. My younger daughter was with me, but Baz did not approach until we went to get 007 from her area. He stayed back as she ran up to me to be picked up and let out with the others. I was definitely vigilant of him and kept myself between him and my child, but he did not make any definitively agressive moves, even as I leaned over to pet the hen and allowed my daughter to do so. We were both able to walk away from the run and all the chickens without him bothering us.

I found this article by @azygous about training cockerels. Picking up my cock wasn't working the way it did for hers, but I have noticed the last two times that I've picked him up that he submitted near instantly and remained calm for much longer than he has in the past. Now that Baz is becoming less aggressive and much more seldom attempts to flog me, I think I may try to more regularly pick him up versus pat him. @azygous noted their method potentially taking a few weeks before the cock would fully comply, so that gives me hope that what I'm doing is certainly working as I am seeing his demeanor shift from aggressive to more docile in my presence.