I need advice PLEASE

[Billyj]

Here is the situation. Last year I bought my first ever chickens. I raised them from day old chicks. I have grown to love (as everyone else does) them. Now that my rooster (Captain Jack) is grown, everytime I go to leave the chicken yard, he performs a sneak attact on me. As a teacher, I have learned the art of facing one direction while being able to look behind me at the same time. Therefore, I see him comming and I turn around just in the nick of time. However, sometimes he gets me pretty good. I have tried to break him of this habbit by holding him in my arms while doing things, pinning him down on the ground in a submissive hold, and even held him upside down by his feet. All of these usulay work for a few days or a week, however, it starts again after that time. I have all the chickie babies I want (I got 7 last year and now I have 30) so I don't necessarly need him, however, if this is how it's going to be, I can't keep him. My son is even scared of him and Captain Jack has never tried to attack him. I love hearing him crow. My neighbors even like to listen to him. I can not bring myself to disposing him, and I realy don't want someone else to as well. However, who would want a big rooster in thier pen that attacks them??. What should I do? I love Captain Jack, but this can't go on. It is killing me to even think about getting rid of him. Please help. Are there any other tricks of the trade that I can try to permanetly break this habbit? Thanks everyone.

 

[onthespot]

Don't turn your back on him. Chickens have no sense of "honor" or respecting the teacher. If he is a flogger, he will flog you every time you leave the pen. I had a roo like that, and I would carry a four foot stick and just clobber him if he tried it. He finally got used to me backing out the door, and a simple hand signal would let him know I was aware of him and ready to defend myself. Doesn't matter how many times I did that, after the hundredth time, if I turned my back, I got flogged. I finally gave him to a home that really was excited to have him over for dinner.

 

[zatsdeb]

Quote:
I have only had 1 rooster that did that, my white crested black polish, and I did what you did, carried him around.... a lot!!! and if he came after me while I was watering the critters, I hosed him down. he is about 6 years old now, and he just stays away now, the other chickens have picked his feathers off his head, and he looks pitiful. I hated to get rid of him so I just kept after him, I still don't turn my back on him, but he has calmed down, probably his old age. he will not go into a stew pot, he will die of old age!

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Put him in his own cage far from the girls he is only doing what is natural to him your on his property and you don't need to be there so he is ready to fight you to get you out and because you did the submissive hold you are lead rooster so he has to take you on to be lead rooster so if you don't wanna Cull/rehome then A cage is your best bet you get to hear him crow and yet he won't attack you because there is no reason to build a small tractor to keep him in and away from the girls.If he hears them he will be in attack mode once again. If you want to let him run around lock the girls in and give him an hour in the run a day then lock him back up and let the girls out.


I hope this helps good luck to you

 

[angels4]

I've no experience with this(I can't even keep a rooster) so I'm just going to throw this out there. Would pinless peepers work by blocking his view. Just an idea. They work really well for the girls who like to pick feathers.

 

[Mrs. K]

How big is your son? Cause small children can be seriously hurt by an attacking rooster.

The thing is this is not personal, this hormones. As your rooster became an adult, and especially if they become breeders. Instinct takes over, and they really are not as good of pets. This is a big reason that most male animals that are domesticated are neutered. And it really does not matter what kind of animal that you have, very very few make good pets after growing into the breeding age. And once they are not good pets, they don't really go back to the good pet status, no matter what the treatment is.

After reading on this site, I have seen numerous owners tell that they have had both bad and good roosters. If you like the crowing, get rid of Captain Jack, and try a different rooster. But you need to realize that a safe and dependable rooster is not a guarantee.

Personally, I would not keep an animal that attacks me or had the slightest possibility of attacking a child. Eyes cannot easily be replaced. And what fun is it to be scared in your own home?

Mrs.K