I ran from my rooster

[gimmie birdies]

I took a rooster into my coop once, because a friend of mine said it was attacking a 3 year old grand son.(I wasn't worried.) I put it in my pen and after not very long it tried to get me one time on the back of my legs, I turned around and picked him up very quickly and carried him while we did chores, I sat him down, but not before giving his comb a nice little tug. And that was his one and only attempt of attacking me.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I agree Kris, Kicking is NOT an option! Plus that would only make a rooster worse. If you can, I suggest grabbing it if it gets close, I don't chase, or run, I like grabbing it, because chickens like to attack your feet because it is at their level. but is not familiar with hands and arms. My roosters know I can grab them anytime they want.

 

[Shadrach]

it’s easier to train the chicken keeper and the rooster, and then you go from there.

I think you mistyped the above.
I think it should have been it's easier to train the rooster than it is the keeper.

 

[Kris5902]

I have had to “train” both my elderly mother and an 8 year old child to act properly around my free range rooster. My free range hens will run towards people and chase cars looking for treats, and their rooster follows them. He isn’t at all aggressive, but if you cower or run away from him he will give chase. “Oh no it’s a rooster, they are dangerous, back away in fear, run away squealing , or jump back into the car and hide from him” provokes him. He decides he’s dominant and chased you away.

The kid is an infrequent visitor, and she still needs some work, but my mother has finally figured it out. You just say “Hi Sammy!” And go about your business normally and there’s no problems.

 

[Kris5902]

I think you mistyped the above.
I think it should have been it's easier to train the rooster than it is the keeper.

It all depends on if the chicken keeper is smarter than the chicken. You need to understand and work with the natural behaviors of the animals whenever possible. I like to hope that a reasoning person is more able to change their behaviors than a Rooster can be “trained” out of his.

 

[Kris5902]

I agree Kris, Kicking is NOT an option! Plus that would only make a rooster worse. If you can, I suggest grabbing it if it gets close, I don't chase, or run, I like grabbing it, because chickens like to attack your feet because it is at their level. but is not familiar with hands and arms. My roosters know I can grab them anytime they want.

The surest way to get my aggressive boy to go on the offensive is to stick a boot out at him. If say I forgot to grab the “ magic chicken stick of respectfulness” and am out there in yoga pants in a coffee deprived, crack of dawn stupor... which never happens! It’s just the perfect Target for him to work out his morning frustrations on.

Edit: I didn’t know about this until it happened, I tested it out again a few days later, and yep, presenting a boot in the wrong way can trigger an undesirable, but natural, attack response. Like I said... a learning curve, and experience is the best teacher if you adopt an attitude of learning from these events.

 

[FortCluck]

I have had to “train” both my elderly mother and an 8 year old child to act properly around my free range rooster. My free range hens will run towards people and chase cars looking for treats, and their rooster follows them. He isn’t at all aggressive, but if you cower or run away from him he will give chase. “Oh no it’s a rooster, they are dangerous, back away in fear, run away squealing , or jump back into the car and hide from him” provokes him. He decides he’s dominant and chased you away.

The kid is an infrequent visitor, and she still needs some work, but my mother has finally figured it out. You just say “Hi Sammy!” And go about your business normally and there’s no problems.

I tell people to acknowledge my roosters by name first because if you don't they'll scare the pee out of you trying to get your attention They're up to my thighs in height when they crow so imagine them chasing a person or trying to get their attention.

 

[FortCluck]

The surest way to get my aggressive boy to go on the offensive is to stick a boot out at him. If say I forgot to grab the “ magic chicken stick of respectfulness” and am out there in yoga pants in a coffee deprived, crack of dawn stupor... which never happens! It’s just the perfect Target for him to work out his morning frustrations on.

Edit: I didn’t know about this until it happened, I tested it out again a few days later, and yep, presenting a boot in the wrong way can trigger an undesirable, but natural, attack response. Like I said... a learning curve, and experience is the best teacher if you adopt an attitude of learning from these events.

My husband puts his boot out too and the rooster beats up his boot then walks away. They're sweet unless you trigger them.

 

[Kris5902]

I tell people to acknowledge my roosters by name first because if you don't they'll scare the pee out of you trying to get your attention They're up to my thighs in height when they crow so imagine them chasing a person or trying to get their attention.

My free range boy took exception to the cattle upon first encountering them, and put the run on one of the yearlings... and he’s just a relatively small leghorn X! They can be quite intimidating. Then the steer ran to one of his buddies and I had two cows chasing my (then) cockerel! I went out to rescue him and he literally ran up to me to be picked up and put safely back in the barn away from those mean cows

 

[FortCluck]