I'm afraid of a VERY small cockeral....and I need to get over it!!

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
What a love!

I think if you just give him a few months of eye protection and let him get his randy teen months behind him, he'll go back to being your adorable boy. I personally wouldn't change anything about the way you treat him if you don't feel he's truly attacking.

 

[MeowCluckBark]

I agree with safety glasses! I wear glasses and they have protected my eyes many times. The chickens just like shiny things and when you get pecked in the eyes it usually isn't an aggressive gesture. If you felt your eyes were protected you might be less fearful of injury.

 

[azygous]

The suggestion to get in the habit of wearing safety glasses every time you enter the pen is a great one. I had a nasty peck to my eye a while back, too, and wearing the glasses got me over my fear.

As for dealing with your feisty little tyrant, training him shouldn't be that difficult, and it will help both of you to enjoy and appreciate each other once you establish your respective roles. Read this (scroll down a few paragraphs for his advice on training roosters) http://olychickenguy.blogspot.com/2011/03/006-how-to-deal-with-skittish-chickens.html and you'll get some terrific tips.

One tip is to correct bad behavior by immediately reaching down and pinching the skin on the back of his neck like an older dominant rooster would do, and pushing him gently down onto the ground with the other hand.

I have a biter, and this technique has helped tremendously in controlling this very dangerous behavior.

Olychickenguy has posted occasionally on this forum and his advice as a chicken psychologist is amazingly instinctive, practical, and helpful. If you are so inclined, he also has developed a technique for house training chickens, among many other things. Absent from all of his recommendations is the one of resorting to the crock pot as a solution for bad roos.

 

[PamB]

Thanks again, everyone! I just went out there and he was a very good boy. I feel like he has bad days or something. I'll be ready for him next time with my safety glasses so I have no fear of reaching down to pick him up.

I think I can get him straightened out.

 

[zengrrl]

I don't blame you one bit, roo's can be scary! I have a Polish roo who is gigantic compared to my silkies etc and he is far more aggresive. He's a gorgeous boy!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

What a little character. You will indeed feel more confident with glasses. firmly but gently pushing down his head by the back of the neck until he relaxes his body is also a show of dominance.

 

[abubakar4u2003]

some roosters do have aggressive behaivour. The reason being that they want to show off in front of their girls!!! Just showing them that they are the men!! But if even a rooster is doing such things you don't need to pannic. Don't mistreat him like some other guys are saying here. They are cute creatures and need not be treated badly. Just pick him up whenever he tries to peck at your shoes or trie to jump up. Try to grab him under the wings with both the wing joints in a single hand. that will be enough to make him behave. Yours is a little one. I have experience with shamo roosters who are very huge, tall and heavy(Adult males can reach a height of 35 inch easily) and are the most aggressive of all kinds (Probably that's why they are used for fighting). I had no problem dealing with those bad boys. You can easily take care of this nice one. He is so cute.

 

[schellie69]

My bantam rooster only does this when I am the pen, well he did until my hen Blondie started attacking him any time he seemed like he would attack a human. I would get the glasses and then you can pick him up. Good Luck.

 

[drumstick diva]

The safety glasses are a great idea but, I would also carry a water pistol or spray bottle of water and let him have a blast of it even if you just think he is getting ready to pounce. Even if he just rolls an eye at you. Let him wonder what he did and how you did that. If it doesn't work, Dollar Tree has air horns for a buck. I bet a couple toots with that he'd probably get scared enough to lay an egg. Either that or Canadian geese will think it's a mating call.

 

[greenSearcher]

One thing is important is to handle him regularly, keeps you in the top slot, but it also makes routine maintenance easier. He will grow spurs, should be seeing the small ones by now. it isn't difficult to remove them when they get long. If he lives like a "real" chicken he can get muddy feet and sores. Also watch his toe nails. This is important so that you don't get spurred unexpectedly or scratched and windup with infected scratches. I have three silkie boys that will be getting a 'pedicure' in a day or so when the rain passes over and it dries out. We have been so dry this winter/spring they haven't had a problem yet.