I'm failing with my rooster, Abe

[Indiana hens]

Eat him!

 

[moetrout]

Walk softly and carry a little switch. That's what I told my daughter. The switch gave her the extra confidence she needed. My thinking on this is make him fear you! When I walk into the run or yard I will often walk right toward him and he had darned better move. Put him on the defensive instead of you. It can work and has for us so far. I booted the little bugger one time just because I "thought" he went after me. I don't need the stick, he knows whos boss. My roo is great. He is not my friend and I don't try to pet him, but I already have seen him in action protecting the flock and calling them in when there is danger. He's a tough guy, just not with me.....or the daughter anymore. Best of luck to you!

 

[galanie]

I look at it this way: Me: 5'5", 150 lbs. Chicken: Under 12 inches, under 12 pounds. Be that tiny and be nasty with me, and I can be nasty right back. Well timed shoving kicks (not full out kicks - if you're going to hurt them might as well eat them) work wonders.

 

[Wild Trapper]

Quote:
Had an EE roo that was mean as a pit bull - thumped him a time or two, but since we have a two year old granddaughter, her grandma told me the roo had to go. We ate him - tasted just like chicken.

 

[greatergraceoffbg]

I have raised chickens for my entire life and the reality is that some roosters are aggressive, some are territorial, but some are meaner than hell! I had a OEG roo that literally crippled me! His spurs were like spear tips, he jumped up to knee high and then cut loose with his legs like helicopter props! Once he got my ankle but when he got me from ankle to the knee, I put two nails in the top of the fence post, lay his head between em and yanked him on through by the feet and let him go. it was speedy, painless and clean. I was just 12 years old and never forgot this! kill that rooster and get a new one.

 

[Luvroos]

I suppose that all of our opinons are different here since some of you eat them and have had this or that bad experience with them however it's up to their owner as to how she handles her roo! We can all voice our opinions/ experiements in which is what forums like this are for, however same as pit bulls, every rooster is different and most of all it's dependent on how they are raised, either as pets and or flock protectors that do not get much human interactions as other roos do verses full blown out cuddlers! There are many ways around refraining from their spurs like keeping them trimmed, covering them with soft paws and so forth. Theres a difference in all of us and just how much one can take from a presumable mean rooster. By stating "kill him" only helps to make matters worse for her since she had mentioned that she were scared of him and realistically does not know him well enough, from what I gather here, since she has not tried to become his friend, so to speak. He could literally be one of the sweetest roos on earth and should be given a chance to prove himself same as pit bulls do verses going to his death bed due to others presumptions as a result from a bad experience in which not every chicken owner will go through regardless of having a mean roo!

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I used to have a RIR roo for a few months. I got him when he was 7 mo old. He was a proplem for his previous owner, who raised him from a chick, he got from a breeder. He was on the small side compared to his brother. I was told he was jumping up on people and he was worried about his grandaughter visiting. Well that wasn't the half of it. He would jump at you feet first attack mode. I tryed all the training,carried a crop but it didn't faze him he would continue to attack. The last time he came at me I resorted to a small dowl rod and that did get his attention and he backed off. I never did find out if it did any good in the long run. A bob cat got him along with 6 of my hens, but thats a whole new thread. All I can say is I was relieved. Life is to short to put up with that kind of stress.

 

[sourland]

Sadly enough it is a fact that some of the most human aggressive roosers are those which have been oversocialized. Remove the boundaries, move them up to our level, and it is their nature to subordinate us. If you must, make pets of your hens and treat your roosters like chickens. This is sound animal husbandry.

 

[Luvroos]

I must agree with you there however I again will state that life must had been very stressful for this particular roo regardless of all that you were told. He must have been tramatized when younger in which is something that you were might never were informed of. I suppose that another of my points here is that by all means life is to short however why shorten a roosters for something that you, I nor she, knows nothing about? Why not work with them same as we do so many other animals? It because they are chickens and are a delicious meal for some? I suppose that there is a huge difference between ones that live for freedom of all God's creatures and ones that choose a death date for meals. I love roosters and think that they are some of the utmost unique animals on earth and would surely not do as others tell me until I've experienced enough. I'd challenge any rooster any day of the week on my terms and could most likely guarantee that he'll end up being my respectable friend. This situation is same as mean dogs to me and are they killed because they are mean, some are and most aren't and nor can be eaten by people like a rooster because they're not meant for food unless it's for other animals that we aren't aware of!!

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

Quote:
Can you go in the coop after dark when he's all settled and asleep? I do that with mine and I sit down on a stool and just hold and pet him in the dark. He never wakes up enough to be aggressive and over the last 9 months has learned that being handled is ok, pecking is not and the wing drop gets you shoo'd firmly with a broom or rake. He's turning into a nice roo where once he was on death row because he pecked me and drew a drop of blood.

I suggest the petting in the dark because you're afraid of him, and when he's all innocent and sleeping maybe you won't find him so scarey. My guy pretty much stays passed out cold in my lap, but he's breathing, so he's getting my smell and even though he's asleep, he feels the pets and warmth of being held in my lap. I'm not trying to make him my favorite, just taking his agressive edge off so that he still takes care of his girls but leaves me alone during the day. So far, so good.