Increasingly Aggressive 5 month Old Orpington Rooster(s)

[New2Chicks97]

Sorry to hear that you are having troubles with your roosters. It sucks & I completely understand. I had a Buff Orpington that we raised from a chick that turned out to be a roo. He started much the way yours did trying to take a peck here and there on both my daughter and myself. Shortly after that he would start flying at us and trying to attack with his feet. Thankfully he didn’t have spurs yet. I tried “making him move” out of my space or any space I wanted to go. Walking through him didn’t work unless I had a big stick for backup. He left my husband alone for quite sometime but after a while he even got bold enough to attack my over 6’ tall husband. My daughter and I would regularly whack him to keep him off us so he adapted and started attacking when our backs were turned. The last straw for me was when my daughter was trying to help me catch one of our girls that needed her beak tended to and he flew at my daughter’s face and knocked her glasses off.
I joined some local Facebook groups and found someone to take him with full disclosure of his issues. I think they might have been planning on eating him. I didn’t care one way or the other honestly by that point. I was glad to have my time with my chickens be peaceful again.

 

[Shadrach]

I'm a rooster fan but if they scare you, then trying to keep them or change their behaviour probably isn't going to work. They have to go.
I think its a terrible shame when people have maybe spent hours with their pullets and cockerels only to find, that for whatever reasons,the rooster turns out to be a nightmare.
I hope you can find a new home for them.

 

[MisaF]

I have had issues with the other one lately too. Not as bad. He does come at me though and is now also biting my giant rooster stick that I use to keep they away from me. So while he is not AS bad he is still showing signs of there being issues and I fear they will get worse once the other roo isn't around to keep him in check. They both go after my 6'5" boyfriend as well. We've both taken to basically booting them when they try but they are getting better and more skilled at getting us before we can boot them.

I have finally given up on these two and it kind of breaks my heart but this has been weeks in the making. It keeps getting more and more frequent and once they have spurs I know they will hurt someone. Now I just need to find a taker. . .

 

[LRH97]

I have had issues with the other one lately too. Not as bad. He does come at me though and is now also biting my giant rooster stick that I use to keep they away from me. So while he is not AS bad he is still showing signs of there being issues and I fear they will get worse once the other roo isn't around to keep him in check. They both go after my 6'5" boyfriend as well. We've both taken to basically booting them when they try but they are getting better and more skilled at getting us before we can boot them.

I have finally given up on these two and it kind of breaks my heart but this has been weeks in the making. It keeps getting more and more frequent and once they have spurs I know they will hurt someone. Now I just need to find a taker. . .

Dang. I was hoping for a little something to make it a little easier. I know it's tough. And I hate that you're having to face one of the (few) negative aspects of chicken keeping so early on. Good for you for making a tough decision though. Just gotta try, try again! Best of luck to you.

 

[Biddybot]

Wow. Sorry you're having so much trouble and I must say you're about a hundred times more tolerant of what I'd term fatal transgressions when it comes to roosters than I'd ever be. I've only ever had one human-aggressive chicken, a young cockerel of, yes, about five months. What sealed his fate in my mind was him going fifty feet out of his way to approach me, then suddenly charge from a good twenty feet out, leap up and thump my thigh in a full-on attack. All while I was minding my own business standing by one of my fences, chatting with my neighbour. No real harm done to me since he had no spurs yet and the neighbour certainly had a good laugh, but still...inexcusable. He became dinner the next weekend. ALL instances of charging in from any distance to bite and/or attempt to spur are inexcusable in my mind, but again, some people are more tolerant. Luckily, the bad ones always seem to reveal themselves early enough that you have time to deal with the problem before any real damage can be done, but please take care if you hang onto them for much longer. I don't think the sort of behaviour you described can be rehabilitated.

Only other suggestions I can offer is that the top of a metal trash can, the sort of lid with a handle on it, makes a great shield for defending yourself against an attacking rooster with dangerous spurs...also, you can usually find custom processors in any rural sort of neighbourhood that will put down birds and butcher them for you if you don't want to do them yourself. Please don't just pass them on and wash your hands of where they go. They could wind up living out their lives in utterly miserable conditions in some hoarder's yard and no chicken deserves that, not even the meanest, worst-tempered one.

Coincidently, I've got two buff Orpington cockerals of my own coming along just now, of about the same age. Just described them elsewhere as dopes and big babies...no trouble at all, really, and they're the lowest-ranking of the seven-in-total new cockerals in residence right now. The most aggressive move I've seen either exhibit so far is for the bigger one, Don Martin (so named for his enormous floppy feet), to peck at his siblings and drive them off when they get in between him and his food! VERY greedy chicken and he loves his krums...

 

[shannon84]

This reminds me of my buff Orpington rooster, he was a random stray rooster showed up in my yard one sprong, someone must of dropped him off. He was an adult though but very young still. He was so sweet and I took him in because I'm a huge animal lover I wasn't going to let him be homeless or killed by a predator. So I had him a big nice coop built and run. I didn't know anything about chickens. He adored me until I got him some hens he started to spur me and bite me so hard that he would actually shake his head like a dog lol. But there was no way I was getting rid of him. So I just have to carry a rake around or broom to keep him away. But he isn't free range. But they are my pets and I adore him, so I basically put up with it. I know people on here will think I'm dumb. I just feel like he doesn't know any better. I've tried every trick in the book too. He is just going to be that way I suppose

 

[bobbi-j]

This reminds me of my buff Orpington rooster, he was a random stray rooster showed up in my yard one sprong, someone must of dropped him off. He was an adult though but very young still. He was so sweet and I took him in because I'm a huge animal lover I wasn't going to let him be homeless or killed by a predator. So I had him a big nice coop built and run. I didn't know anything about chickens. He adored me until I got him some hens he started to spur me and bite me so hard that he would actually shake his head like a dog lol. But there was no way I was getting rid of him. So I just have to carry a rake around or broom to keep him away. But he isn't free range. But they are my pets and I adore him, so I basically put up with it. I know people on here will think I'm dumb. I just feel like he doesn't know any better. I've tried every trick in the book too. He is just going to be that way I suppose

I don't think you're dumb. A whole lot more tolerant of bad rooster behavior than I am, but not dumb. We all have our limit as to how much nonsense we will take out of our birds. Mine is a lot lower than yours. Part of the reason I have chickens is because I enjoy them. When one takes away that joy by being an aggressive PITA, it needs to go. It goes to my freezer. I know that's not for everyone, but I would rather process my own birds than give them to someone else. For one thing, I have put a lot of time and effort into those birds. For another, I know that by processing my own birds they have had a good life and one bad moment. They are killed quickly and humanely. I don't know if that will happen somewhere else. Go to post #9 and read the suggested article. It may not help, but you never know.

 

[shannon84]

I don't think you're dumb. A whole lot more tolerant of bad rooster behavior than I am, but not dumb. We all have our limit as to how much nonsense we will take out of our birds. Mine is a lot lower than yours. Part of the reason I have chickens is because I enjoy them. When one takes away that joy by being an aggressive PITA, it needs to go. It goes to my freezer. I know that's not for everyone, but I would rather process my own birds than give them to someone else. For one thing, I have put a lot of time and effort into those birds. For another, I know that by processing my own birds they have had a good life and one bad moment. They are killed quickly and humanely. I don't know if that will happen somewhere else. Go to post #9 and read the suggested article. It may not help, but you never know.

I totally respect that, thanks for sharing and not judging me lol. I'll look into that article! Thank you!!!

 

[elorac]

I checked in for info here because I have a BO rooster attacking me.
Just finished this thread and a couple others related, including beekissed's advice.
It's still a bit worrisome about what to do. Nope, I should not be afraid of critters here on my own turf, but I am.
My BO is almost 6 months old, and for the last 4 weeks at least, has begun flying up and giving me the flog posture. Of course I can boot, stick whack, etc right now and really not get hurt. But I don't like how the future looks with him.

I didn't mean to have him, but got him as a chick in march. 3 bo, 2 ee, 2 br, 2 silverlaced.. and I had one dominique about a year old, all alone, for them to integrate with.
Dom was one of a few I got last year, but I suffered raccoon murders wiping out my other hens.
I had one roo before, a dom, accidentally also (was hoping for females). He never ever was aggressive to me, but unfortunately was beating up a hen or two. Dispatched him.

I'm afraid I'm heading that way with this young Buff. He really seems to do a good job looking out. But as has been said, hens can watch out on their own without a rooster. My first six hens were pretty darn good for a couple years before I had any casualties from hawks.

Anyway, not feeling confident my roo is rehab material. He's had this last several weeks to see that I "want" to be dominant.. but I am not necessarily carrying it out very well. I've used a stick, booted him, etc. for my own protection. At one point, we thought ignoring him and not looking directly at him was working. But that was only true a time or two. I am also limited in time to spend in training, due to my work schedule.

He has also gone out of his way to get after my 6 foot 220 pound son, choosing usually to come from behind. My son is the most calm and unafraid spirit imaginable. Very good at walking through without any fear, etc. So if this roo doesn't pick up on that "sense" I am thinking his chances are lesser than many.

I appreciate all you folks here for the input on the subject and the shared experiences.
We all have to come to our own decisions, fun or not.

I have never sought out getting a rooster, just happened by accident twice now. Maybe one day I will get one of those dream guys who does everything right!

 

[elorac]

Just to add..
I am accepting the fact that maybe I am not a person who should own a rooster anyhow.
I have a little bit of a fear of birds my whole life. LOL I know that's crazy.
I don't really have any fear of snakes. I guess everyone has their thing.

I wanted hens for eggs, just some self sustainable protein source. And when they are little fuzzies, geez, how fun is that?
But they are creatures with instincts. I don't intend to try to beat mother nature. I wish I had the calm spirit my son has. I think it can be learned, much like Cesar on the dog whisperer teaches people to change themselves. It's an inner battle that has to be practiced and worked on. I am trying. But at any given point, you deal with the current situation. And I think my best solution at this current time is not to have this roo.