Is my cockerel showing early signs of aggression?

[chickenluvin]

The fact that he is flapping his wings and crowing when he sees you and perching up a height and doing it, is his way of challenging you and I would be concerned. My advice would be to stop playing henish, as it is his job to dominate the hens, so you are inviting him to dominate you.
You are the boss and he needs to learn respect for that. You don't want him sitting relaxed on you.... allowing him to do that is telling him that he is the boss. You don't want him eating from your hand. He needs to get out of your way when you are there and you need to start reinforcing that by walking determinedly straight at him so he has to get out of your way. Beekissed did a really good post on the subject of training a rooster a while back which involves using a lightweight flexible stick to send him away from you. It may seem a little harsh but better to show him who is boss now, before it escalates. I will try to find the post and add a link.

Thank you. I appreciate any help. I am not an aggressive rooster type of gal (no aggression in me..lol) & enjoy interacting with my chickens every day. I am also fairly inexperienced but have had one nice rooster before. I guess my gut was right & he's challenging me.... oh nooooooo
I just need advice from the experts here in chicken land now.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I have a formerly aggressive rooster called Griffin. All I did to stop him from being aggressive was chase him when he tried to dominate me, walk straight toward him so he had to move away, and hold him down when he was being aggressive. It worked perfectly, he is completely non-aggressive now.

 

[chickenluvin]

It is unfortunately your disposition that he is reading (animals read body language so much better than we humans do) and therefore challenging. He is a teenage male with no adults to keep him in check and teach him right from wrong. Regardless of his breeding he will most likely take advantage of that situation. If you are unable to be more assertive with him, you may be best rehoming him.
Was there a particular reason you wanted to keep a rooster?

I have always enjoyed seeing other roosters & I am one that actually really loves to hear the crow. I love to watch interactions of any animal or bird & thought the same with having a rooster with hens. Could my situation have a chance of fizzling out or is he most likely going to get worse? I just have a small flock of 13 hens (faverolles, orpingtons & bantam cochins)... obvious by my choices that I like peace.. lol.

 

[chickenluvin]

Here's my story: I hatched and hand raised my roo! He was so sweet the most adorable he was never a problem. Once he hit his teenager stage his hormones started to flare up and he started wanting to be boss. That's when we butted heads. I had to show him I was boss. Every now and then he'll do his leg circle dance and I'll stomp my feet yell at him a little he'll walk away and everything is fine. My kids on the other hand used to run from him and he always tried to buck on them. Once they learned to stop running and stomp at him and yell a little like I did he backed off. Don't submit!!

Should I pick him up & carry him around like some people say? I just went out there again & he immediately flew up on a perch, did some wing flaps & crows... no hesitation! I am now concerned & he isn't that old yet...

 

[chickenluvin]

I have a formerly aggressive rooster called Griffin. All I did to stop him from being aggressive was chase him when he tried to dominate me, walk straight toward him so he had to move away, and hold him down when he was being aggressive. It worked perfectly, he is completely non-aggressive now.

So I have hope?? I just told another member that I just went out to the coop again (a few minutes ago) & he immediately flew on a perch flapping his wings & crowing the second he saw me coming. I hope he has even a hope of turning out nice.... :/

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

So I have hope?? I just told another member that I just went out to the coop again (a few minutes ago) & he immediately flew on a perch flapping his wings & crowing the second he saw me coming. I hope he has even a hope of turning out nice.... :/

Griffin used to be pretty aggressive, he attacked me and would've chased me if I ran. But, I never ran from him and chased him periodically, so he's no longer aggressive.

 

[chickenluvin]

Griffin used to be pretty aggressive, he attacked me and would've chased me if I ran. But, I never ran from him and chased him periodically, so he's no longer aggressive.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I will have to dig down & find the dominance in me. I won't tolerate attacking if this is his intention.... which it seems now it is. Thanks for giving me hope! I'll put my big girl panties on now & go & face him! LOL

 

[keesmom]

Try this advice from Beekissed:

I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Thank you for the link! I'll check it out. I was certainly not expecting an aggressive rooster after researching this breed & lovingly hand raising him. I sure hope this doesn't escalate. Can this be just temporary sometimes? The hens are all sweethearts...

That's not a link, its another person on here. I tagged them so they would take a look at your post at some point and hopefully offer you advice. But, what @keesmom posted above is spot on, from what I've learned. Luckily I don't have any roos, in this first batch of chickens.

 

[sharkerbaby]

Some may see this as semantics but there is a definite and important difference between aggressiveness and dominance. One rules by fear, the other rules by respect.

I believe what your cockerel is doing is trying to assert his dominance, not trying to be aggressive with you. He needs to understand and accept that he is your subordinate. Your actions, as outlined by beekissed's advice, should be assertive and confident not aggressive. It may help you achieve your desired results if in your mind you frame your actions as assertive vs aggressive - you don't want to be mean, you want to be respected as the leader.