Is my rooster a lost hope?

[Jemma Rider]

My rooster has always been a bit odd to say the least. He didn't come from a very good home and wasn't handled at all until around five or sixish months when he came into my possession so i give him a lot of leeway when it comes to nasy behavior and I've tried to correct it in the kindest way possible all things considering. He didn't crow until he was almost a year old either. I'm starting to get frustrated. He's always been my favorite bird, he's very social with people and doesn't mind being held by anyone who comes by. But his behavior towards my little chicks is becoming more and more unnerving. They can't stay in their grow-out coop forever and despite living beside them for several months now rooster still attacks them when he gets the chance. And yesterday i was watching him and his girls go up to roost but I'm pretty sure i saw him peck one of them on the head. I can't be sure because it happened so fast but i think it did happen. I can excuse the attacking chicks thing, these are the first chicks he's ever seen, but pecking at one of his hens is a definite no-no. Also a few weeks ago he decided he wanted to bite me, he latched on to the skin between my thumb and finger and wouldn't let go. He hasn't done this in over a year since his first week with me and besides that has shown no outward signs of aggression, but if he does decide to go after me or somebody else one day he can do some damage, his spurs are still small but sharp as knives.
I don't want his situation to escalate out of control and i don't want him to hurt my chicks or the hens but i need a rooster desperately. If i get rid of roo i won't be able to free range my flock at all without my supervision and i know they won't be as happy if i lock them up. So I'd need to get a new roo next year, but if i do this i would need to deal with raising another cockerel and teaching him manners, i could buy an adult but i don't want to risk giving my flock any diseases from another flock and i don't have the space to quarantine so that's not a good option.
I'm sorry i know I'm arguing myself in circles. I really love him, it'll break my heart to give him away but I'm worried it's what's best.
That makes it hard too i would need to find a place where he would be alone or at least in a flock of other roosters, it would be irresponsible to give away a potentially aggressive rooster. And i won't kill or eat him, he's to important and I'm vegetarian anyway. My family has been through a lot this year and he's been a great stress reducer to everyone my mother is devastated I'm even considering this.

I don't know what else to do at this point, i don't think his behavior is anything i can fix and i just keep giving him chance after chance to change or mature but it's just not happening. I've read a lot of things about roosters with behavioral problems and i see that a lot of people automatically say to cull or send away but if there's a way to fix him i wil do anything.

 

[pennyJo1960]

First your boy should be taking care of peeps not attacking them but because possibly he identifies more as your mate less of theirs ? cull him raise a new one that respects you but not your mate worse yet he is going after grown hens?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How old are the chicks?

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Ok, this will sound drastic but my dad medicates his when they act like this. He raised birds pretty much all his life and has good instinct.

The med he uses is Oxytocin. He treats them for about 2 weeks, it really changes their behavior.

Oxytocin is used to induce labor in mammals (including humans) and poultry to pass eggs, also produced in mass during lactation.

It's also known as the "love hormone", it promotes empathy and socialization. Also antagonist to cortisol and other stress hormones I can't remember.

Anyway, it works for him, we just talked about it last week, I was curious, listening to Joe rogan podcast with Howard Bloom, Howard mentioned that he takes Oxytocin as part of a drug regiment to combat his chronic fatigue syndrome and muscle rejuvenation. My dad learned this from an "old" vet friend of the family, "Yea Fabian told me that in the 80's... he also uses it on male horses who act up"

So anyway, look it up, might help. Just sucks to inject him once or twice a day but it's sub cutaneous with an insulin needle, about 3-5IU a day in 2 doses.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/oxytocin.1266071/

 

[Jemma Rider]

First your boy should be taking care of peeps not attacking them but because possibly he identifies more as your mate less of theirs ? cull him raise a new one that respects you but not your mate worse yet he is going after grown hens?

Yeah i realize that about the chicks, i had hoped his behavior would change once they start to lay but i don't think that's going to happen.
Thanks.

 

[Jemma Rider]

How old are the chicks?

Four months and a week.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Ok, this will sound drastic but my dad medicates his when they act like this. He raised birds pretty much all his life and has good instinct.

The med he uses is Oxytocin. He treats them for about 2 weeks, it really changes their behavior.

Oxytocin is used to induce labor in mammals (including humans) and poultry to pass eggs, also produced in mass during lactation.

It's also known as the "love hormone", it promotes empathy and socialization. Also antagonist to cortisol and other stress hormones I can't remember.

Anyway, it works for him, we just talked about it last week, I was curious, listening to Joe rogan podcast with Howard Bloom, Howard mentioned that he takes Oxytocin as part of a drug regiment to combat his chronic fatigue syndrome and muscle rejuvenation. My dad learned this from an "old" vet friend of the family, "Yea Fabian told me that in the 80's... he also uses it on male horses who act up"

So anyway, look it up, might help. Just sucks to inject him once or twice a day but it's sub cutaneous with an insulin needle, about 3-5IU a day in 2 doses.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/oxytocin.1266071/

Thanks but that sounds really extreme, i wouldn't want to subject him to the injections either.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you post a video of his interaction with the chicks?

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Thanks but that sounds really extreme, i wouldn't want to subject him to the injections either.

There's always therapy

 

[Jemma Rider]

Can you post a video of his interaction with the chicks?

Tomorrow maybe. I don't know how to post a video though so could you or somebody explain how?
They're not allowed to have any contact but he pretty much just tries to peck them through the fence. He's been doing it less, i think he's realized that he can't get to them but he still goes for it randomly. The chicks have lived outside in their grow out coop for several months now if he was going to stop i think he would've by now.