Is my rooster being aggressive?

[MROO]

Have you ever seen a rooster challenge? There's a lot of dancing and some head swinging and a bit of contact, but they all end with one of them backing down and walking away ... sometimes at a run with the "winner" in pursuit. Be the winner. Tap him on the tail and head with the broom or a stick or even a long weed - and don't leave him until he's moving away from you.

 

[Tilly56]

An aggressive rooster might not be aggressive with everyone. Roosters tend to sense when someone is not confident around them, and they will crowd them and try to get the upper hand, so to speak.

The bottom line is you do not want to take even the slightest chance the rooster will attack the toddler. I've seen a spur open a gash on a full grown man's leg five inches long and send him to the ER. A small child would be even more vulnerable to serious injury/

You are quite right, I cannot take the risk.... and he will probably sense now that I am nervous - although I was never worried before!

 

[Tilly56]

Have you ever seen a rooster challenge? There's a lot of dancing and some head swinging and a bit of contact, but they all end with one of them backing down and walking away ... sometimes at a run with the "winner" in pursuit. Be the winner. Tap him on the tail and head with the broom or a stick or even a long weed - and don't leave him until he's moving away from you.

Not sure I'm brave enough!! I think I'll run and jump over the nearest fence if he comes for me! I suppose it might be a one off, but not a risk I can really take with small children coming on holiday.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

My rooster kicked me once, I immediately picked him up and as he attempted to squirm around to get free, he realized it wasn't working so he just calmed down..... I just pet him for awhile so he can understand that I'm not a threat to him, afterwards when I put him down he wasn't aggressive with me anymore. Make it a habit to hold him every once in awhile until he stops with the aggressive behavior, but do be careful when picking him up though.

 

[Tilly56]

My rooster kicked me once, I immediately picked him up and as he attempted to squirm around to get free, he realized it wasn't working so he just calmed down..... I just pet him for awhile so he can understand that I'm not a threat to him, afterwards when I put him down he wasn't aggressive with me anymore. Make it a habit to hold him every once in awhile until he stops with the aggressive behavior, but do be careful when picking him up though.

We're going to leave things for a few days and see what happens.... I don't think that I will be picking him up, though. I'm sure he must know (or should know) that I'm not a threat to him - he always comes running when I call him. First visit from my granddaughter is at the end of August, so we have a bit of time to see how things go.

 

[Folly's place]

Look up beekissed's article about managing roosters, and go for it. Or move him on right away! If you are able to retrain his little brain to be polite to you, this WILL NOT transfer to mean safety for anyone else, especially small children!
Managing him effectively may help you overcome your fears, which is a good thing, but again, it's not going to mean safety for anyone else, especially anyone smaller.
I've had a couple of adult roosters decide to attack humans after all, and it never ended well. Dinner, yes; polite reformed roosters, no.
My white rooster Solo, avatar, is now four years old, and has never had a bad thought sent towards any human.
Mary

 

[MROO]

X100 on @Beekissed 's article. It's wonderful!

 

[Mrs. K]

Bee kissed is highly experienced, and that is good advice for a young rooster.

However, the op is not experienced, she is very uncomfortable with this bird, and does have a child to visit, plus neighborhood children.

Do not feel guilty about culling this bird, it was not your actions, it was his.

Mrs k

 

[Tilly56]

Thanks all for your help and advice. I shall certainly look up the article you recommend by Beekissed. At the moment the culprit is in his fenced-in run, next to the garden, with his girlfriends. A friend came this morning with her grandson of 2 yrs old..... the little boy was standing outside the fence and Lala did his tough-nut dance again - so I really think that I cannot keep him and, one way or the other, he has to go. Sad really, but there we go!!

 

[New2Chicks97]

Sorry you rooster is being a pain.

Ours started off harassing me & my daughter. My daughter is afraid of him. I am not and will give him a whack with whatever is handy but he still persists. Until yesterday he had yet to bother my 6’2” husband but he made the mistake yesterday of thinking that challenging my husband was a good idea. So he is going this weekend for sure. Either in a stewpot or to somewhere else as all efforts to rehab him have failed.