Legbar rooster attacked!

[Shellebelle920]

New chicken person here, so I could use some help! I recently rehomed my 3 1/2 month FBCM Marans rooster. In the two days since he’s been gone, my same-aged White legbar rooster has assumed his role as top roo. I only have 7 pullets for him and have no plans on getting more. I have silkies as well that I’m focusing on, so my pen space is mostly for them. I’ve noticed that the hormones were kicking in a few weeks ago... he’s been pecking the pullets back, he actually did the wing drop thing as well as well as some other behaviors. He is allowed to “free range” within a electric poultry net area along with the other standard size pullets (not the silkies). He never wanted to be held or anything, and he always seemed to Mind his own business when I was within their area. Well today, I was looking at their fence and he came at me!!! I wasn’t hurt in anyway but he was definitely being aggressive. I’ve read things that can go either way. Is there any way to train him or is this how he is going to be from now on? I am going to rehome or send him to auction if there is nothing that can be done. I’ve read to hold him or separate him, but I can’t even get my hands on him to do that or he puffs up and tries to attack me! I am more concerned for my kids who are on the youngish side and afraid he could go after them. What would you do?

 

[Acre4Me]

If you have young kids then you may need to get rid of him, or you may need to make the enclosure such that the kids can not go in by themselves.

More than one adult has a story of why they dislike or fear chickens and it nearly always involve a rooster in some way. They can be sneaky and they certainly can injure a shorter person.

As to his behavior, he is young and hormonal. Try to tap him on the head when he does something you do not like. I’ve used a garden stake to do this before (can’t get close enough with my arms). I’ve heard that once they start aggression towards humans, they generally don’t stop. However, each individual will be somewhat different, and may be able to curb that behavior.

If you need/ want to keep him, then he doesn’t need to be with the main flock all the time-he could have a separate enclosure that keeps him from the humans AND gets him over this hormonal time of his life and allows the girls to mature without harassment.

Good luck.

 

[Shellebelle920]

If you have young kids then you may need to get rid of him, or you may need to make the enclosure such that the kids can not go in by themselves.

More than one adult has a story of why they dislike or fear chickens and it nearly always involve a rooster in some way. They can be sneaky and they certainly can injure a shorter person.

As to his behavior, he is young and hormonal. Try to tap him on the head when he does something you do not like. I’ve used a garden stake to do this before (can’t get close enough with my arms). I’ve heard that once they start aggression towards humans, they generally don’t stop. However, each individual will be somewhat different, and may be able to curb that behavior.

If you need/ want to keep him, then he doesn’t need to be with the main flock all the time-he could have a separate enclosure that keeps him from the humans AND gets him over this hormonal time of his life and allows the girls to mature without harassment.

Good luck.

I think that is EXACtLY what I’ll do. I’m going to keep him separate in his own little pen for a few days. That’ll give the girls a break and the kids can still go into the enclosure area without me being worried about them getting attacked. I also am going to try to “handle” him a bit more. Thanks you for the great suggestions!

 

[GaryDean26]

Is there any way to train him or is this how he is going to be from now on?

Yes, you can work with him, but anyone who is not involved in the training probably won't be able to be around him.

Example: A year ago we gave some Black Copper Marans chicks to a friend. 6 months later she told us that she has a cockerel from the group and that he was aggressive and wanted to know if we would take him off their hands. We took him and he ended up in a breeding pen with all of our Marans Hens. The first few times I was in there run to fill feed and water buckets he puffed up and flogged me. After that, I started to take my 10-foot pole into the run with me so that if he puffed up I could put the end of the pole on his breast to make sure that he couldn't get close enough to me to attach. I also started to take a half cup of the really good quality show feed in with me and as soon as he say me I spread the feed just in front of him and he would totally forget that I was there and start to eat. He was only aggressive towards me for the first two weeks. Once he started to associate me with food and not look at me as a rival in the flock or threat to the flock and got used to me presence we got along great. I stopped taking the 10-foot pole in with me and even if I didn't bring him treats he was okay with me being in his pen. When we did the NPIP flock testing he did great. He let me pick up all of the hens to hand to the state testing and didn't even fuss when they came back with blood on their wing from where the blood was drawn. Well...we sold all the Marans hens and were left with a cockerel that was taking up a whole pen and another friend saw him and asked if she could have him to put with her hens. We were glad to let him go to another home and not have to process him for meat, but hen he got to his new home he was aggressive. Our friends said that every time her boys we in the yard (4-years-old and 7-years-old) that he would jump over the 5-foot fence that enclosed the chicken run and came into their yard and chased her boys. She said that he would flog her every time that she when into the chicken run so he was culled. So...I got along with him great. I worked with him to where I could pick him up be in the run with him etc, but people who hadn't worked with him he still treated like a threat or rival to his flock. If your kids are not a part of the rooster training then I wouldn't let them in the yard with him you are not supervising and I wouldn't turn my back while you are supervising you might have to pull a cockerel off of a screaming child.

I am more concerned for my kids who are on the youngish side and afraid he could go after them. What would you do?

Again if your kids aren't going to do the training or be a part of it them don't let them in the chicken yard unless you are with them to monitor the cockerel.

 

[LeggyLeghorn]

my friend had a crazy cockerel. mad. he always went for him. free-ranger as well, with a few girls. one day the cockerel went for it, agressive, not holding back. my farmer friend dropped kicked him like a football over the shed. that cock came storming back around the shed for more...

really aggressive cockerel. never went for the kids or wife.

He was rehomed. somewhere, by himself.

 

[Shellebelle920]

Yes, you can work with him, but anyone who is not involved in the training probably won't be able to be around him.

Example: A year ago we gave some Black Copper Marans chicks to a friend. 6 months later she told us that she has a cockerel from the group and that he was aggressive and wanted to know if we would take him off their hands. We took him and he ended up in a breeding pen with all of our Marans Hens. The first few times I was in there run to fill feed and water buckets he puffed up and flogged me. After that, I started to take my 10-foot pole into the run with me so that if he puffed up I could put the end of the pole on his breast to make sure that he couldn't get close enough to me to attach. I also started to take a half cup of the really good quality show feed in with me and as soon as he say me I spread the feed just in front of him and he would totally forget that I was there and start to eat. He was only aggressive towards me for the first two weeks. Once he started to associate me with food and not look at me as a rival in the flock or threat to the flock and got used to me presence we got along great. I stopped taking the 10-foot pole in with me and even if I didn't bring him treats he was okay with me being in his pen. When we did the NPIP flock testing he did great. He let me pick up all of the hens to hand to the state testing and didn't even fuss when they came back with blood on their wing from where the blood was drawn. Well...we sold all the Marans hens and were left with a cockerel that was taking up a whole pen and another friend saw him and asked if she could have him to put with her hens. We were glad to let him go to another home and not have to process him for meat, but hen he got to his new home he was aggressive. Our friends said that every time her boys we in the yard (4-years-old and 7-years-old) that he would jump over the 5-foot fence that enclosed the chicken run and came into their yard and chased her boys. She said that he would flog her every time that she when into the chicken run so he was culled. So...I got along with him great. I worked with him to where I could pick him up be in the run with him etc, but people who hadn't worked with him he still treated like a threat or rival to his flock. If your kids are not a part of the rooster training then I wouldn't let them in the yard with him you are not supervising and I wouldn't turn my back while you are supervising you might have to pull a cockerel off of a screaming child.



Again if your kids aren't going to do the training or be a part of it them don't let them in the chicken yard unless you are with them to monitor the cockerel.

So I’ve given it about a week and all seems to be going okay. I was on the phone with someone trying to figure out why my electric poultry fence wasn’t shocking when he first pecked me. THen when I turned around to go look further down the fence, he came at me from behind! Anyway, I’ve been leaving him in a pen by himself about every other day and Letting him free range (within the fenced area) every other day with the ladies. I’ve also been picking him up and holding him every morning and evening. He seems okay but I always have one eye on him. I haven’t let my kids go in by themselves on the “free range” days. But when they are with me and he is free ranging, he doesn’t bother with us. I’m feeling good about our progress. Thanks for the help!

 

[Shellebelle920]

my friend had a crazy cockerel. mad. he always went for him. free-ranger as well, with a few girls. one day the cockerel went for it, agressive, not holding back. my farmer friend dropped kicked him like a football over the shed. that cock came storming back around the shed for more...

really aggressive cockerel. never went for the kids or wife.

He was rehomed. somewhere, by himself.

This is my first set of chickens let alone a rooster, so to Be honest, I don’t know what the heck I’m supposed to be doing. Lol! I’ve been holding him every morning and evening and penning him up by himself every other day. I’ve also been giving him a lot of treats and carrying him around with me, and he seems to be calming down. Fingers crossed that it stays that way!

 

[AmyJane725]

Glad he's improving.

It's my understanding that if a rooster is being aggressive you need to assert your dominance over him. To do this in chicken language, when he comes at you, grab him and pin him to the ground and "peck" him on the head with your finger. If he's struggling, keep holding him down until he relaxes. Then you can let him up.

Do this every time he attacks and he'll eventually learn to leave you alone.

Disclaimer: I've only done this with a chick, but it worked. He was super aggressive before, but now he gives me plenty of space.

 

[Shellebelle920]

Glad he's improving.

It's my understanding that if a rooster is being aggressive you need to assert your dominance over him. To do this in chicken language, when he comes at you, grab him and pin him to the ground and "peck" him on the head with your finger. If he's struggling, keep holding him down until he relaxes. Then you can let him up.

Do this every time he attacks and he'll eventually learn to leave you alone.

Disclaimer: I've only done this with a chick, but it worked. He was super aggressive before, but now he gives me plenty of space.

Even as a chick he never liked to be handled and would squack and wiggle when I’d try to pick him up. Then I read that you shouldn’t baby them because they think that you’re submissive. But I don’t know know what the heck to believe. My morning and evening carry around sessions and every other day isolation seems to be calming him down. I just hope that it continues.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't think it's worth the risk to your children to keep him around. In my experience, cockerels who start attacking people are extremely unlikely to ever be safe with humans, ever. It's sometimes possible to retrain that little brain to respect an individual, but this doesn't generalize to being polite to all humans, and most especially not to children, family friends, or visitors of any sort.
While he's stalking people, he's not taking care of his hens, or watching out for actual flock predators. He's being a jerk. This human aggression is an inherited tendency, so he shouldn't reproduce either.
Chicken soup!
Mary