Making Sure Your Rooster Knows You Are Top Dog

[Mrs. K]

"leave the rooster training to the professionals, other chickens." Nupe

I agree with this, the best roosters are raised in a multi-generational flock. Older birds work with those cockerels 24/7. They don't tolerate any bull either.

There are probably people who can train them as stated above, but frankly, most of us do not work with our birds to that point. If a bird is aggressive, cull him, and try again.

I have had good and bad, recognize the signs of an aggressive rooster, and put him in the pot.

Mrs. K

 

[samantha LW]

I have a polish rooster and he started to become aggressive towards us. He is only 7 months but as he hit sexual maturity he would bow up especially on my daughter (9) . I have fixed this problem by picking him up when he starts and holding him like a baby while I pet his head feathers back and talk in a stupid voice "whose my baby rooster" etc. He completely looks offended during this exchange but has decided that he should not bow up on us at all.

 

[varidgerunner]

Here are some ways to make a rooster mean. Corner him, startle him, hold him upside down by his legs, chase him, make kicking motions at him, handle him when he is molting, pull out his feathers while attempting to grab him, engage in anything that resembles mock battle when he is a chick. Some of them just have a screw loose. Once they are mean, there isn't much of a way to make them not mean, in all cases. I have had birds that you could put to sleep by circling with their head under their wing and when they woke up they would come for your face. If you get a bad one, there is only one option that will work, and that involves a stove.

 

[blucoondawg]

My first rooster is coming of age.  I have read a fair bit on ensuring your rooster does not become aggressive to you.  These include:

1.   Pushing your rooster off a hen when he tries to mate in your presence.
2.   Chasing your rooster when he starts to crow in your presence.
3.   Walking through your rooster rather than around.
4.   Chasing the rooster when he drops a wing and is sideways(?) to you.
5.   Not tolerating any type of aggression towards you.

Other responses to the above can include:

1.  Holding the rooster's wings and carrying him around.
2.  Holding the rooster against the ground for a period of time, and specifically until he relaxes at least.
3.  Holding the rooster by his legs and holding him upside down. (should be used sparingly and only for a short period of time)

Any other thoughts?

As well, is there a risk that your rooster may start to see you as a threat when you do these things, especially pushing him off when he is trying to mate?  In other words, can these responses turn a rooster aggressive where he might not have been inclined to be aggressive to you?

I guess I don't see the point in doing any of that to your roosters simply because they are "coming of age". I have easily had 50 or more roosters in the past 3 years between layers I incubated and rangers and pioneers I've ordered for meat as well as a few straight run batches of layers, I generally keep 2 with my flock and butcher the rest each year, and I have not had 1 rooster show aggression towards a human ever, I would not recommend doing this stuff to a rooster who is doing nothing to provoke you, he very well may get perturbed and start being human aggressive.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

Thanks. It is good to hear other's experience. I like the mutual understanding. Handsome devil to boot!

 

[izziebean]

My latest tactic is to put them in a pet carrier for a night. He is completely out of the flock for about six hours. He seems to really hate this. I call it the time out... and for some reason is it working. I did it because I was sure I was going to sell him the next day but during the night I got up and put him back into the flock. **guilt** You need to let it be enough time for him to 'give up'. If he is still standing up at the edge of the front of the crate, he gets to stay in there. If he has moved to the back of the carrier and fallen asleep, then he can rejoin the flock.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

My latest tactic is to put them in a pet carrier for a night. He is completely out of the flock for about six hours. He seems to really hate this. I call it the time out... and for some reason is it working. I did it because I was sure I was going to sell him the next day but during the night I got up and put him back into the flock. **guilt** You need to let it be enough time for him to 'give up'. If he is still standing up at the edge of the front of the crate, he gets to stay in there. If he has moved to the back of the carrier and fallen asleep, then he can rejoin the flock.

Of course this can be effective. Thanks. Interesting there is a wait until he relaxes element to this.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

I explicitly refute options 1,2, and 4 as that does promote aggressive encounters later. Option 3 and 5 I make so rooster does not consider me a threat or someone that responds to his bullying.

This why I am asking the question. After pushing him off the hen the first time, I was thinking to myself, does he see me less as the caretaker and more as a competitor. It just did not sit right with me after I pushed him off. Especially because he was staring at me so intently ... or maybe my guilt made it seem like he was staring at me intently trying to figure out where I fit in in the grand scheme of things.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

Donrae, thank you. These are are all helpful comments.

 

[centrarchid]

Most of my chickens are handled minimally although all handled as chicks even when hen-reared as that helps calm them when they mature. Handling that is done with most as adults usually restricted to roosting time. Exceptions to this involve a smaller group of no more than 20 birds that taken of property for use as educational tools. Those birds are handled extensively with many trained to interact with people they do not know. Males in particularly as juveniles are inclined to peck in an effort to solicit more food offered although care is taken not to have myself or public respond in a manner that involves retreat or aggression coming from the handlers. These birds are used well into adulthood with little trouble. The trouble would be easy to realize by being aggressive or submissive to the more intensively handled birds.