Mean (and dangerous) rooster

[RaintheRooster]

I have a gorgeous silver sebright. He is a bantam, and he likes to attack anything. When I bought him, the first thing he did was attack every single one of the hens in the coop to declare he is boss. He attacks the fence, trying to get to me, and is becoming a threat. I don't want to sell him or anything, but we need to train him. We have had him for quite a while now and is not showing respect. The other day when I was filling up the food, he came in and started attacking my boot, then fluttered up to my hands, picked the area in between the index finger and thumb hard enough to draw blood, and scratched me on my wrist. How can I fix his behavior? I don't want him to hurt anyone else.:/

 

[HS Pye]

We boot our aggressive cocks if they attack, after that, they don't come near. Bantam cocks are known for they aggressiveness and they just have to learn who's in charge.

HS Pye

 

[coldupnorth]

The meanest roosters that I've had are also the smallest. When I go into a pen to feed or just watch, the first thing I do is pick up the mean rooster and just hold him as I go about my business. They don't like it, but it has helped with respect considerably. Good luck!

 

[RaintheRooster]

The meanest roosters that I've had are also the smallest.  When I go into a pen to feed or just watch, the first thing I do is pick up the mean rooster and just hold him as I go about my business.  They don't like it, but it has helped with respect considerably.  Good luck!

Thanks, I will try that, once he realizes that he is not going to be happy when he escapes.:cd

 

[centrarchid]

Put on jeans and long sleaves, take a lawn chair with book and go sit with him.
Let him flog away. Do not attack him, do not run from hen, ignore him. If relents move into his space. You want him to think you neither phased by his attacks or a threat.

 

[aliciasimon]

My step-father made a rooster stick for me when I was a kid - a broomstick with "feathers" made from a black trash bag. Shake the stick at him and he attacks that instead of you. Worked great. As a side note, my step-father made dinner out of him at some point. So there you go :-/

 

[RaintheRooster]

Put on jeans and long sleaves, take a lawn chair with book and go sit with him.
Let him flog away.  Do not attack him, do not run from hen, ignore him.  If relents move into his space.  You want him to think you neither phased by his attacks or a threat.

The only problem is they are not free range, but in a pen

 

[RaintheRooster]

My step-father made a rooster stick for me when I was a kid - a broomstick with "feathers" made from a black trash bag.  Shake the stick at him and he attacks that instead of you.  Worked great.  As a side note, my step-father made dinner out of him at some point.  So there you go :-/

he's not good to eat, he is a bantam

 

[centrarchid]

The only problem is they are not free range, but in a pen

Get in the pen with him. If pen too small, eat him like pigeon.

 

[azygous]

Do you really really really want to make this rooster behave like a nice, calm, well-mannered roo?

Make the decision. Commit to it. It's possible to train him to behave.

What you have to do is restrict his space, make it impossible for him to go anywhere except to be with you. It will require a lot of time and effort, but in the end, he'll respect you and trust you and won't treat you like the enemy.

You can do this in a number of ways. You can spend time with him in his space, or bring him into yours. Place him in a small cage, bring him indoors, put him beside you on the couch, watch movies together for several hours. When it's time for bed, put him in his cage right beside you. Oh, and let him get good and hungry.

The whole point is to deprive him of his freedom to do anything other than be in your space. After a few days of this, take him out and hold him. If he struggles, or tries to bite you, pinch the skin on the back of his neck and hold his head rigid. When he calms down and is quiet, offer him some food. If he tries to bite or struggles, remove the food. Don't yell or rant. Keep your voice even and calm.

Or you can do this out in his run. Restrict him to a small cage and spend as much time as you can with him. Again, withhold food until he's hungry. He needs to know that food, being good, comes from you, which equals good. When he's being bad, he goes hungry, when he's behaving and is calm, he gets fed. Keep his space carefully restricted for a week, with only you inside this space.

Soon he will look to you for the comfort of food, and learn that good behavior gets him food. And he will adjust to being in a restricted space with you. Gradually increase the space, continuing with the food for good behavior.

Gradually increase the size of the space he's allowed to occupy with you. He only gets food and freedom of movement if he behaves.

This should take a week, but the training will need to continue for up to a year. Any rooster can be rehabbed with the right training. But it requires a lot of work, if you're up to it.

Your attitude must be consistent. Never show fear. Always show confidence and calm. You can transform this little demon. It's possible.