Mean rooster

[featherhead007]

Maybe he didn't like those shoes!

 

[Shorty22366]

I think, from my experience, that a lot of behavior is genetic. I'm a real hands-on chicken keeper. I do believe that with some cases, more handling equals aggressive roosters. But not always, and that's where I think genetics come in.

I have a Silkie rooster that was really bad. He was so aggressive he bit me in the face. I handled him a lot as a chick/cockerel. He is now 7 years old and pretty mellow, but I don't fully trust him. I had a Production Red that was handled just as much and the sweetest rooster ever! And his sons are the sweetest roosters too!

With your boy, I would wait and see. One of my EE roosters went through a cocky teenager stage where he would bite my shoes (of all things!) but completely grew out of that nonsense and is a bit shy around me now. Good luck to you!

Going to take it slow and easy with him
He is a silkies and he is absolutely beautiful. I will do my best to keep him.

 

[Studius Eggus]

Going to take it slow and easy with him
He is a silkies and he is absolutely beautiful. I will do my best to keep him.

He's going to be a lot easier than a standard size rooster. No less scrappy probably, but still a docile breed.
I'm going to be on the opposite side of the state from you come September, trout fishing near Cherokee.

 

[Shorty22366]

He's going to be a lot easier than a standard size rooster. No less scrappy probably, but still a docile breed.
I'm going to be on the opposite side of the state from you come September, trout fishing near Cherokee.

Good luck

 

[leighks]

I think, from my experience, that a lot of behavior is genetic. I'm a real hands-on chicken keeper. I do believe that with some cases, more handling equals aggressive roosters. But not always, and that's where I think genetics come in.

I have a Silkie rooster that was really bad. He was so aggressive he bit me in the face. I handled him a lot as a chick/cockerel. He is now 7 years old and pretty mellow, but I don't fully trust him. I had a Production Red that was handled just as much and the sweetest rooster ever! And his sons are the sweetest roosters too!

With your boy, I would wait and see. One of my EE roosters went through a cocky teenager stage where he would bite my shoes (of all things!) but completely grew out of that nonsense and is a bit shy around me now. Good luck to you!

Around what age did he grow out of the shoe biting behavior??

 

[Studius Eggus]

Good luck

You're going to do just fine. It's obvious you have a personal stake in this and a compassion for your flock.
After a while you'll be an old hand at this.
After we settled in and stopped worrying about every chirp we have found a real pleasure in raising this flock and seeing all the individual personalities flourish.
We take our morning coffee in the run while our "kids" get breakfast. The whole experience has been full of great lessons about chickens and about ourselves.
Once we decided that these chickens will die here from natural causes it turned in to another sense of family.
I hope you enjoy the coming months and become a happy addict to your flock.

 

[FaythoftheLost]

I have six roosters and granted I have cycled out some of my boys that just seem way too rowdy for their own good. But over the last 22 years of having chickens I've learned a few things.

The first is never treat your roosters with aggression. They are acting aggressively towards you because they feel threatened BY you. Not that you've ever done anything to them. But your bigger, you come and steal the butt nuggets, the hens love you, and more ladies follow you around because your the Bringer of Food.

The second is understand that they are jealous of your role in the flock. Some roosters can get over this as they mature. Some roosters never have this issue in the first place.

Third f you have too many roosters this can cause conflict and fighting over hens, food, and places to lay.

So with those three things in mind it should help put into perspective as to why they are acting the way they are acting (some are just jerks).

Why no aggression back? Aggression breeds aggression. By kicking them, hitting them with water, using shaker cans or anything else you are teaching them to fear you and that you bring pain in addition to the jealousy. That will lead to a rooster that will someday snap. That's not okay for him or you. I fully recommend the carry method. By picking up the rooster that is out of sorts and tucking them under your arm (not hurting them, pinching their comb or anything else) you are making them gently submit. They cannot fight you in this position. You are not being aggressive and there is nothing threatening about what you are doing. Carry him around with you for about fifteen to thirty minutes a day or even thirty minutes twice daily, whenever you are doing your chores around the coop. This tells him firmly that you are bigger, you are top rooster, and that he's safe. Now. If this doesn't work after a few days it's probably best to rehome him. I've had a few that there were just not going to settle and I draw the line with them if they go after the kids.

 

[Peaches Lee]

Around what age did he grow out of the shoe biting behavior??

I honestly don't remember. He's been with me seven years now and never been a problem.

 

[GrannyHeeney]

As a new Chicken Mama, all of this is in my future. I think I'm ready for the Rooster Wars--going to get half a dozen and just see who the 2 kindest are. The rest will go into the community freezer (my bestie and I are kinda tag-teaming the layers while the freezer birds are sorta my own thing). Thanks to everyone who posted advice, I gobbled it all up like a sack 'o mealworms!

 

[leighks]

I have six roosters and granted I have cycled out some of my boys that just seem way too rowdy for their own good. But over the last 22 years of having chickens I've learned a few things.

The first is never treat your roosters with aggression. They are acting aggressively towards you because they feel threatened BY you. Not that you've ever done anything to them. But your bigger, you come and steal the butt nuggets, the hens love you, and more ladies follow you around because your the Bringer of Food.

The second is understand that they are jealous of your role in the flock. Some roosters can get over this as they mature. Some roosters never have this issue in the first place.

Third f you have too many roosters this can cause conflict and fighting over hens, food, and places to lay.

So with those three things in mind it should help put into perspective as to why they are acting the way they are acting (some are just jerks).

Why no aggression back? Aggression breeds aggression. By kicking them, hitting them with water, using shaker cans or anything else you are teaching them to fear you and that you bring pain in addition to the jealousy. That will lead to a rooster that will someday snap. That's not okay for him or you. I fully recommend the carry method. By picking up the rooster that is out of sorts and tucking them under your arm (not hurting them, pinching their comb or anything else) you are making them gently submit. They cannot fight you in this position. You are not being aggressive and there is nothing threatening about what you are doing. Carry him around with you for about fifteen to thirty minutes a day or even thirty minutes twice daily, whenever you are doing your chores around the coop. This tells him firmly that you are bigger, you are top rooster, and that he's safe. Now. If this doesn't work after a few days it's probably best to rehome him. I've had a few that there were just not going to settle and I draw the line with them if they go after the kids.

I would like to try to carry him around, but how on earth do you catch him? Today as he pecked at my feet I tried to pick him up but when he figured out what I was trying to do he ran away. So I tried to catch him, but he’s way faster lol. After 3 tried I gave up for the day!