my chick is evil :(

[twigcrafter]

I have a modern bantam rooster. He is evil!!! He started crowing at 3 1/2 weeks old. Now he's 5 weeks and today he started attacking the other chicks. 2 are bloody attacks.
He's in chicken jail right now but he can't stay there all night. He's so cute but too evil for me.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I have a modern bantam rooster. He is evil!!! He started crowing at 3 1/2 weeks old. Now he's 5 weeks and today he started attacking the other chicks. 2 are bloody attacks.
He's in chicken jail right now but he can't stay there all night. He's so cute but too evil for me.

Why can't he stay in jail? Maybe he needs a long timeout until he matures.

Good luck

Gary

 

[RodNTN]

I wouldn't exactly say evil, more just like an aggressive rooster.

 

[RodNTN]

Here is a link that I hope helps:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/important-how-to-deal-with-an-aggressive-rooster.390911/

I would start teaching him who is boss now. It is easier to start when they are young.

 

[Chickassan]

Seriously why can't he stay in jail all night? What kind of jail are you running!

 

[bobbi-j]

How many chicks do you have in what size space (feet by feet)?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Aggression at that age would mean he would get culled here. Games in general can be more feisty than other breeds.

 

[twigcrafter]

My chickens are free range on as much acreage as they want. They free range with full sized adults and adult bantams.

He's great with humans and he loves my grand kids. Up until today he was great with his hatch mates. He's always been the first to jump onto our laps go get treats.
He and his hatch mates, have their own little grow out coop for the night. Chicken jail is a 2 by 4 bottom less cage. No protection from the weather.
I'm shocked by his sudden aggression!!!

The adult chickens are for the most part very gentle with the little chicks. An occasional peck here and there but NOTHING like what he did today! I had to pull him off one of the other chicks. I treated his wounds and watched to make sure none of the other chickens attacked him. I couldn't catch the 2nd chick that had blood on it's head. He also attacked at least one other chick but it didn't draw blood. Who knows what he did when I wasn't watching.

I left him in chicken jail until dark than put him in the baby coop with his hatch mates. They are all different bantams I bought as an assortment from Ideal.
He's tiny still. so I hope I can teach him how to be a good rooster and a productive member of the flock.

I'm still shocked!

 

[bobbi-j]

My chickens are free range on as much acreage as they want. They free range with full sized adults and adult bantams.

He's great with humans and he loves my grand kids. Up until today he was great with his hatch mates. He's always been the first to jump onto our laps go get treats.
He and his hatch mates, have their own little grow out coop for the night. Chicken jail is a 2 by 4 bottom less cage. No protection from the weather.
I'm shocked by his sudden aggression!!!

The adult chickens are for the most part very gentle with the little chicks. An occasional peck here and there but NOTHING like what he did today! I had to pull him off one of the other chicks. I treated his wounds and watched to make sure none of the other chickens attacked him. I couldn't catch the 2nd chick that had blood on it's head. He also attacked at least one other chick but it didn't draw blood. Who knows what he did when I wasn't watching.

I left him in chicken jail until dark than put him in the baby coop with his hatch mates. They are all different bantams I bought as an assortment from Ideal.
He's tiny still. so I hope I can teach him how to be a good rooster and a productive member of the flock.

I'm still shocked!

The first thing I would do then, is quit letting him jump in your lap and the others for treats. I would start RIGHT NOW letting him know you're the boss. Don't let him eat right away when you offer treats. I wouldn't hand feed him, either. When he gets older, do not give in to him. When you're out with the chickens, and you want to move around in the flock, you make him get out of your way. You walk toward him and then through him. Make him move. Don't move for him, or go around him. That may signal submission to him. Be confident and decisive in your movements around him. Some will say not to let him breed in front of you. I don't interfere with that, and I don't have human aggressive roosters. I just don't put up with any nonsense from mine.

I would still be interested in knowing how many chicks you have in what size space. Over crowding can cause aggression toward each other.

 

[twigcrafter]

Thanks for the suggestions

My chicks are in a small chicken coop at night. It's only at night for sleeping. it probably 2' by 3'. They huddle together in about a square foot area, maybe a tiny bit bigger, while sleeping. there are 24 of them. They are 5 weeks old bantam chicks. Still very tiny compared to a standard size chick. In the morning they are released to my large unfenced yard. As are my other grown chickens and ducks. (My grown chickens, and my ducks have separate coops)
I have a separate area to feed the chicks that the other birds can't fit in. The chicks can come and go as they please. They don't stray as far as the older chickens but they have lots of shrubs, trees, dust areas, grassy areas, and a small compost area near by that they love. The older chickens eat breakfast than go out away from the "chicken village" we made. Oh and they have 2 different water stations about 6+ feet apart.

I don't think space is the issue at all.
"chicken village is an area where the coops are about 5 and 7 feet apart in a triangle with 3 feed stations. the chicks feed station is attached to their coop and the other stations are 6+ feet apart next to the water.

The big chickens rarely even peck at the chicks. They certainly never drew blood.