My docile roo has gone off the deep end! Updated, making progress!!

[fivestring]

Today was another free range day. All day till just a few minutes ago. I had DD wrap her legs in cardboard and I taped them in place with ductape. You can see her here in the background...

She let the birds out of the pen and roo immediately went to work. He ran at her and flogged her legs, hitting the cardboard. You can see the hole he put in it, on the 'M' in Dominos...

She did not push or kick at him at all. She immediately picked him up and held him for about 15 minutes, while I trimmed his spurs back a little.....

Then he got a 'time out' in a dog cage inside the run. He did not like this at all! All the other birds gathered 'round like he was a new exhibit at the zoo!...

He paced and cackled for a good 15 minutes. After her calmed down, DD let him out. He took one step out of the cage and went after her leg again. She picked him up and held him for another 15 minutes, then repaced him in the cage. After time out number 2, he was once again released, again by DD. This time he ignored her and went out to be with the other birds who had lost interest in the whole thing.



An hour or so later, she came by the area and he decided to try again. Same treatment again except she let him down and not in the cage. He went about his business and hasn't bothered her again since. I call that progress.

I know it is going to recur and he will get the same treatment each time he does. I think there is hope for him if he continues to respond to time out therapy.

Also let the silkies out with all the birds today. They wanted to stick pretty close to DD....

All in all, a good day with the chickies.

 

[the1much]

 

[crtrlovr]

GOOD job! Glad to hear the progress!

 

[the1much]

they aint so scarey when YOUR the 1 doing the chasing

 

[fivestring]

Yeah, Jim. Now I just need to convince my DW of that. She is still afraid to pick him up.

 

[DDRanch]

Good job. Keep us posted. You have a lovely flock and family too.

 

[jjthink]

Very good progress! Gentle and yet teaches him that if he gets fresh he will have to spend time in time out. Really good job!
JJ

 

[crzychickenlady]

That's great progress!!
Keep showing that boy who is boss!!!

 

[Wynette]

Oh, I'm SOOO happy to read this! I'm going to bookmark this thread, for future "proof" that a bad one CAN be retrained! Your boy must be very smart...he'll be an excellent flock roo! GOOD FOR DD for standing her ground. She's probably not nearly as afraid of him now, eh? This is HUGE progress, IMO!!! Please give her my best, tell her she's doing an EXCELLENT job, and to keep up the good work!! If DW is still expecting him to attack, it won't work. You really DO have to visualize it all going well, exactly as you want it to go, and to BELIEVE it can work. Perhaps when DW sees how well DD is doing with the roo, she'll be convinced that she can do it, also. I'm so happy that you didn't give up on this boy! Please keep us posted on progress, okay?

 

[WildBurroShirts.com]

Wow!

Very, very impressive.

I'm ordering pizza right now...

I'm thinking of getting those shin guards that dirt bikers wear though since I'm pretty sure I have two roos...and one is a snot.

Today when he grabbed a hen by the eyelid and she started shrieking I held him upside down by his legs...first time.

Then I set him down on his back in the shavings and held him there a bit...I'm trying to establish who's in charge early since he's already huge.

He runs off and hasn't charged but he has started giving stinkeyes pretty bad.