My rooster attacked me

[Smlondon11]

I need some advice about my rooster. He’s always been aggressive towards my kids, so built a nice big run for my flock and I’m the only one that goes in, so I kept him to breed and protect the flock. We live very rurally and only ever lost a few chicks to predators once.

I just added four ducklings to the flock. The hens were eating all their food, so I sectioned off part of the run just for the ducklings. I carried them to the coop for the night so they would have the warmth from the chickens.

This morning when I tried to pick up a duckling to put it in its area, the rooster attacked me. I’ve had him come at me before, but he would not back down this time. He drew blood with his spurs through my boot! I had to kick him hard enough he flipped, then came back for more.

I’m not scared of him, but I have a healthy respect for him, watch him closely, and never turn my back on him.

So my question is: should I be proud of him for protecting his flock or cull him for being aggressive? He’s two years old and he’s beautiful. I’m very fond of him. I want a rooster that protects the flock. But now I have also seen what kind of damage he could do if he got near my kids somehow. His spurs are huge! If I cull him and keep a rooster from my current chicks, will a calmer rooster protect/alert from predators? I have mixed feelings.

 

[noregerts]

Cull him. The behavior he’s displaying will probably get worse and you and your kids are not safe. Hopefully your next rooster will be a good protector without being dangerous. Either way, he’s not safe to have around.

 

[Trish1974]

I'm a big fan of roosters but I think yours needs to go. At two years old you can't blame teenage hormones so I don't think there is hope for him. Human aggression should not go hand in hand with flock protecting. Also, since you have kids, he needs to go for their safety.

 

[Smlondon11]

Thanks! That’s what I wanted to know.

 

[Chicken school]

I think you should cull him. He is too aggressive, if he draws blood. I hope you find a new one that isn’t so mean!

 

[Folly's place]

I agree completely! He's a danger to everyone, and needs to go ASAP.
This behavior is in part genetic, and you don't need to keep another jerk, so watch your cockerels, and be ready to cull any that show human aggression SOONER this time!
I like to raise my own cockerels, but have zero tolerance for obnoxious behavior, and only keep polite individuals.
I also don't try to make pets out of them, but want them to move out of my way as I walk though the flock, and pay attention to their flockmates rather than stalking me!
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

@Smlondon11 , I hope your tetanus vaccine is up to date! Here in farm country, we get boostered about every five years (seems to coincide with injuries anyway!) so check on yours.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

He is a danger to you and to your kids. I think you've made the obvious decision.

There is debate on how much of a rooster's human aggressive behavior is environmental or hereditary. How much is learned and how much is inherited. In my opinion it is some of both. I'm not going to get into my opinions how you should treat a cockerel or rooster, there are different opinions and different people have different success with all of those methods. Folly's approach isn't far from what I do.

When I have a chicken, male or female, that exhibits behaviors that I don't approve of I do not let them breed just on the chance that the tendency toward that is inherited. I don't know what is inherited or not but over the years I've developed a flock that pretty much behaves pretty well.

You can try to keep one of his sons. It's quite possible you will get one that is fine. If you bring in another rooster, as an adult or as a chick, you could get a good one or a bad one. You just don;t know. In either case watch them and don't have a lot of patience with the safety of your kids.

Good luck with it. How to replace him is not always an easy decision.

 

[Folly's place]

Our first rooster was a killer attack bird, a cute little Belgian d'Uccle. We put up with him way too long, like you have with your boy. Ours produced some nice cockerels, fortunately, so we were able to keep a couple of them with no problems.
Over many years, and many chick orders of different breeds, we've had good boys, cockerels we've tried to reform (never with success!) and little beasts. From 'I can get him to behave better!' to now zero tolerance has been a journey.
Life is too short to work around and feed an idiot who attacks the people who bring food!!!
Mary

 

[Smlondon11]

Thank you all! The chicks I have right now are actually a different breed, do I’m not worried about a new rooster having his genes.
Is there a balance between protecting the flock and not aggressions toward people? I mean, he was attacking me because he was trying to protect them. Isn’t that what a rooster should do? Is it possible for a rooster to protect from other predators but not see humans as a threat? He’s been fine towards me the rest of today, so I think I am showing enough dominance. He only comes at me when I’m trying to pick up a chicken or duck. But he always went after my kids when we let them free range. The kids also were afraid of him, which made it worse. I don’t want a incompetent rooster. Is there an in between? He’s my first rooster , any cockerels I’ve had knew he was the top of the pecking order and never aggressed at me or the kids.