My rooster is misbehaving.

[little buddy]

Every morning I throw some treats on the ground for my chickens. I usually walk to a stream on my property so they can wash down what I give them. Anyway as they follow me my rooster has started to run up behind me and hit the back of my legs! He left a mark the other day. He has always been pretty nice but I think he is showing off in front of his hens!! I now have started to walk backwards to prevent his cheap shots. Is this normal behavior? Me, not the rooster.

 

[Chasitity]

I was having the same issue a little while ago so I believe it is pretty normal . I read that if you handle the rooster more, he will accept that you are not a chicken. I put my rooster in a baby wrap and carried him around while doing chores and he calmed down. My family thought I was nuts, but I did have a less aggressive roo.

 

[donrae]

He's attacking you, which is never, ever acceptable. He's not going to just up and quit on his own, the attacks will likely escalate. Around here he would be butchered. There are threads ad nauseam about different folks theories to deal with aggressive roosters. Research and pick your method.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

He's attacking you, which is never, ever acceptable. He's not going to just up and quit on his own, the attacks will likely escalate. Around here he would be butchered. There are threads ad nauseam about different folks theories to deal with aggressive roosters. Research and pick your method.

X 2 -- this isn't about showing off, nor do you want to spend the rest of your rooster's life walking backwards in fear of an attack. Read the threads and decide what is right for you - but know that you should not hatch eggs from this rooster.

 

[centrarchid]

Reads like feed-bucket aggression which is a learned behavior developed as a reward for essentially chasing after you as fresh feed is applied from the bucket. During early stages of the training he likely simply tried to get at each pile as it was dispensed. Later he figured that rushing up to you sped the appearance of feed so he began taking to the current level.

I break by carrying around a feed bucket but not giving any feed out.

 

[little buddy]

I had one that was so mean he about knocked my son off his bike. Then he went after me when I came home from work. He is no longer with us.

 

[alibabba]

New roosters first day outside in the yard. Brothers? around 9 or 10 months old. Have been raised together and only saw some very mild sparring in the first hour or so. After that they shared the girls nicely. One has to go anyway, and is for sale.

First day free ranging the yard. They went nuts for 10 min running around after the girls. All settled down and they acted much better. They both ate from my hand, but fed what they got to the girls first. They tid bitted and called the girls all day. Girls first they would tidbit and step away. There were some sneak attack mating, but mostly they really tried to dance, the girls just didn't get the hang of squatting for them right away. This rooster thing is new to them.


So all was going very well, until I walked toward the coop and the bolder obvious Alpha jumped at my feet from behind as I walked away. Hmmm, as I considered this my son walked over wearing my boots. Oh that rooster hated those, he jumped twice at those from the front. I yelled and chased, couldn't catch him. Even though that is not how I wanted to handle this. I just reacted before I thought.

I sat out watching most of the day. They really didn't pay me to much attention. At chicken bedtime, he flew up on the fence and got out of the yard, omg. That was unexpected. I have yet to have a hen escape, but now the the jerk showed them.... I had to open the gate then chase him all the way around the fence so he could go back inside the yard.

I spent a little time walking toward hi to make sure he moved off, which he did.

I would like to use Centrarchid's method of standing still and letting him understand that I am as useful to fight with as a rock or a tree or a building. Has anyone ever seen a rooster fight with something like that? This makes sense to me, fighting with him would make him think I am something that can be fought with even if he loses today, he would still know that there is a fight to be had if he wants one.

I guess I'll put on the boots and rev him up but walking past or picking up a hen....I should do this every day...multiple times until he gives up and leaves me, boots or not alone?


I am wondering if part of this was due the excitement of the new place, new yard, new hens, new keeper and do people have luck having the behaviour change stick for good? I