My sweet cockerel is getting aggressive. How do I nip it in the bud?

[TwinkleUp]

I have two EE cockerels, about 12 weeks old. One is the dominant one in their relationship, but he’s shy with us. The other one has been a sweetie, and comes to us to be picked up and held. Suddenly, in the last two days, he’s now going after our ankles! How do I stop this behavior? I don’t really want to give him up.

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't have roosters, and they are not allowed in my area. But if I was in your boots,,, I would have a towel in hand and swat him with it. He may grow out of this super hormone period, but I have no schedule when that will be.
You need rooster to know that YOU are dominant, or choose soup.
There are sooooo many here that have SWEET ROOSTERS
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

Hopefully he’ll grow out of this stage! Sometimes this happens though, the nicest roosters turn rogue because they feel comfortable with you and aren’t scared of you, they believe they are in charge. I’ve personally never experience this so unfortunately don’t know how to help. Hope it gets sorted soon.

 

[Cath Andrews]

I have a cockerel who was lovely, until he wasn't and took chunks out of my leg... A lot of people told me to put him in the pot but the fact is, he was just doing what he should do and protecting his ladies from what he saw as an unhelpful person who kept taking his potential babies away (in the shape of eggs...).

The hosepipe worked for me. I keep it by the door to the run. When he was running at me, turned it on, gave him a nice cold shower. He lasted for about two days before he stopped. Now all I have to do is go to pick the hosepipe up and he does a runner.

So now we live in peace, he looks after the hens and my leg is intact. Worked for me and didn't hurt him is all I'm saying...

 

[TwinkleUp]

Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I realized, after reading some similar posts, that some of the problem may be the way I’m feeding the flock. We used to have a poultry feeder so the chickens had free access all day, but last winter, I ditched it because sparrows were emptying it out; we were going through layer pellets like I was made of money. Instead, I just fed the flock several times a day.

Then a month ago, I switched their food to a whole grain feed mixed at a local farm, and began fermenting it. Still feeding the flock several times a day.

Now we have the two cockerels, and four younger pullets, and of course they are eating chick feed. I feed the two boys by themselves, and the four little girls by themselves so that my flock doesn’t eat the chick feed and the littles actually get a chance to eat. Feeding time is a huge pain!

I think I need to just buy another poultry feeder and have chick feed available to everybody all the time, and continue giving the the fermented feed a couple times a day. I think by separating the younger chickens at feeding times, I’m keeping them from becoming part of the flock’s pecking order. My cockerels think they’re special, and don’t have to interact with my two Dutch Bantam roos, who might teach them some manners.