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DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
Keeping a rooster changes the flock dynamics. And if he decides you are a threat to his flock, he will attack you.
I keep roosters and have from the start but there is a long learning curve to harmony.
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Only have him - no others. But he is constantly running up to me and my daughter for no reason to peck at us. I have to grab a stick to fight him off. He won’t be picked up now with out a fight. Not sure why he does this. Any insight is appreciated
 
Newbie2021 said:
Only have him - no others. But he is constantly running up to me and my daughter for no reason to peck at us. I have to grab a stick to fight him off. He won’t be picked up now with out a fight. Not sure why he does this. Any insight is appreciated
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I suggest getting his behavior on video and uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo.
Start a new thread in the Chicken Behaviors forum, paste a link to the video there with a description of your daily interactions with him. If he is a lone mature male, he may be acting out sexual frustration on you.
Is he just running up to you, dropping a wing and shuffling around you then giving your feet a peck?
Or is he flying up at you flogging you with his wings and trying to spur you? These are two very different behaviors with different meaning.
 
DobieLover said:
I suggest getting his behavior on video and uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo.
Start a new thread in the Chicken Behaviors forum, paste a link to the video there with a description of your daily interactions with him. If he is a lone mature male, he may be acting out sexual frustration on you.
Is he just running up to you, dropping a wing and shuffling around you then giving your feet a peck?
Or is he flying up at you flogging you with his wings and trying to spur you? These are two very different behaviors with different meaning.
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Pecking the feet. Didn’t know he was capable of flying towards me and attacking that way. The speed in which he runs towards me and follows me is alarming...but not a flying attack. Guess I should count my blessings
 
Newbie2021 said:
Pecking the feet. Didn’t know he was capable of flying towards me and attacking that way. The speed in which he runs towards me and follows me is alarming...but not a flying attack. Guess I should count my blessings
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I don't think he's attacking you. I really think it would be helpful to get some videos of his behavior. It may be a simple matter of getting him a flock of hens. Or finding him a new home where he can have his own flock.
 
DobieLover said:
I don't think he's attacking you. I really think it would be helpful to get some videos of his behavior. It may be a simple matter of getting him a flock of hens. Or finding him a new home where he can have his own flock.
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I posted several videos from this morning. Thanks for your advice. After setting him free this morning, he came running towards me again. I went in the house and he remained at the back door looking in. When I opened the back door he couches down and tries to hide. I have no idea what’s going on. But do know as soon as I get outside completely he will run up to very fast and start pecking
 
Newbie2021 said:
I posted several videos from this morning. Thanks for your advice. After setting him free this morning, he came running towards me again. I went in the house and he remained at the back door looking in. When I opened the back door he couches down and tries to hide. I have no idea what’s going on. But do know as soon as I get outside completely he will run up to very fast and start pecking
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He is not attacking you. He is herding you. You do not need to be afraid of him.
He is not standing still staring at you.
He is not flaring his hackles at you.
He just doesn't have "the look".
Why is he in that tiny cage? I'd get up pretty cranky if I was stuck in such a tiny cage too.
You are not reacting well to him at all.
If you are afraid of him and cannot put this fear aside, I strongly recommend finding him a home where he can be a flock leader.
He is an Easter Egger cockerel (he's still under a year old).

If you want to keep him, you need a proper coop and he needs some girls. He is a flock animal and they are NOT happy alone. You are currently his only flock and you won't stay with him. He is lonely and confused. If you don't intend to get him a flock and a proper home, it isn't fair to him at all and you should advertise him and rehome him.
Good luck!
 
DobieLover said:
He is not attacking you. He is herding you. You do not need to be afraid of him.
He is not standing still staring at you.
He is not flaring his hackles at you.
He just doesn't have "the look".
Why is he in that tiny cage? I'd get up pretty cranky if I was stuck in such a tiny cage too.
You are not reacting well to him at all.
If you are afraid of him and cannot put this fear aside, I strongly recommend finding him a home where he can be a flock leader.
He is an Easter Egger cockerel (he's still under a year old).

If you want to keep him, you need a proper coop and he needs some girls. He is a flock animal and they are NOT happy alone. You are currently his only flock and you won't stay with him. He is lonely and confused. If you don't intend to get him a flock and a proper home, it isn't fair to him at all and you should advertise him and rehome him.
Good luck!
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Fair enough. I took him in because he needed a home and I didn’t want him prey or homeless. Felt sorry for him. And yes, I admit there is huge learning curve. His previous owner had kids and he their pet. But why does he chase after me and peck at me. I don’t want to be pecked. Regarding the cage, there are owls, raccoons, cats, possums and even coyotes in the area. I trained him to put himself in the cage at night to sleep and mainly keep him safe. I’m trying to find a Coop but they are extremely expensive. I don’t have thousands to get him a coop. I can’t get others until I figure a where and how to keep them safe. I really am trying....please understand. That is why I’m here. If I could find him a good home, then I would gladly give him up. Until then I just don’t want him killed or wondering loose searching for food with no home.
 
Newbie2021 said:
Fair enough. I took him in because he needed a home and I didn’t want him prey or homeless. Felt sorry for him. And yes, I admit there is huge learning curve. His previous owner had kids and he their pet. But why does he chase after me and peck at me. I don’t want to be pecked. Regarding the cage, there are owls, raccoons, cats, possums and even coyotes in the area. I trained him to put himself in the cage at night to sleep and mainly keep him safe. I’m trying to find a Coop but they are extremely expensive. I don’t have thousands to get him a coop. I can’t get others until I figure a where and how to keep them safe. I really am trying....please understand. That is why I’m here. If I could find him a good home, then I would gladly give him up. Until then I just don’t want him killed or wondering loose searching for food with no home.
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I do understand all this. While I do sympathize with you (I really do), I am more concerned for the well being of the cockerel. You took him in to save him and that is great but you have to do right by him. If you can't, then keep him safe and well fed until you can find him an appropriate home.
Do you have a garage? Or any other out building you could fence off a portion of for him to sleep in at night? You are right to secure him at night.
Have you started advertising him for rehoming? I have rehomed many cockerels and one rooster. I advertise them for $5 on CL to keep the freezer fillers away. I don't accept the money once someone claims them for their flock. I also joined three different local/regional FB Poultry groups and advertised them there. All went on to be flock leaders or pets.
If you aren't currently in the position to build a coop and start a flock, finding him a new home is the best choice for him. He needs flock members.

ETA: Just so you are aware, there ARE people out there looking for roosters/cockerels for their flocks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hello-and-thank-you.1474830/
 
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