Naughty Rooster

[Chasitity]

I have a rooster, Mufasa, that has become aggressive. It started when he went after my daughter. She was playing in the chicken yard, but not by the chickens. It has progressed to him going after her whenever he sees her. He has even started attacking me, while I am feeding him. He is a Buff Orpington which is usually a calm breed. He has never been treated cruelly and I am unsure of how to handle the situation. I do not understand what is provoking him. I have read some suggestions such as carrying him around with me. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Judy]

This is normal rooster behavior, although just how aggressive they become varies considerably. He is trying to establish that he is the dominant rooster in the flock, the people being at a lower level in the flock. The trick is to let him know that you are the top rooster. Carrying him around under your arm like a football is one approach. Walking quickly toward him when he starts to approach, til he backs off, is another. Among the few we've had, this has aways been enough. As for your daughter, you may need to keep them separate for the time being.

Some roosters are aggressive enough that the best solution is another home, or perhaps chicken soup.

I'm guessing he is at the "teenager" stage, somewhere around 16 weeks, which is when their hormones really surge. To some extent he will calm down over time.

There are a number of threads and probably several articles on here about rooster management. Here is one article:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/keeping-a-rooster

 

[Chasitity]

Thank you. I have been putting him in a pen when the girls are out. The last thing I want is my girls to not like the chickens. I appreciate the link and will start to work with him, hopefully that will avoid having to make soup