Need Aggressive Rooster Advice

[PioneerChicks]

Hi fellow chicken lovers.

I recently got some cockerals that I am going to keep. This is my first time keeping roosters. They are all 6-7 months old. One of them, an Old English Game bantam named Finn, is starting to show signs of aggression. He crows actively around me and isn't afraid to approach me or look me in the eye. He isn't showing any interest in mating yet, though the other roosters do. The other day a friend of mine (a grown man) saw a silkie rooster mating a pullet (he didn't know about mating and thought the roo was hurting the pullet), and he chased the cockeral around trying to make him stop chasing the pullet. Finn must have thought my friend was chasing the hen, because he jumped up on my friend's neck, though he was so tiny he was just brushed off like a bug.

If this helps, I have Finn (as I said before, an OEG bantam) and two other silkie cockerals (I plan on getting rid of one silkie roo sometime next spring). They are all the same age and grew up together, and they don't really fight each other.

I have found a lot of information on BYC about aggressive roosters but I don't know what method to use. The stew pot is NOT an option, and I don't want to get rid of him because I am planning on breeding him. I don't know if I should try to tame him, or make him respect me, or if I should respect him, or something else.

Please cast your vote on the poll or post your method below. Any information will be useful.

 

[Alaskan]

Over the years I have found human aggression from roosters to be HIGHLY genetic.

At this point I simply refuse to breed any male that isn't safe around kids....

 

[Skippersnh]

Sounds like he was protecting the hen he was doing his job that's a good rooster

 

[Folly's place]

At the very least, I'd be watching this bird very carefully. While chasing him around wasn't the best ever idea on your friend's part, There's really no excuse, IMO, for any chicken to attack a human.
He's starting to mature, and thinking bad thoughts. I hope no children are out there, so they aren't injured as he gets tougher.
If he is human aggressive, he shouldn't contribute to the gene pool at all.
Mary

 

[Skippersnh]

A bantam rooster couldn't hurt a fly

 

[Folly's place]

My bantam roosters can fly really well, and an aggressive bird could easily take out an adult's eyeball, never mind a child's.
Reproducing and condoning aggression is not good flock management!!!
Mary

 

[Skippersnh]

Worms

 

[Manhen]

I pin them down during an act of aggression. "Rocky" doesn't pay attention at that time and I can nab him in the act. After about 3 seconds, a long time really to think you are about to get eaten, I pick him up and put him in the crook of my arm and pet him a bit. He is still a bit keyed up when I calmly put him down. But now "Marco Pollo" is a little more assertive. As long as the roos/aggressive hens have me to worry about, they tend to leave the rest alone, a little bit.

 

[Skippersnh]

Holding them down not cool my rooster pecked my dogs eye out so I tried that but it didn't work

 

[50-45-1]

i dont know how experienced with chickens you are but your roosters are still young and their hormones are not kicked in yet.
some people have bachelor flocks. i dont see the purpose of feeding a flock of roosters that cost me feed and dont give me eggs in return. if you have no plans to eat them, im not sure of your longterm plans.
i keep one nice rooster and re-home or dress out the extras.
once these roosters are mature they will run your hens ragged and more than likely fight among themselves to the extent of injury or death. its not pretty, and can wreck the whole chicken experience.
if one become human aggressive, it doesn't matter the size of the bird, once he is armed with spurs he Can hurt you, your children, your neighbors.
good luck to you!