Need Rooster Advice

[shelabobby]

He might calm down, or he might actually get worse. You don't really know what you've got in a rooster until they're at least a year old.

There's three levels of aggression with roosters (or chickens in general):

The first level is posturing and verbal: they'll snap their wings, stand as tall as they can. Roosters will crow or they'll do this weird little head waggle that means they're annoyed.

Level 2 is where they try to chase, herd, or even peck you. I've even had hens do aggressive pecking, usually from behind. Roosters will either run at you from behind (and if you turn around they'll stop and act like they weren't doing anything) or they'll try to get you to back off or run by doing the "herding dance" (one wing down and they either walk a half-circle around you or shuffle at you sideways), or he'll stamp a foot or try to "chest bump" you.

Level 3 is what you're experiencing: they take the fighting stance with the hackles raised, wings spread, and tail fanned out and are actively attacking you.


Level 1 you can safely ignore and it usually doesn't escalate: Out of my current 3 roosters two of them are level 1's, especially the beta rooster. He rarely shuts up and he'll follow me around muttering constantly and if he thinks treats are around he gets rather noisy. He likes to crow a lot, too.

Level 2 you never want to ingore. He's trying to take you down a peg in the pecking order. There's lots of theories on how train them out if it, I prefer the ones that are the least dramatic. Just remember rule #1 of dealing with tetchy roosters: never bend forward and look him in the eye. You're mimicing the fighting stance and he'll likely just automatically trigger his fighting instincts. Plus, all you're doing is bringing your eyes that much closer to his face.

I have a level 2 roostser that I was on the verge of culling until he seemed to be responding to training, then he got injured in a hawk attack and almost died from the resulting infection. Either that or the age he hit calmed him down a bit, but he still likes to "test" me from time to time. As I don't have any children or nearby neighbors and he isn't terrorizing the rest of the flock (he's the "bottom" rooster in the triumvurate) I let him stay.

Level 3 is where your Chuck Norris is at. He's flat out trying to drive you off or injure you. Even if there's some small chance you could reform him, you have to ask yourself if it's really worth it?

He might get lucky and get one of your eyes or nick an artery and send you to the emergency room. He might injure or kill your Lord Kluck. Some roosters are rather devious and they'll deliberatey back off or run after starting fights because they're either looking for weaknesses or trying to just wear their opponent down.

If he manages to get out, he might injure someone else or a neighbor. Are there any children around your property?

The problem with chickens is they aren't dogs, cats, or people. They have a much simpler brain structure and much more of their behavior is hard-wired than in mammals or primates. They really don't even have the neural architecture to process complex emotions like love or empathy or engage in abstract reasoning.

This means if your rooster is flat-out attacking you his brain has put you in the box reserved for rival roosters and predators. He's trying to either kill you or drive you away from his territory. You're not going to be able to reason with him and teach him the error of his ways.

The best you can hope for is to terrorize him enough that he's too scared to mess with you any more. And even then he may just decide to try taking you on again when you're bending over to pick something up.

Thank you so much for your reply! Level 1 is something I was expecting as a base level but even Lord Kluck is hardly in this mood. He will if there is a "threat" (that darn squirrel) but not towards me.

I did try to get Norris out of it when he was in what you call Level 2 but he didnt take to any method I tried.

Now at level 3 I just don't want him to hurt Lord Kluck or myself. If he got out I would be devastated if he hurt a neighbor or my family.

I dont think he will ever be scared enough of me or risk the other chickens being afraid as well because of my actions.

We have made the decision, although hard, to let him go. Just making plans now with my friend to get him.

 

[Mrs. K]

I know you are attached, but most of us on here, have kept a rotten rooster way too long. The relief is going to be tremendous. Your enjoyment of your other birds is going to skyrocket. And really, that is a big part, along with the realistic danger of the why we tell you to let him go.

 

[Friendofchix]

The friend is 100% aware of his behavior. He would likely not be there to stay. Which is why I have a hard time with the decision. Its like sending him to death row (but with actual death). But I know you don't want to have chicks from him because it can carry to them.



I won't lie I have sparred with him, ignored him, clapped, yelled, puffed up, tried treat training, etc. You name it I probably tried it.

I tried everything, read extensively about it, kept thinking I could find a way to tame my rooster, all to no avail. I’m sorry to say you won’t win him over.

 

[Schreib69]

So my question is, is there ANY chance he will calm down?

YES, but you need to learn how to be the alpha. A couple of weeks ago I saw a woman on Utube showing how. . . search.
Here is what she did as she explained, pretty cool:
-- grabbed the rooster from behind and picked him up by his shoulders in the air, walked around a bit as she talked.
-- placed the bird on the ground in front of her
-- straddled him like in a male mating postion(!) and sat down enough to enclose his wings, prevent movement
-- grabbed him with both hands below the neck, on his back and held him in place.

The bird is "cured" when he stays DOWN and does not attempt to rise up from the forced crouch.
THERE Ya' GO!

 

[cundare]

We've had a few roosters that were initially very aggressive, almost killing hens by violently mating. And then, as they got older and found that such behavior doesn't work well in our yard, they calmed down and became good citizens and even good fathers. But another simply got worse and actually killed one of our other, much more gentle, roosters. So it's not impossible that, with some training, Mr. Aggressive Cluck won't fit in. But it's also possible that he won't change, or even get worse. I realize that none of this is helpful advice, but my point is that, if you really do want to consider the "death sentence" to be an option of last resort, it may be worth hanging in there with him a while longer.

Like everybody else here, I can't tell you what to do because I'm not right there with you to see your situation first-hand. All I can do is relate my own experiences and hope that that additional information can help you make the right decision for you. Good luck & keep us posted.

 

[BDutch]

We have made the decision, although hard, to let him go. Just making plans now with my friend to get him.

Hard but wise.
Prepare a good sized cardboard box to put KCluck in for transport.

If you wait til after dark you can easily take him of the roost. Put him in the cardboard box (with ventilation). If you have an assistant to close the box its really an easy job.

 

[CalgaryFarmer]

If I had an aggressive rooster that I wanted to keep, I would try this method. Link I have not tried it myself but it makes sense.

 

[Vicker]

I'm sorry you have to make this decision. It amplifies what everyone thinking about getting a pet flock needs to consider. Livestock animals can be tame, adorable, friendly, etc. But they operate on a more instinctual level than other domestic animals. People need to ask themselves in advance what they would do in a situation where instinct-driven behavior becomes harmful to other animals and people. The same with having 3-4 hens for the eggs. What do you do when they slow with age, and you don't have room to add more? Let them live out their lives and buy eggs, or rehome them?

 

[BDutch]

Livestock animals can be tame, adorable, friendly, etc. But they operate on a more instinctual level than other domestic animals.

Domestic animals can operate on an instinctual level too. And some type of dogs have proven they can be unexpected killers (size and strength matter).

 

[McChooky]

Historically the number of hens vs roosters hatched averages 50/50 so everyone who raises chickens ends up with too many roosters. Some of us eat them or give them away but if you don't want to get rid of him you'll have to build another coop for him(bachelor flock)