Needing suggestions for a naughty Roo

[SilverRayne]

We started our flock last spring, got all our chicks from the local farm supply store, they were all supposed to be female but we ended up with one roo. He's about 7 months old now. He had been super friendly up until just about a month ago. It started with him charging towards my daughter when she'd go out to collect eggs. Then other kids came over and he flew up on one of the little boys - luckily this rooster is young enough he doesn't have his spurs so no damage other than scaring the kid. He always comes running over to me when I'm collecting eggs but he just usually comes over to check things out then he goes back to his business. Until today. I go out to check things out and give them some treats, as I'm walking away he attacks me. Left a couple scratches on my legs but nothing bad. Is this kind of behavior easy to fix or does he need to go?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He needs to go. Roosters and kids don't often mix. Generally once they start attacking the behavior is hard to change. Not sure what breed he is or how he was raised, but generally it's best to not handle roosters nor encourage friendly forward behaviors.

The attacks will generally escalate and they can do some damage to kids with only toe nails and beaks. They often go for the eyes, so be rid of him asap or keep him locked up separately.

 

[Gray Farms]

This behavior is not easily fixable and will only get worse. I recommend rehoming "with warning of behavior" or butchering "not for everyone I fully understand".

 

[azygous]

The behavior is not "easy to fix", and right up front, I will tell you that, since children are in the picture, the easiest thing would be to let him "move on". If you don't wish to re-home him or butcher him, you need to understand that disciplining him to curb the aggressive behavior requires commitment, consistency, and altering the behavior of the entire family around this cockerel.

Hormones get turned on suddenly in a cockerel, and that triggers the instinct to exercise proprietorship over the flock. That isn't the issue, though. His hormones make him jumpy and a bit paranoid. If the humans who come around him are unpredictable like children are, or lacking in the self confidence to interact with him (you?), then that just throws gasoline on his hormonal fire because he picks up on these things.

You need to decide if you want to keep him enough to put in the time and effort to train him and to train yourself to deal with him. If you really wish to keep him, there are lots of great tutorials here in BYC on how to discipline a problem roo.

 

[rebrascora]

The other posters are all correct. Even with retraining him, your children would also have to be trained in the same techniques, so that he learned to not just respect you but also respect them. Whilst you may be able to understand and use the training techniques, it is unlikely that your children would be able to grasp the concepts or have the finesse to apply them, so rehoming him or butchering and eating him are the only sensible options.

 

[SueT]

Suggestions for a naughty roo:
Fried, roasted, stewed....if you aren't a vegetarian, that is.

 

[BantyChooks]

Soup. Sorry.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

If you are not vegetarian. Then it maybe time to wrap your mind around butchering. Or find somebody that has no problem with that. Rehoming of aggressive fowl like this often leads to their spot in a kettle with somebody else. So why not nourish your family -if you eat chicken anyway- with the fruits of your labor and love? He's had many many good days with one bad day in his future most likely.

If you are wanting to train him I found the garden bamboo poles they use to trellis green beans and such at the farm supply store not only are excellent for trellising but for giving distance and taps in the fluff as a reminder to your roo that he is not the boss. All kids and adults need to stand their ground and have a stick in their hand, now when visiting your coop. I've heard bad stories about sticks and those that are weilding them on roosters. I'm not talking abuse. Just some tipping of the scales and humiliation. Often the rooster only needs one flip over backwards or a tap in the fluff and he has only to see the stick thereafter. Buggers. Sorry it happened to your kid. It's life with farm animals sometimes. They are unpredictable. (I remember being chased by a Momma cow with a calf) I will never forget it and have the story forever. But that's the way it goes. Kids learning respect for unpredictable animals are good life lessons too.

 

[rebrascora]

Kids learning respect for unpredictable animals are good life lessons too.

Kids learning where meat comes from is another important life lesson, so don't feel like you have to distance them or even protect them from it. Perhaps not the killing itself, but they should be able to help with the plucking.... I did it as a child and it served me well even though I grew up to be hopelessly soft hearted. It has only been in the past couple of years that I have come back to it and thank my mother for those early lessons as I now butcher my own surplus cockerels.

 

[Priscilla's mom]

Two cents from someone without any experience...I think roosters are fascinating and beautiful. But I have never been brave enough to own one for exactly this reason. Good luck with your decision!