Oops - He got me!

[OKprairiegirll]

I know am the unhappy owner of 2 little holes in my leg from my 6 month old rooster. Dad gum, he wouldn't back down either! I haven't been able to allow them to free range because of a big dog. She's gone for the week, so let them out. He became very territorial with his chickens running loose. Now what do I do?

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[bobbi-j]

The answer here would be to get rid of the rooster, especially if you have little kids that live at or near your house or come to visit. I have no tolerance for an attack-rooster.

 

[OKprairiegirll]

Well, I have no small children. But, he was pretty threatening and wouldn't back off. I will see in the coming days. He's never done this before. Never even crowed at me when I was in the run with them. I read somewhere on here where someone said to pin him to the ground and thump on his head (like another chicken would) to prove I was the boss. Don't know if that might work or not. :-(
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[chfite]

To teach mine that I was dominant, I would walk straight at him and back him up. Anytime that he acts superior around me, I back him up.

Whenever he acts dominant around my dog, an Aussie, my dog bowls him over with his nose.

If you cannot establish that you are dominant, it will be unpleasant.

Chris

 

[Kasey]

I would definitely attempt to show your dominance, chase him around when he comes after you and kick him if he won't back down. Sometimes I make my Roo move away from me just for the purpose of reminding him to stay away from me.

 

[Kasey]

If that doesn't work and he continues it's to the freezer! Most people have a three strike rule for their Roos.

 

[sourland]

Attempt to dominate him by forcing him down or netting him. It may work, but he may never be trustworthy. Coq Au Vin is very tasty.

 

[OKprairiegirll]

I want to keep him at least through August to teach the dogs and cats around here to respect the chickens - and I believe he can certainly do that! After that, if he will not respect MY dominance he is GONE! He is such a beauty - I really hate to kill him but will not put up with his antics. I intend to net him - I have an old dip net that will do the trick nicely. His days are numbered.
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[sourland]

Net him and then carry him around for a bit. They quickly learn to respect the net, but the smart ones can discern whether or not you have the net with you.

 

[bobbi-j]

I want to keep him at least through August to teach the dogs and cats around here to respect the chickens - and I believe he can certainly do that! After that, if he will not respect MY dominance he is GONE! He is such a beauty - I really hate to kill him but will not put up with his antics. I intend to net him - I have an old dip net that will do the trick nicely. His days are numbered.
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Glad to hear you're not going to put up with it. I think I'm too lazy to have an attack rooster. I don't really care enough to go through all the effort of having to carry a weapon or net with me, or chase them around or hold them down or whatever else it is people do. I have chickens for eggs and meat, yes, but also for the enjoyment of having them. If I don't enjoy a particular bird, I don't want to have it around. If I can't be out in my yard without having to constantly watch my back, then I'm not enjoying having chickens. Again, I don't want that bird around. Until a couple of weeks ago, I had a great rooster. My brahma - he wasn't a pet, I never cuddled him, but we had a mutual respect for each other. He stayed out of my way, and I left him alone. He got eaten by a coyote (at least that's what we suspect - he, several hens and a juvenile disappeared at the same time and all I found were a few of his tail feathers), but we have one of his offspring that looks rather roosterly. We'll see how he does as he gets older... I will say right now, though, that if he's aggressive, he won't be around to get old.