Our rooster sometimes attacks humans, but only half-heartedly.

[chickenandchick]

Our rooster sometimes attacks humans, but only half-heartedly. I know he could become dangerous, as his a big plymouth rock rooster, but we got him as a 8 week old chick, and I dont have the heart to tell Dad to put him to sleep, so please, is there any other option? It isn't about him being a rooster for our breeding stock, because we recently bred a few chicks, and three have turned out as roosters(which we are selling) but because I know the only place he will go because of his habits is the meat factorie, so he really needs to stop it- Please help me!

 

[frostbite]

my roo started getting a little agressive when his testosterone kicked in, between 16 and 20 weeks. He also started out half-hearted, but got to the point where we had to watch him all the time, we couldn't stick our hand in the pop door to give the hens a treat without him attacking, and it was face level, so not good. And I've heard lots of stories of small children and school aged children being terrorized by roosters whenever they were sent to collect the eggs.

I don't know how old your rooster is, or how much control you have over whether he lives or dies, but in the end, our bird wasn't fun to be around, no matter how cute he was as a chick. And he picked on the hens, and they didn't need it. It wasn't fun at all to slaughter him, but we had to do it. If your bird is just starting to be aggressive, and still fairly young, it will probably get worse.

Watch him, and if small children are about, protect them.

 

[chickenandchick]

my roo started getting a little agressive when his testosterone kicked in, between 16 and 20 weeks. He also started out half-hearted, but got to the point where we had to watch him all the time, we couldn't stick our hand in the pop door to give the hens a treat without him attacking, and it was face level, so not good. And I've heard of stories of small children and school aged children being terrorized by roosters whenever they were sent to collect the eggs.

I don't know how old your rooster is, or how much control you have over whether he lives or dies, but in the end, our bird wasn't fun to be around, no matter how cute he was as a chick. And he picked on the hens, and they didn't need it. It wasn't fun at all to slaughter him, but we had to do it. If your bird is just starting to be aggressive, and still fairly young, it will probably get worse.

Watch him, and if small children are about, protect them.

Thankyou so much. My control over his life is fairly great, and he is a year or two old, but recently i have begun really thinking about the death option, but he is quietning down, but I am still so scared of young kids wonding, since he can fly over our 2 meter fence. I have been taking days at a time to try and teach him, and it is slowly working, but if i do need to slaughter him, we have the chicks we bred to continue with our breeding, so its not a huge deal, but i really dont want him put to sleep!

 

[The Lazy L]

Our rooster sometimes attacks humans, but only half-heartedly. ...he really needs to stop it- Please help me!

A child will test his parents to learn where the LINE is. If the parent isn't consistent in teaching where this LINE is then child will become a brat.

It is my belief pets/animals are the same way. When your rooster "half-heartily" attacks move straight at him speaking in a mean voice letting him know that you will not tolerate that type of behavior.

Some on this forum suggest pinning the aggressive chicken to the ground to establish your dominance.

 

[milleryardchx]

Not trying to be harsh but... Pin him to the ground or grab him upside down by his feet when he does that. He needs to know the line your boss not him. kinda like putting your ceral bowl inside the clean dog dish and eating infront of a food aggressive dog. Your top dog or roo you must asurt that to him or crockpot is the only sure fire way of no issues. you don't want a kid to get hurt who comes over and wants to see the chickens. its better for him long run if he wants a long life. I have a few delaware roos one is 25 weeks sweetest rooster I ever had., I have 3 kids under 5 nice roos or no roos i have a few 8 week old roos two peck at you and charge everytime I feed them the other 3 don't. The chargers I hang upside down when ever they do it if they aren't better by 16 weeks freezer camp they go.

 

[Hollow Point]

Had an aggresive RIR rooster who would lurtch at my kids when they would pick eggs. When I would go to watch, he never would. He never did anything to me when I walked in the chicken yard so I thought the boys were exaggerating. One afternoon I went into the chicken yard with a stick to move sweet potatoes away from the hot wire the pigs had pushed into and grounded out. My mind wasn't even on chickens, that rooster jumped on my back. Insticntively I swung around and cracked that rooster in the neck. Made chicken and sausage gumbo that night.

 

[sourland]

Made chicken and sausage gumbo that night.

To every human aggressive rooster problem there is a solution. Some are very tasty.

 

[TW1Kell]

I always treat an aggressive Roo by snatching him up, looking in his eyes and chewing his arse out. Lots of finger shaking at him. Then I toss him onto the ground (not really roughly, but like, THERE!) and CAW like a crow. They have always stepped back and looked at me as if to say, "****! That's one BIG Rooster!" I never CROW at them, tho. I just CAW! after holding him under my arm. They are rather intelligent when it comes to pecking order. Unless he's just a Gamey, unmanageable Roo, showing him who's boss, usually works.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Roosters, all roosters fight because of sexual jealousy, period. You create an aggressive rooster by scaring, chasing or catching hens in your roosters sight or hearing. After he is confirmed in fighting you, there is usually little that can change his behavior. Even game roosters won't fight you unless you use bad chicken manners in their presence.

In case some of us think that chickens are an intelligent animal, I have over 60 years of experience that says that chickens are not very bright. There was a case in the 1940s where a farmer chopped off Mike the Chicken's head to use his body in a batch of chicken and dumplings. The farmer missed Mike's major arteries and spine, he left SOME of Mike's brain stem but cut his brain clean off. The chicken lived for 18 more months and did or attempted to do all the chicken things Mike did before. Mike enjoyed some success in the entertainment field, appearing in freak shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken

Chickens have a very short attention span and their world is governed by instinct. If you must pin a rooster spread eagle to the ground and make him think that your going to perform chicken sex on him, my question is, who is training who? In the long run you only make matters worse as your rooster soon begins to view you as a challenger for the favors of his hens.

 

[Hollow Point]

...

Roosters, all roosters fight because of sexual jealousy, period.  You create an aggressive rooster by scaring, chasing or catching hens in your roosters sight or hearing.  After he is confirmed in fighting you, there is usually little that can change his behavior.  Even game roosters won't fight you unless you use bad chicken manners in their presence. 

In case some of us think that chickens are an intelligent animal, I have over 60 years of experience that says that chickens are not very bright.  There was a case in the 1940s where a farmer chopped off Mike the Chicken's head to use his body in a batch of chicken and dumplings.  The farmer missed Mike's major arteries and spine, he left SOME of Mike's brain stem but cut his brain clean off.  The chicken lived for 18 more months and did or attempted to do all the chicken things Mike did before.  Mike enjoyed some success in the entertainment field, appearing in freak shows. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken

Chickens have a very short attention span and their world is governed by instinct.  If you must pin a rooster spread eagle to the ground and make him think that your going to perform chicken sex on him, my question is, who is training who?  In the long run you only make matters worse as your rooster soon begins to view you as a challenger for the favors of his hens. 
[/quote

Looked it up. That is some interesting stuff.