pain in the rear rooster.

[bobzant]

I have a barred rock rooster that thinks he needs to spar with anyone that walks by. It doesn't seem to matter if I beat the crap out of him and dominate him. Why is he doing this? I will not kill him so please don't even suggest that. I will separate him if I have to.

 

[bobzant]

He's only recently started this and does not spar with other roosters.

 

[chfite]

They are not so smart when they are young. I have a barred rock rooster, too. He is not greatly smarter at two years old.

He doesn't bother me. I guess because I will walk him backwards whenever he starts acting uppity.

When acts more rowdy around the hens than my dog thinks is proper, the dog will bowl the rooster off the hen.

He has tried flogging the dog a couple of times. That did not end well.

It might be worthwhile to keep a water gun with you, and shoot him when he starts acting up. You might try backing him up whenever you encounter him.

Chris

 

[Daisy8s]

I think you've experienced why "beating up" your rooster doesn't work. You're only reinforcing his perception that you're a danger he should be ready to fight at every turn.

I have a barred rock rooster also. Most of the time he's fine but then every few months something happens that triggers his overly-protective side and he wants to fight anyone that approaches his hens. For example, we just had a clutch of chicks hatch and immediately saw a difference in him.

First, I try to be extra careful to not put him in a position where he thinks he has to defend them. I think about gates and fences and doors and use them so he isn't between me and the chicks when I need to handle them.

Second, I did finally trap him (gently) with a tennis racket--just pushed him flat to the ground with it. Then, I picked him up and carried him around for awhile. When I set him back down I placed him gently on the ground and pushed his head down. I pushed his head back down every time he raised it until he'd leave his head down and not try to raise it.

When I did finally let him up he immediately ran away from me making a mournful, mewling kind of sound. And, ever since then he goes in the other direction every time he seems me. No violence, no bizarre "dominance" rituals. Just carrying him around for 10 minutes or so and not letting him free when he wanted it but instead when I decided to.

Probably in a few months I'll have to handle one of the hens and he won't like it and he'll initiate a sparring session and then I'll have to repeat the carrying session, but that's okay with me. I purchased him exactly because I wanted predator protection which he does a beautiful job of. I can't fault him if his tiny little bird brain sometimes confuses me with a predator when I'm catching one of his hens and making them squawk.

 

[bobzant]

last time he did it, instead of kicking back i just kicked the floor of the coop in front of him which let up a cloud of bedding. i only did it twice and he hasn't flogged me since. he will however still go after my mother.