Preventing aggressive behaviour in cockerels/ roos

[bobbi-j]

I'm continuing to receive unkind messages (privately) about my rooster post in this discussion. Here's what I just shared with someone:

My comment about my husband was facetious. He and I are very light hearted in our humor, and sometimes in this marriage it helps keep us going. He read my post when I was editing it and said I should mention his vertigo and how if he passes out in the chicken run, the chickens won't leave anything left. Then he said, "Honey, you may want to up the insurance policy."

The chickens have brought a lot of grace and love and humor into our marriage.

Sounds like my DH and me.

 

[tjo804]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/keeping-a-rooster.65700/

A great article!

 

[Dona Worry]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/keeping-a-rooster.65700/

A great article!

It is!

 

[PouleChick]

I'm enjoying reading all the rooster threads I can as I head into teenagehood with my 2 eldest roos (nearly 12 weeks) plus others (yet unknown) coming up the ranks (nearly 8 weeks and 5 weeks). One is a white araucana and the other an orpington mix of some sort (cochin maybe). So far both being lovely and the Orp in particular seems very sweet and stays out in the tree with his sister until I fetch her out and then he goes in the coop. We had our first almost proper crow yesterday and a few very odd noises over the last week or so

Very interesting to read everyone's thoughts / ideas / experiences (all of them - at least I've got different ideas to see what I think will suit me and my boys).

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I'm enjoying reading all the rooster threads I can as I head into teenagehood with my 2 eldest roos (nearly 12 weeks) plus others (yet unknown) coming up the ranks (nearly 8 weeks and 5 weeks). One is a white araucana and the other an orpington mix of some sort (cochin maybe). So far both being lovely and the Orp in particular seems very sweet and stays out in the tree with his sister until I fetch her out and then he goes in the coop. We had our first almost proper crow yesterday and a few very odd noises over the last week or so

Very interesting to read everyone's thoughts / ideas / experiences (all of them - at least I've got different ideas to see what I think will suit me and my boys).

The first crow is so exciting!

When Henry did his first one last year, I thought he was dying. He did it all wrong. Then it happened again and was a tad more recognizable as a bonafide crow.

And then he got it almost right, and by golly the boy was on his way to rooster manhood.

Now I have three baby Henries and their crows to look forward to. They're just a month old, but Henry was an advanced learner and crowed when he was two months old, so I may be hearing from his boys soon enough.

 

[tjo804]

Congratulations @Sunshine Flock

 

[llombardo]

Mine are going on 5 months. The one with the girls moves when I walk through. I pet and pick up the hens. I talk to all of them. I do hand feed him treats because he would never get any with the girls--they eat everything way faster then the poor guy. I grab eggs with him there and we have both watched and cheered on one of the girls laying an egg. I walk through the pen like I own it, but I also let him know he is a good boy when he behaves. So far it's all working.

 

[tjo804]

Sounds like a blessed match!

 

[Killer Tomato]

Below are aggression categories as I recognize them. I also think maturation process needs to be introduced to discussion where the term ”rooster” is avoided. Also, many of the forms of aggression below are not exclusively the realm of males.

1) Is he just running over, pecking / flogging then running to a safe distance to deny your counter attack and simply watching you?

Bird has associated such behavior with a reward, FEED BUCKET AGGRESSION. In most instances I have seen the bird has obtained food faster or in larger amounts by engaging in some behavior directed at you. This is frequently realized with brooder reared birds interacting with you as feeders are armed or eats otherwise become more evident with you present. Another situation is where birds work their basic tendency to try and get at the most attractive food which to them often involves it appearing fresh within their field of view. For me that can involve putting feed out from a bucket as feeding a flock of hungry birds. They rush after you pushing each and sometimes in the excitement the bucket or even you. Many people see such behavior and promptly put feed out for the apparently famished bird. It takes very little for bird to associate intense response with getting more or faster.

Prevention: Avoid rewarding exploratory behavior such as pecking and jumping up for food. Make so food reward is delayed relative to your activity around birds. My favorite technique is apply feed either when birds are asleep or foraging elsewhere. With latter you just call birds in after feed is applied.

Correction: Move about flock / bird even with feed but do not give feed out until bird looses interest.
Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: I manipulate this behavior train birds for experiments and interacting positively with the public. Behavior promoted simply does not involve what a person would see as aggression. Smart birds are really prone to this.


2) Is he standing his ground and flaring his hackles and interspersing this with outright attacks with spurs, wings and bill?

He is outright fighting you for rank and treats you as a conspecific. Based on most discussions this the assumed by keepers of man-fighters. Something is or has gone on that got him into mindset that you need to be and can be defeated so as to be a subordinate. Somewhere along the line you got too familiar with him and / or he learned through exploratory pecking he can make you retreat. This is particularly prevalent with folks that are uncomfortable around their birds. Even many experienced keepers are afraid of their birds for one reason or another and sometimes these people are prone to act aggressively against the birds and even bully them. This situation is more frequent than you might suspect and denial is often a part of the problem. Folks like this may need to visit with the equivalent of Alcohol Anonymous to work problem out. I have even seen people into gamefowl that are scared of their birds and they would be ready to fight you if you said they were such. Males in particular will take advantage of activities that make them feel tough. This is where genetics can also impact predisposition for man-fighting.

Prevention: Do not retreat from him when exploratory pecking or even flogging occurs. Do not attack him in response to an attack as it is very difficult to do so with appearing to alternate between bouts of attack and retreat like which occurs when birds fight.

Correction: Make so aggressive bird can engage you by fighting you but do nothing that would be interpreted as fighting back or retreating. Let him wail away (flog) which may last several minutes. If he breaks off attack, then move towards him but do not even give him the respect of eye contact. Do not strike or push him. Repeat until he stops. Process may need to be repeated in subsequent days with hardheaded birds. You want him to start thinking of you as something that is very much not another chicken. This may mean a flannel shirt or sweat shirt and jeans. Ideally you will appear the same as you do on other days so he does not test you for days when you are weak. If spurs are an issue which they can be with birds more than 18 months old, then they can be neutralized by removal, trimming or covering with the equivalent of boxing gloves (most laymen will not have last option owing to legal restrictions). An alternative to this approach can involve the restraint / time-out sessions where bird does not get the release associated with combat but does get a penalty he will learn to avoid. This technique does appear to work although it takes more time and is hard on birds that are flighty and prone to panic when restrained which is a form of stress.

Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Can be used to help sell a gamerooster to a fool. In a competitive breeding setting such as in a commercial flock more aggressive birds garner more fertilizations of eggs therefore tend to be more prolific. This not directly related to what is referred to as gameness in gamefowl.


3) Is he attacking while fluffed up like a hen making lots of noises and moving about in a very fussy manner? This if often associated with roosters where members of his harem (hen(s) or offspring) are scared. Many roosters, especially games will attack whatever they see as the threat and sometimes, real or not, that can be you. His response will be in trying to repel you. Rooster may also get touchy when new feathers are coming in during molt.

Prevention: Be careful around birds, especially when hens or chicks are involved. Avoid grabbing birds during daylight. Get birds to move voluntarily. Any rooster is easier to work with when his charges are calmer so always having all birds tame helps immensely. One crazy hen can stir up a male. I always manage for calm birds and that means starting from before hatch of an individual. Be careful when handling birds, especially during molt.

Correction: Frequent low intensity interactions without stirring anyone up reduces sensitivity to your activities.

Benefits of Behavior to You or Bird: Such behavior can increase survival of males offspring which can benefit you. This especially with small predators a male can repel or distract.

OMG! You are my Rooster Whisperer!

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I hand feed treats to Henry. The first time I tried this I was expecting missing fingers, but he gently took the treat and then stood there softly making sounds for more.

He pretty much always needs hand feeding when treats are given to the flock, because the ladies absolutely swarm him and jump up and grab blueberries from his beak. I don't think he has ever been able to eat a blueberry without a hen stealing it from him.

The poor guy just stands there looking bewildered. So if Henry's to get his fair share, I need to get involved and lend him a paw. When he was in the rooster hospital for a couple of months, I hand fed him a lot. But even before then he would always have blueberries stolen and would never be able to finish a piece of greens without a hen jumping up and taking it.

One of his sons has a strong personality emerging. I have no idea if hand feeding them is going to help modify or redirect rooster aggression, but it can't hurt trying. And I do see a slight (not significant but also not negligible) difference since I've started stroking their crops and breasts with a finger. Their tolerance has increased, flightiness decreased.