Reforming an aggressive rooster (project)

[Mrs J]

I have to agree with @Mrs. K
I have dealt with a similar situation to you for the last 2 years. Going out armoured, checking behaviours etc. I now realise it was Red (my rooster) ruling the roost. After 2yrs of trying to “train” him, showing him I was no threat, building confidences, I was bitterly disappointed that I had wasted all of my time and effort. He hadn’t attacked me since Christmas morning, so after checking the coast was clear a couple of days ago, I put the bins out (stupidly in shorts and sliders). I didn’t even hear him creep up on me, it was a full on attack from behind which resulted in me having 4 stitches above my knee and multiple cuts and bruises all over my legs. He obviously new he had the advantage until I managed to grab a brush and fight him off. I will never ever keep a cockerel/rooster that shows any signs of aggression again. I am thankful it was me he attacked, not anyone else. Needless to say he was gone the very same day. The last couple of days have been bliss, I have had my chair out, sitting in the sun finally able to enjoy my hens.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I understand the concerns, but a couple things to note.

I have had this rooster for only a month. At his previous home there were children involved and way too many roosters. That's why I ended up with him.

He has never flown any higher than my waist, and does not appear to like heights. I am not concerned about an eye attack but will never get down on his level.

I am the only human interacting with him at this point.

I am completely new to this. I have never owned a rooster before.

The linked article pointed out some things in my own behavior that were likely triggering his aggression. Additional research added to that list. I am working on my own behavior first before starting any serious training.

I have trained animals and disabled children--if training becomes necessary, the same techniques should apply.

At the same time I am taking this very seriously. I am adjusting my patterns, going out to the coop "armored" so to speak.

However, since I started this project and began adjusting my own behavior, he has nor shown any aggression toward me. I am keeping a close eye on the situation.

Finally, he is a rooster. An animal. I do not make the mistake of thinking he has human motivations or emotions. I have to understand where he is coming from, not try to impose my human modes of thought on his behavior.

** If you have specifics about behavior that might be triggering his aggression, I would be interested in hearing it. I've done some research, but I don't pretend to know everything.

 

[A Justice]

I agree that much has to do with genetics, and that is the exact reason why aggressive roosters belong in the stock pot rather than the breeding pen. If you breed from them there's a good chance their sons will be aggressive as well. To me it is unethical to keep a bird that presents a danger to other humans, especially children.

I think it's also counterproductive to the entire concept of domestication of animals. The whole point of domesticating something is to breed "domestic" traits into it, like not attacking humans. Breeding an aggressive rooster is, I think, a step backwards.

There was a study done, in Russia I think, on domesticating foxes over a long period of time. They basically only bred the friendly ones, and now they're all friendly, I think that showed genetics can play a large part in behavior.

 

[SourRoses]

That's the plan, but if I am not paying attention I instinctively react physically.

I think you need to thank this part of your mind and respect its wisdom, hard earned from thousands of years of human breeding to not die too quickly.
I say this, in part, because I've long noticed people dismissing those instincts in themselves as if they were foolishness or useless or meant to be overcome.

Nurture vs Nature is always the big question.
If an animal was abused... gentleness, patience, and consistency are the solution. I apprenticed with a natural horsemanship trainer working with abused horses, and my own horse had been abused, so I have a mentality of approaching animals softly. I'm versed in learning theory.
Yet I would not take this approach with roosters. Because cockerels will get like this regardless of how they are treated, unless they have a particularly docile personality (which is what everyone should be breeding for).
Think about the flock instinct - several hens to one rooster. Yet an even ratio of female and male chicks hatch out. The males are meant to fight for their place.
What we want from chickens is different from what nature wants. So, we have to be more diligent in our selection.
I tell you, other people or your own expectations can make you feel like you're doing something wrong when the other is not cooperating... but you can't force self-control on another living being. You can't make him smart enough to realize his food source should not be killed for being in his space.
I've raised enough roos now that I can definitely say, you raise them the same and out of a batch of 20 cockerels, odds are one will be nicer. Smarter. Out of a hundred you can get one truly special.

The terms of survival have changed.
This is the test:
Can you get along with humans?

Anecdote:
My favorite roo, Clifford, we have done nothing special with. No convincing him that we are nice humans, and I never defer to him while walking around or avoid paying attention to my hens in his presence. And he does have presence, he's huge!
Yesterday he was covered in blood. Not his.
A nasty feral rooster came by and got its hiney kicked. At one point, it thought it could hide in the bushes, and Clifford is too big to get him out. So, my mom used a stick to thrash the bushes and get the intruder out... then she wound up with roosters fighting at her feet. At no point did Clifford see mom as an enemy, even as the intruder fled and Clifford's blood was still up. He's still a bit stressed over it all, but we don't have to watch our backs around him.
And I'm not just bragging on him, because he's not the only one. There are lots of friendly roosters out there.

This is why a lot of us get a bit... insistent about the fate of mean roos. Because we've experienced enough of both to learn the hard lesson and wish to save others the trouble.

 

[Shadrach]

Some say to prove to the rooster that you are above him in the pecking order.

This is likely to go wrong because roosters are not in the pecking order and niether should you be.

He is protective of his ladies, handles predators perfectly, lets the pullets eat first, and he's gentle with them.

That's all one should ask from a rooster.

I have already been able to change his behavior, to a point, by changing how I behave around him, which tells me that my instincts were right and it's my behavior that is triggering some of this.

If I may ask, what changes have you made to your behaviour and what were the results?

As for the aggression, his brothers show no aggression toward humans. He was lowest in the pecking order with three other roosters, which would suggest to me that he learned to fight out of self defense.

This might bang a bit of a hole in the aggressive gene arguement.
It's interesting that the few who have multi generational groups don't report aggressive fathers producing aggressive sons.

Closed fist treat feeding.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I find myself incapable of just standing there and letting a stupid bird give me nasty bruises. Instead, I started walking toward him when he attacks. Not kicking or fighting him, just keep following him until he backs down.

It seems to be working, on some level. Tonight he flew at me but the spurs were not in play. He let me give treats to the ladies without attacking, and just watched as I entered the coop.

Still a lot of work to do, but I consider this progress.

 

[LaurenRitz]

For a while the attacks were happening every time I went out there. They have decreased considerably, with only two attacks in the last week.

A few things I have noticed.

He responds badly when I challenge him directly, facing him down and staring. Not that this is my intent, but he would read it as a challenge.

He responds badly when I put my hands on my hips, especially if I am walking toward him at the time.

I have to keep my head up and not hesitate in approaching him. Head down is a definite trigger. Any form of hesitation is a trigger.

Getting down on his level (bending over, crouching, etc) is also a trigger.

I note that all of these seem to duplicate chicken behavior.

It seems to help if I talk constantly. I have begun to wonder if he can't see well and that's why talking helps.

I know I have not identified all the triggers, and I do not try to kid myself that the process is over. In fact, it has only started.

But good grief, going out there armored twice a day is irritating.

 

[Shadrach]

He responds badly when I challenge him directly, facing him down and staring. Not that this is my intent, but he would read it as a challenge.

Understandable.

He responds badly when I put my hands on my hips, especially if I am walking toward him at the time.

You've got your wings spread and that could be seen as threatening.

I have to keep my head up and not hesitate in approaching him. Head down is a definite trigger. Any form of hesitation is a trigger.

Lowering of the head and pecking at the ground, often moving towards the opponent is pre fight behaviour.

Getting down on his level (bending over, crouching, etc) is also a trigger.

No idea really what that's about.

It seems to help if I talk constantly. I have begun to wonder if he can't see well and that's why talking helps.

Chickens usually make a sound when approach the group. I call it their call sign.
It would be interesting to discover what information is communicated with these calls. One must be their identity and rank. Each chicken knows exactly who the other is and where they are in the heirachy.
I make a call when I go towards chickens and I do that call every time. For some unknown reason that call works well as a calming sound should something have disturbed them. It's like they are listening for confirmation that alls well.
Most creatures like to be talked to. I suppose at it's most basic one could reason that while the mouth is open and making sounds, the teeth aren't sinking into any body parts.

 

[centrarchid]

Might be, and I'm keeping an eye on it. To this point, however, he has never attacked me from an upright position. Always crouched or pecking, usually but not always eyeing me sideways.

His attitude is very different with this following. I see this from the pullets all the time, it seems to be "give me treats," although not necessarily a request! Very upright and excited, but no growling.

Everything in this thread makes me think you are dealing with feed-bucket aggression. Sometimes, even hens will do it. If that is the case, then then corrective measure I would follow is more time in chicken area where feed is not applied. That will break association birds have between you and appearance of fresh feed.

 

[Mrs. K]

Centrachids advice is very good advice. ^^. That mob emotion as they swarm the gate, waiting for you to come in is very exciting. I have taken this advice, go down, add clean fresh water, gather the eggs, just wait a bit, watch a bit, and then, when things have calmed down, then feed the chickens.