Roo becoming aggresive towards me...

[kayjk27]

I have a toddler too and have had chickens for years. I'm going to tell you what i would tell any mom in this situation; there's no point in trying to keep this rooster. If he's the point where he's sneaking behind you attack that's the point where you need to call it and get rid of the bird. It's only a matter of time before he goes for a frontal attack. Which will be at face level for your kids.
We have two pet roosters right now who are total gentleman. My son can feed them and walk around them and the hens without a second look. Any rooster who has attacked me from behind leaves that night-I did try to rehab a couple when i was new to chickens and it is pointless.
There are many sweet roosters on Craigslist looking for homes if you really want a roo. We love ours.

I guess I feel like it's my fault that he's attacking me though. When he was given to me I was told he was super sweet and to try and continue handling him so he stays that way. After reading that beekissed article last night, I realized I was given poor advice. I'm hoping it's not too late and if I change my behavior towards him then his behavior towards me will change as well.

 

[cottontail farm]

I gu


I guess I feel like it's my fault that he's attacking me though. When he was given to me I was told he was super sweet and to try and continue handling him so he stays that way. After reading that beekissed article last night, I realized I was given poor advice. I'm hoping it's not too late and if I change my behavior towards him then his behavior towards me will change as well.

Any chance the person who told you he was super sweet just wanted rid of him? Only half joking here.
Your roo has a brain the size of a cocktail peanut I honestly don't think that some roosters are wired to ever "get" and understand that a person is a different species and not worth challenging. I mean, roosters fight other roosters to establish rights to the hens/feed bowl, whatever. You're a different species and picking a fight with you shouldn't even be part of his thought processs. They're not like dogs and cats - those animals seem to understand what belongs to the "family" and is off limits (like how a cat will leave to family hampster alone but kill mice). I would worry that even if you train the roo he would still be agressive to everyone else. I hope that makes sense.
I had to learn this the hard way with my first rooster- it spite of trying to train him it got so bad I couldn't open the chicken door without a garbage can lid for a shield. That guy just never "got it" and was never going to be safe around anyone .

 

[aart]

@cottontail farm has given you great advice, please heed it.

I guess I feel like it's my fault that he's attacking me though. When he was given to me I was told he was super sweet

It's not your fault.

Any chance the person who told you he was super sweet just wanted rid of him? Only half joking here.

Exactly.

@kayjk27 Male birds do take some experience to handle well, IMO.
I would not risk this bird around your kids.
First year of chickeneering is enough of a learning curve without dealing with this situation. Get rid of him.

 

[mixedbreeds]

You really should get rid of him there are some nice roosters out there but once they start what you have described I’m afraid it’s all over for having children around him.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I guess I feel like it's my fault that he's attacking me though.

It is NOT your fault that someone else gave you really BAD advice. I see people listing young cockerels for sale all the time as "sweet".

Those people are ones who DON'T have a clue, period. Anyone with decent rooster or COCKEREL experience would NOT do that. Maybe they simply didn't know any better.

For you... we ALL do our best until we learn something new. Then we switch it up... if we aren't to stubborn or mislead.

I thought a cockerel avoiding you was bad at first. Now I appreciate the ones that keep their distance. Every single bird will be an individual... but at this point that STUPID cockerel isn't even protecting ladies from you... he IS attempted to set dominance. For THIS reason... that fact that he doesn't even have any tail to chase... I think this boy *may* be too stupid for training...

BUT... do what you must, in order to feel like you did your best and make the BEST decision possible for your family! Chickens will come and go.

This isn't your fault... but if you keep him and someone gets hurt, it will be.

You WERE misinformed and didn't then have all the information required. You cannot really blame yourself for that. Now you have found BYC and have ALL the information you can get at your finger tips! Now that doesn't mean that all the information you get will be correct. Really what works for some will NOT work for others. But there are enough of us here that you can read up on most scenarios and try to figure out what makes the most sense for you. Really no matter how good some things SOUND on paper doesn't make it reality.

I've raised teenagers... human and fowl... I think things get worse before they get better... ONLY time I have success with training is the first time a boy stands to not move out of my way or drops a wing to dance at me... those signs are sometimes early enough for a little chase to put him in his place.

Some people get lucky and their sweet boys stay sweet. I would consider that FAR from the norm. They usually aren't sweet but indeed that is confidence being misread by humans. First year with NO rooster for raising chickens... SOOO much more enjoyable than all the antics that come along with having a boy.

Please don't get me wrong, I am NOT anti rooster. They are pretty cool to see and hear. And they can be really amazing flock members calling chicks and hens to treats and dancing and serenading them. Few will be good protectors but NONE are competition for most of my predators and will simply be a sacrifice... if they aren't to chicken and run away.

If you aren't comfortable yet to rehome him... at least set yourself some limits so that enough is enough before it's too late.

You can always add a boy once you got the hens under your belt.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

It's not all doom and gloom with roosters. I have a roo who I never really bothered to train and gave plenty of cuddles to as a baby (this is supposed to be a no no as they can become overfamiliar and see you as a fellow chicken) and he just turned out OK. I have a young child and discouragd handling him after he started crowing and he is well behaved now. Thankfully Its much more common for a rooster to end up well behaved with training than to be stubbornly mean and have to be culled/kept away from people.