My rooster has suddenly become aggressive with me, attacking first my feet, then my legs. Today he drew blood. He has been a really good keeper of the flock until now. We have recently learned our new flock of 7 includes 2 cockerels, and one started crowing a few weeks ago. Could this be a reason he’s suddenly turned on me, or just a coincidence? I plan to pull him off the roost this evening after dark and put him in jail for a few days. He has 2 little guys waiting to take his place if he doesn’t straighten up, but I hate to...you know...if I can help it.
Roo suddenly aggressive
- Thread starter Relleoms
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- agressive rooster
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- #2
Ahhhh testosterone. Tis a beautiful thing. NOT. It can turn a gentle, beautiful rooster into a fire breathing claw bearing demon during spring mating season, especially when it is their first season as top cock in the flock. I truly doubt if his change of behavior has anything to do with the younger cockerels. My roosters are very good with the young juvenile males. It's once that rotten testosterone kicks in that things get interesting. I would expect him to be more aggressive towards the new competition then than with you.
Sounds like he needs some attitude adjustment. It isn't easy. I have a LOT of roosters and I don't take any nonsense from any of them...something like 20 of the little heathens.
My first advice is to never go into the coop or run without a big long stick and don't let him get close to you. If he does, push him away with the stick. Always walk purposefully towards him like you own him, the hens, the whole darned coop, which you do. Don't show fear and don't be afraid to protect yourself...remember, you have the stick.
What I do with my boys is if they show any attitude towards me, I pin them down and I grab them by the feet so I can dangle them up side down until they relax. When they do relax, I swing them up and carry them under my arm like a football, being careful to keep hold of his feet with that hand. After carrying them for 15 minutes, I place them on the ground and push them down until their chests meet the dirt. That is the submissive pose for a rooster. If he fights, repeat everything until he relaxes and allows you to be dominate to him.
I've never had this method fail for me and it was one that I found on BYC.
I make it a point to keep that long stick nearby and when I finally let the rooster up, a whack on his bottom sends him on his way and reminds him to stay out of my reach.
It will take a while to get the message across to him but hopefully he will learn to stay out of your way. I have 15 bantam roosters right now. 10 adults and 5 juveniles. All OEGB. All known to be little demons and they are with one another. But with me they are perfect angels. I also have 6 standard sized rooster....oops, that's 21, lol. The standards know to get out of my way when I enter the coop or run.
No reason to put up with attitude from an aggressive rooster. If he doesn't settle down with his aggression, you have young boys in the wings and once they mature you can choose the best for your girls, and for you!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Sounds like he needs some attitude adjustment. It isn't easy. I have a LOT of roosters and I don't take any nonsense from any of them...something like 20 of the little heathens.
My first advice is to never go into the coop or run without a big long stick and don't let him get close to you. If he does, push him away with the stick. Always walk purposefully towards him like you own him, the hens, the whole darned coop, which you do. Don't show fear and don't be afraid to protect yourself...remember, you have the stick.
What I do with my boys is if they show any attitude towards me, I pin them down and I grab them by the feet so I can dangle them up side down until they relax. When they do relax, I swing them up and carry them under my arm like a football, being careful to keep hold of his feet with that hand. After carrying them for 15 minutes, I place them on the ground and push them down until their chests meet the dirt. That is the submissive pose for a rooster. If he fights, repeat everything until he relaxes and allows you to be dominate to him.
I've never had this method fail for me and it was one that I found on BYC.
I make it a point to keep that long stick nearby and when I finally let the rooster up, a whack on his bottom sends him on his way and reminds him to stay out of my reach.
It will take a while to get the message across to him but hopefully he will learn to stay out of your way. I have 15 bantam roosters right now. 10 adults and 5 juveniles. All OEGB. All known to be little demons and they are with one another. But with me they are perfect angels. I also have 6 standard sized rooster....oops, that's 21, lol. The standards know to get out of my way when I enter the coop or run.
No reason to put up with attitude from an aggressive rooster. If he doesn't settle down with his aggression, you have young boys in the wings and once they mature you can choose the best for your girls, and for you!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
- Thread starter
- #4
I think you should make that 22!!!
Seriously though, thank you for this information. I’ll definitely give it a shot, because I really want him to be good. But honestly, I’m terrified of trying to pin him down & grab his feet-guess shorts & garden shoes will have to stay in the closet for a bit! He’s in solitary confinement right now (a smaller crate in the coop). I plan to keep him in it all day tomorrow while the girls free range, but I’ll move him to the run & in the shade. Hopefully that will be sufficient to break him.
Thanks again for your help!!! I’ll keep you posted
OMG! I have those exact same shoes and every member of my flock ran from me for two days! Even my rooster! Too funny!
- Thread starter
- #6
Lol! I’d feel really stupid if it was just the shoes, but what an easy fix
They’re pretty great though.
That is exactly what I do with my roo too!
KEEP THE SHOES!
If you're afraid to get close to him, here is another method for you to consider. The article is written by Beekissed:
I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.
Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.
If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.
Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.
When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.
Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.
When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.
Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.
THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.
If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.
It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.
I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.
Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.
If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.
Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.
When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.
Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.
When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.
Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.
THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.
If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.
It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.
I started carrying a green plastic coated tomato stake. It’s about 4’ long and little thicker then a pencil. It’s lighweight and easy to manage. A little tap on the rump and he moves.
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