Rooster Attacking Me

[centrarchid]

No. I am dead serious. Man-fighting is something that I have little patience for and have a system that works pretty good for stopping it. My interest is more on the rooster end so try to consider I have vested interest in managing rooster behavior as a first concern rather than as an addition to my flock of hens.

My birds are likely faster, stronger and have more endurance than most causing problems in the backyard yet they can be broken of bad habit without causing me or them harm. I admit there are more fun things to do but when you have 12 to 18 months invested in a bird it is cheaper to train him than to rear another from scratch.

My birds are not genetically programmed to be man-fighters so threshold causing it to manifest appears higher than with many of the hatchery derived stocks.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

No. I am dead serious. Man-fighting is something that I have little patience for and have a system that works pretty good for stopping it. My interest is more on the rooster end so try to consider I have vested interest in managing rooster behavior as a first concern rather than as an addition to my flock of hens.

My birds are likely faster, stronger and have more endurance than most causing problems in the backyard yet they can be broken of bad habit without causing me or them harm. I admit there are more fun things to do but when you have 12 to 18 months invested in a bird it is cheaper to train him than to rear another from scratch.

My birds are not genetically programmed to be man-fighters so threshold causing it to manifest appears higher than with many of the hatchery derived stocks.

I think the same principle, that is, don't let him hurt you, is what I'm using on my, touch wood, previously aggressive rooster. I have been carrying a shepherd's stick for the past month, ever since Bertie decided he was an attack rooster. My "mistake" was dusting the hens in front of him, or maybe not dusting him! At any rate I became the bad guy from then on, and needed to be chased off all the time. The stick is poked down in front of me when he comes towards me and if he gives it a little peck or flies into it, well its not my leg and it doesn't shriek in pain, so its pretty boring and off he goes to find some other amusement. I dont hurt him, I just don't react to him, and he is beginning to forget the dusting catastrophe. So I've had no attempts on my leg for maybe almost two weeks now? So I would be tempted to say this technique and variations of it, depending on the determination or cowardice of your own particular rooster, might well work.

 

[Jamesriver]

Thank you for all the replies! I read them. I have Scleroderma and Fibromyalgia, so alot of pain to be dealing with roosters just attacking through thick clothes. I do love my birds, they give me Peace. I have bruised easily, I have gouges from rooster attacks. However, I have decided to turn my back on Sam instead of culling him. For now. I have also decided to pick him up more, and even hang him by his legs upside down till he chills out. This makes him run away from me, but his attacks have gone down to once a day.
I don't have a John or a Bobby, but I do have a Cas since I don't want to be an ***-Butt.

 

[sueandthe6]

I also have found that actually approaching the roo or actually handling him has given my guy some second thoughts. I had posted a bit ago about him coming to my place with his girls and being in a smaller pen and attacking me. I felt maybe a larger space and more normal situation would change his attitude. On the two days I was working at putting the bigger run up I needed to be able to move around without worrying about him coming for me so I used a box- cornered him against the fence, scooped him up and plopped him in a dog crate while I worked. This happened two days in a row. Once the big run was secure...I went in with the box to see what he would do and he marched himself right into the coop. I took the box along in twice more and so far so good. Yesterday and today I went in "unarmed" and he simply watched me. Will we/he revert...maybe...I will start again with the box and see what happens. I would ideally like to free range these guys and overall Bud seems a good candidate for protecting the girls so Id like to keep him around if I can.

 

[darjeffred]

When I was a child, we had a rooster that would attack anyone who came in the yard. One day my father kicked him clear over the fence. End of attack problem. The rooster must have decided that he was not the biggest cock in the yard. Good Luck.

 

[ASSASSIN]

I had a rooster I raised from a baby chick that I bought at Atwoods. I don't know what kind he was, but he was a beautiful bird. He was a year old when he started attacking me and my puppies - cocker spaniels. My 2 year old red rooster, that I call Roo-Roo, would always come to our rescue. When "pretty boy" would see my baby beagle Abby, he would run across the yard and attack that little puppy. When she would start screaming, Roo-Roo would come running and kick his butt across the yard. Pretty boy attacked me and my puppies for months. I would throw water on him, chase him off with a broom and still, as soon as our backs were turned, he would attack...

Long story short - pretty boy attacked one of my friends little girls and.......well....... he was met head on by a 20 gauge.......end of story...

I'll post a couple of pictures of Roo-Roo and my chickens, if I can ever figure out how....

God Bless

 

[seann]

I don't have roosters but I do have a top hen that attacks my hands. I read here that I need to show her who's boss.
Yesterday she attacked me occasionally (not chasing) so I grabbed her and held her down on the ground for a few seconds.
The others looked but did nothing. I did this twice and after that she doesn't attack me.

I hope it worked. We'll see today.

 

[LilyD]

I would be highly leery of trying to rehab a rooster once they start attacking you. I usually give my birds 3 chances. If they come towards me using aggressive posturing they get picked up or held to the ground. Most of them never get to the attacking stage. I had one this year that was given to me as an older bird and was fine until I lost my almost 2 year old rooster in December. Then he started squaring up on me and posturing and I handled it as I would any of the roosters I hand raised. One day I was bending over to pay attention to a turkey poult as I entered the outdoor brooder and the rooster rushed me and attacked. He was aiming for my face and actually got my hand with his spur between my thumb and fore finger. His spur went in about an inch into the pad of my palm. I got him off of me and he came at me three more times before he stopped.

I processed him the next day. My hand still hurts when I move my thumb and I have difficulty with doing things such as opening jars because I think he hit the nerve when he attacked. I am all for giving chances to animals but if they represent a danger to myself or other humans or animals on my property I can't keep them in good conscience. What is to say they won't be good for a few weeks and then decide to once again attack me. As said before by others there are so many good roosters who will actually start out good and stay sweet their whole lives why take the chance with one that is dangerous.

My other issue with keeping a mean rooster is that he will breed with the hens and any eggs they raise have potential to be mean as well. Genetically I don't want to add that kind of blood to my flock. All my hens are nice and I can pick them up and do anything that needs to be done to them. The same with the roosters I have had. If I leave a rooster to breed with my hens that is aggressive I am adding aggressive genetics in to my flock and I don't want that.

As said before it's totally your decision but keep in mind that once they learn to attack they are dangerous for the rest of their lives whether you hold them or not. It might not be you they attack it might be someones toddler or your mom.

 

[JesusisLord777]

I had a Rhode Island Red Rooster who used to attack me and I looked him straight in the eyes and flat told him that if he keeps it up, he'll become Chicken and Noodles soon. He must have understood me because he never attacked me again, but he did run the Sheriff out of my yard. Lol!

 

[bopup]

A stew pot sounds like a good solution. Unless you need a rooster, get rid of all of them. Rooster fooball worked here, but my one needs a new game every spring.