Rooster attacks his mama (me) HELP!

[Scoutinspace]

Oh whoa is me.

I live on a farm - albeit I only have a few chickens in my stock. 2 hens and one rooster. The farm has about 5 other roosters - so imagine the mornings! My little chicks are in my yard freeranging - so my rooster named Rhonda (we thought that he was a hen at first and my daughters refuse to change his name lol) has his hens - Lemonade and Daisy. Long story short - Rhonda the Rooster has been having attitude the past few weeks - big time. At first it started as the typical going after the hens thing. Then - after they statred laying eggs - he was rejoiced and was kinder to them. He even soundsoff when they lay an egg - quite the celebration. Now...he is going after us - the humans! He started with me and then my 16 year old daughter - trying to peck her foot. Then he tried that with my ten year old yesterday. He has done that to me a few times, too...but generally I can get him to back off. I am the one who feeds them lets them out and in, so though he RUNS to me full fledged to get food - he typically will skid out when he gets to me (not fun though). After yesterday when he tried to peck my ten year old daughetrs foot - he was on HIGH alert with me. Ihad a broom and tried to get him to keep space - and had to gather him and put him back in the coop. This afternoon - he went after me full fledged! He was clearly mad at my defending my young one yesterday. Today - he ran towards me and jumped up with his claws! It was the first time that he has ever done this. There was a plastic outdoor chair nearby and I had to lift it as a shield because he kept trying - about three times! I feel sooo bad about that. He finally backed off and I had to get him back in the coop. I am so sad though. We had high hopes for this guy - but my girls obviously come first - WITHOUT QUESTION. My heart breaks because I also want to make sure that I am giving him chances - as he is also only 6 months old and rehoming him will be tricky. Should we give him another chance and maybe just keep him in the coop while the hens free range? Any advice?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

At this age, he's likely not going to be nicer again. He's just got bad genes and it's best to butcher him. Rehoming wouldn't be responsible

 

[azygous]

You're not alone. This happens a lot to folks who have just discovered they have a cockerel, and then they discover he has aggressive tendencies. I wrote a short article of advice on how to handle the little tyrant. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/i-think-i-have-a-cockerel-now-what-do-i-do.76274/

 

[U_Stormcrow]

There's a piece of advice I offer in these situations, which I choose not to retype.

 

[7 Biddies]

Oh whoa is me.

I live on a farm - albeit I only have a few chickens in my stock. 2 hens and one rooster. The farm has about 5 other roosters - so imagine the mornings! My little chicks are in my yard freeranging - so my rooster named Rhonda (we thought that he was a hen at first and my daughters refuse to change his name lol) has his hens - Lemonade and Daisy. Long story short - Rhonda the Rooster has been having attitude the past few weeks - big time. At first it started as the typical going after the hens thing. Then - after they statred laying eggs - he was rejoiced and was kinder to them. He even soundsoff when they lay an egg - quite the celebration. Now...he is going after us - the humans! He started with me and then my 16 year old daughter - trying to peck her foot. Then he tried that with my ten year old yesterday. He has done that to me a few times, too...but generally I can get him to back off. I am the one who feeds them lets them out and in, so though he RUNS to me full fledged to get food - he typically will skid out when he gets to me (not fun though). After yesterday when he tried to peck my ten year old daughetrs foot - he was on HIGH alert with me. Ihad a broom and tried to get him to keep space - and had to gather him and put him back in the coop. This afternoon - he went after me full fledged! He was clearly mad at my defending my young one yesterday. Today - he ran towards me and jumped up with his claws! It was the first time that he has ever done this. There was a plastic outdoor chair nearby and I had to lift it as a shield because he kept trying - about three times! I feel sooo bad about that. He finally backed off and I had to get him back in the coop. I am so sad though. We had high hopes for this guy - but my girls obviously come first - WITHOUT QUESTION. My heart breaks because I also want to make sure that I am giving him chances - as he is also only 6 months old and rehoming him will be tricky. Should we give him another chance and maybe just keep him in the coop while the hens free range? Any advice?

Hurt you once, shame on him. Hurt you twice, shame on you. My roo, Russell Crowe, is only 6-7 months old, and is getting more aggressive by the day. I have a 3’ 1 inch diameter dowel that I carry with me at all times, for protection. He’s spurred me several times, and I’ve responded by nailing him with the stick. But, that doesn’t deter him. A few weeks ago, he surprised me by running after me up my high porch steps and getting the back of my legs. So, I turned and brought down my stick HARD on his back. I thought I must’ve broken it, and he limped for a week, during which time he avoided me. But, he’s fine now, and out for revenge. Anytime they stand sideways so they can watch you with the eye on the side of their head, look out! I’ve been told to go after them first, “To let them know who’s boss”. He runs as I wave my stick and yell like a wild woman, but it doesn’t deter him for long. So, I have to feed them, while getting the eggs quickly, and make a hasty retreat. He’s gotta go! I can’t even work in my gardens. My Mexican yard man wants him, so “Vaya con Dios, Señor Russell!” I’m not sure if he wants him for arroz con pollo, or paella, but as long as he takes him, I’m good.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I try to put them down in the dirt, face first and hold them there until they are calm, when they get aggressive. This is what they do to hens and they don't like it! It sometimes takes a few times and if it takes more than a few times, they go to the stock pot! It has been common, for me, to have a young rooster be a bit rough, clumsy or aggressive with hens and/or people. Often, they out grow it, if they get the chance. Never run or back down, even if you have to risk hurting them, or worse! A really great rooster in conformation, may be too rough or aggressive and I keep them separately and supervise breeding closely. I have never had problems with their offspring being more aggressive than normal groups of young cockerels and the hens are often the best looking and laying from these vigorous guys! Purchased , new born chicks , brooded at eye/table top level and given lots of attention, respond to my peeps and squawks better and will usually stop whatever they are doing and look at me, even as adults. Roosters are unpredictable, like most of us male animals, when feeling our hormones/testosterone! Gentle breeds roosters can often get along OK, if plenty of hens are available each rooster. I have had several roosters live together with the hens for years without seriously hurting each other, when they had 8 to 10 hens available for each rooster. You can't count on that, but you can do it sometimes! Some roosters are better suited the stock pot and some people should likely not keep any roosters, as neither, have what it takes to make it work!

 

[agold23]

I had a silkie rooster named Rex who was fairly aggressive- our yellow crocs we wore outside to the coop seemed to aggravate him even more. He would full on try to flog us, peck and pinch our shoes and hands and he would leave good sized bruises! Granted he was 4lbs at most so there wasn’t much to him but sometimes he’d get ya!

My sister would carry a rake/stick with her whenever she’d go out to the coop or make sure to have the dog on leash next to her as he wouldn’t go after us with the dog around. I on the other hand would get down and hand feed him to show that when I get down that means I’m not a threat. It kinda worked, he’d peck at my fingers aggressively once or twice before realizing I was feeding him. Some days he seemed worse than other days, on really bad days we could be 10 feet away and he’d still come running up to us looking for a fight. In general, if we were more than 4ish feet away from him, we’d be fine. Sometimes we were able to get closer and he was ok.

I feel once your adult rooster ends up aggressive, it’s an uphill battle to get him back to passiveness. I never would hurt him back because I know that would be making matters worse. If he would attack I’d back up to get myself out of the situation and try to realize what had provoked him so it wouldn’t happen again.

Separating him from his girls would make him more protective over them, what Id do is put some scratch/scraps away from the coop (or whatever area you need to get in) to distract them from you.

Good luck aggressive roosters are certainly frustrating. I trust you’ll make the right decision for your flock and your family’s safety- whether that be rehoming, working on taming him or culling.

 

[dct10]

Oh whoa is me.

I live on a farm - albeit I only have a few chickens in my stock. 2 hens and one rooster. The farm has about 5 other roosters - so imagine the mornings! My little chicks are in my yard freeranging - so my rooster named Rhonda (we thought that he was a hen at first and my daughters refuse to change his name lol) has his hens - Lemonade and Daisy. Long story short - Rhonda the Rooster has been having attitude the past few weeks - big time. At first it started as the typical going after the hens thing. Then - after they statred laying eggs - he was rejoiced and was kinder to them. He even soundsoff when they lay an egg - quite the celebration. Now...he is going after us - the humans! He started with me and then my 16 year old daughter - trying to peck her foot. Then he tried that with my ten year old yesterday. He has done that to me a few times, too...but generally I can get him to back off. I am the one who feeds them lets them out and in, so though he RUNS to me full fledged to get food - he typically will skid out when he gets to me (not fun though). After yesterday when he tried to peck my ten year old daughetrs foot - he was on HIGH alert with me. Ihad a broom and tried to get him to keep space - and had to gather him and put him back in the coop. This afternoon - he went after me full fledged! He was clearly mad at my defending my young one yesterday. Today - he ran towards me and jumped up with his claws! It was the first time that he has ever done this. There was a plastic outdoor chair nearby and I had to lift it as a shield because he kept trying - about three times! I feel sooo bad about that. He finally backed off and I had to get him back in the coop. I am so sad though. We had high hopes for this guy - but my girls obviously come first - WITHOUT QUESTION. My heart breaks because I also want to make sure that I am giving him chances - as he is also only 6 months old and rehoming him will be tricky. Should we give him another chance and maybe just keep him in the coop while the hens free range? Any advice?

Maybe he's attacking you because you named him Rhonda. Just a thought.

 

[dct10]

I had a silkie rooster named Rex who was fairly aggressive- our yellow crocs we wore outside to the coop seemed to aggravate him even more. He would full on try to flog us, peck and pinch our shoes and hands and he would leave good sized bruises! Granted he was 4lbs at most so there wasn’t much to him but sometimes he’d get ya!

My sister would carry a rake/stick with her whenever she’d go out to the coop or make sure to have the dog on leash next to her as he wouldn’t go after us with the dog around. I on the other hand would get down and hand feed him to show that when I get down that means I’m not a threat. It kinda worked, he’d peck at my fingers aggressively once or twice before realizing I was feeding him. Some days he seemed worse than other days, on really bad days we could be 10 feet away and he’d still come running up to us looking for a fight. In general, if we were more than 4ish feet away from him, we’d be fine. Sometimes we were able to get closer and he was ok.

I feel once your adult rooster ends up aggressive, it’s an uphill battle to get him back to passiveness. I never would hurt him back because I know that would be making matters worse. If he would attack I’d back up to get myself out of the situation and try to realize what had provoked him so it wouldn’t happen again.

Separating him from his girls would make him more protective over them, what Id do is put some scratch/scraps away from the coop (or whatever area you need to get in) to distract them from you.

Good luck aggressive roosters are certainly frustrating. I trust you’ll make the right decision for your flock and your family’s safety- whether that be rehoming, working on taming him or culling.

excellent observation and conclusion. Most people wouldn't pick up on this as the cause I'd wager. I bought my wife a pair of barn boots with chicken pictures all over them for Christmas last year. The first time she wore them into the run, the rooster attacked...not her exactly, but her boots. Every time she would wear those boots, he'd attack. So as an experiment, I had her wear normal boots and I carried the new boots with the chickens all over them into the run. I discreetly set them down about 20 feet away and he just attacked the boots over and over. He clearly doesn't like them. Not sure if he perceives the pictures as invading chickens or what. He attacks the bag of feed with the photo of a chicken on the front too. He goes right for the picture every time. But it's just one particular brand with a Rhode Island Red on the front. Other brands also have photos of chickens that he pays no mind to. He does the same thing to me if I wear a certain pair of sneakers into the coop. Never when I wear my normal barn boots. Kinda weird and hilarious to watch.