Rooster becoming aggressive!

[marshajoy]

Does anyone know what causes a rooster to turn aggressive, and what can be done to curb his behavior? This is a rooster that we've never had a problem with before, but just in the past week he's gotten ornery, and this week he has been pecking my feet and beating my legs with his wings when I go into the chicken area. I've found that if I stand still, wait, and proceed slowly, he backs off a bit, but it's alarming behavior. What could trigger this? Is there any way to stop it?

I should note that one of the hens is brooding, and when I take her out of the nestbox, he's very aggressive with her as well (unlike with the other hens). Could having a broody hen make him territorial, I wonder?

Help is appreciated!

Marsha

 

[Naunnie]

Found this is the "Learning Center" https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/dealing-with-roosters-roo-behavior Recently there was also an article about "pecking order" that addressed this, but I haven't been able to locate it again. Try doing a search...