Rooster Behavior Q

[Olive Oil]

Hello,
growing up I had many nice and extremely mean roosters. I have several young roosters now because I have been breeding my own. They all seem quite nice, but they are still young. Is there an age that roosters start to become mean if they are going to?

Thanks!

 

[lightchick]

Well when they mature they'll either get aggressive or stay nice.

 

[troy4]

Not all roosters are mean.Its what you do to them or messing with the hens set them off too.As they mature they will get a defense attitude,but that's all.Normally the roosters are grouchy and ignore you.Until you come to them.Or the hens alert them.Young roosters are nice and frighten things.But as they slowly mature they can get bad.Youmay have a few bad boys,but some may not be.also having a bunch of roosters make them REALLY mean towards you and them.

 

[wrigleyville606]

I have been raising my very first flock of 5 hens and what turned out to be a rooster, since March, 2014. The hens just started laying about a week ago. A few days later, the Roo began crowing, and then a few days after that, I let them out of their pen to free range a little. Now the past 2 days, the Roo has attacked me twice. The first time we were all outside of the pen and I was shaking the food tin so they would come by me. He lunged at the food tin and knocked out of my hand. Then today I was inside the pen scraping some food off a plate with a paper cup and he attacked the plate, scratched my hand and then proceeded to attack the paper cup like he was trying to kill it! Then he let out a big, loud crow.
My boyfriend, who is about a foot taller than me has been the main "feeder" to the flock since we moved them outside a couple months ago, and Roo has never been aggressive toward him.
I've heard bantams are aggressive, and I'm wondering if he is part bantam.
(Trying to load a pic of him)

 

[lightchick]

I have been raising my very first flock of 5 hens and what turned out to be a rooster, since March, 2014. The hens just started laying about a week ago. A few days later, the Roo began crowing, and then a few days after that, I let them out of their pen to free range a little. Now the past 2 days, the Roo has attacked me twice. The first time we were all outside of the pen and I was shaking the food tin so they would come by me. He lunged at the food tin and knocked out of my hand. Then today I was inside the pen scraping some food off a plate with a paper cup and he attacked the plate, scratched my hand and then proceeded to attack the paper cup like he was trying to kill it! Then he let out a big, loud crow.
My boyfriend, who is about a foot taller than me has been the main "feeder" to the flock since we moved them outside a couple months ago, and Roo has never been aggressive toward him.
I've heard bantams are aggressive, and I'm wondering if he is part bantam.
(Trying to load a pic of him)

Actually there is a way to train them out of attacking you!



This is a post that Beekissed wrote.
Quote:

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.

 

[lazy gardener]

You might want to do a thread search on training roosters. This bad boy needs you to dominate him now before his behavior escalates. He needs to learn to submit to you. You can start by "herding" him with a thin stick. You don't hit him, but tap him on the heiney to make him go where you want him to go. Don't allow him to breed the pullets in front of you. don't allow him to eat until you've let the pullets help themselves. Herd him around a bit every day. If he gets in your way, push him out of the way. Never go around him. Make him get out of YOUR way. If he so much as looks at you funny, you can grab him by the scruff of the neck and pin him to the ground, don't let him up until he submits to you. (that's what a dominant rooster would do to him) Never let him "dance" at you. You also want to dress defensively. Don't give him option to get any bare skin. And, if you have to work with a pullet, be sure he is shut out of the area before you do. If a couple weeks of training don't fix his attitude, you can eat him.

 

[wrigleyville606]

I think he is EE/Bantam mix. I've heard bantams are fighters. If he is a bantam, will it be more difficult to break him? I'm trying to post a pic of him, but so far, no luck.

 

[lazy gardener]

It all depends, on what, I don't know! I've heard that EE tend to be aggressive. But my little 17 week old EE is so far being a perfect gentleman. One other thought is: You don't want to allow an aggressive rooster to play in the gene pool. Mean begets mean.

 

[lightchick]

Pining down doesn't work. I have actually tried it on a rooster that was mean (he would attack you and make you bleed) and it really worked! (He was my friends rooster) By the end of the day he would go running to the run as soon as we went in the coop and if he didn't then I actually chased WITHOUT a stick and he went out! It really works!

 

[Olive Oil]

I definitely agree that roosters who have a bad rap can be quite sweet while roosters who are thought to be a friendly breed can be the very aggressive. Both my sweetest and friendliest roo's have been barred rocks. I don't know if I agree with the "It's all about how you raise them" part. I've had good and bad roosters who have all had a very good life and were never mistreated or around multiple roosters. I'm sure that you could turn them bad if you did mistreat them though. I guess they're just like us people, some good some bad! I was more wondering when will I know? It sounds like the consensus is "when they mature."