rooster calm and nice one day, next day very aggressive. what's up with him?!

[jed2012]

hi, I'm Jed, my rooster is always very sweet, nice, and calm. Today, i went out to feed my flock, and I lift my foot up, and he starts attacking it! At first, I thought, "oh, how cute! He's playing with me. ^_^" NO!!! Then he started using his spurs on my shoes and spontaniously pecking my hands! He usually lets me pick him up and pet him. What's going on? I know my Chorkie (chihuahau/yorkshire terrior mix, chorkie for short) has been chasing them lately, has that caused him to act this wierd??? (sorry for all the repitition in my writing)

 

[Den in Penn]

Roosters can turn aggressive when a predator is active and your dog is a predator. Didn't say how old he is, but when they grow up they can go through a hormone stage that turns them aggressive and making them want to be the top of the pecking order.

 

[jed2012]

this month he will be 1 year(s) old. is that a time of hormone change? also, he's a buff orpington.

 

[Den in Penn]

After they are a year old they usually have gone through their hormone driven adolescence and they have reached maturity. They should have settled into their adult personality. I think the dog has him worked up. Control the dog and he might settle back down I repeat might. Sometimes they don't.

 

[cafarmgirl]

X2. Usually by a year old they start settling down. Usually. I've always found them to be the worst during the raging-teenage-hormone faze between 6 months and a year.

Being chased and having his girls chased by a dog is very stressful for all of them, this could very well be the reason for his bad attitude and I don't blame him, I know it would be enough for me! Put a stop to the chasing and see if he calms down.

 

[jed2012]

thx everybody! i have stopped letting my dog chase them (not like i let her in the first place. naughty girl) and my rooster is slightly less aggressive already. also, are buff orpington hens supposed to be aggressive? its wierd, because my rir hen and my golden sex link hen are the ones who run away from my dog, but my bo's dont. is this normal behavior for bo's? (they stay and fight.)

(i only have 6/19 of my chickens free-ranging. i have 4 golden sex links, 1 wheaten oegb hen, 2 black sex link hens, 2 americauna hens, 3 rir's, 1 bo rooster, and 6 bo hens ((7 bo's)) 4+1+2+2+3=12, 12+1=13, 13+6=19. so yes, 19 chickens.)