Rooster charging behavior - normal?

[CrazyTalk]

Actually they DO walk through wherever the chickens are. All the larger livestock know he's no threat to them and so they just make him move and walk through him and all the other birds. They don't walk around him while ignoring him, they intentionally walk directly towards him and make him move out of their path. I've even had sheep that pursued the rooster just for the fun of it...sheep have a quirky sense of humor.

EDIT:

You're not understanding me here - walking 'around' a rooster is not ignoring him - it's engaging him and making a conscious decision to keep space.

Ignoring him is precisely that - go about your business like he doesn't exist. It hes in your way, you walk through him. If hes not, you don't.

What I have a problem with is people instructing people to go out of their way to walk though the rooster - going out of your way to walk through him is a clear aggressive act, and in my experience just leads to further need for aggressive acts. It's an escalation.

I've never seen livestock (except goats, who are troublemakers) go out of their way to pursue a rooster to walk through him - my sheep definitely don't. They don't seem to notice the roosters exist - to the point where I'll often see them sneak in underneath the sheep while they're eating (to steal some food)

 

[Beekissed]

I've never seen livestock deliberately change direction to walk through where the rooster is - if you have - I'd love to see video, because frankly, it sounds ridiculous.

It's not something my livestock do. They go about their business and pretty much ignore the rooster.

Also - I am not suggesting walking around a rooster - walking around him is the opposite of ignoring him.

Don't have the vid of the sheep, but they most certainly did it deliberately as they had their noses down to his butt moving him along.

As for other livestock, no one said they deliberately changed direction, it was said that they walked through exactly where the rooster was occupying space. That's what we are referring to when we say walk through the flock and walk through the rooster instead of side stepping his space.

I think you are arguing just to be having an argument. When we say we walk through the flock and the rooster we don't mean we are changing direction each day to intersect with him on a deliberate collision course so that he moves. That's only for training sessions and they normally only encompass one session and, if done right, rarely need repeating...that's one ten minute episode of the rooster's life span. After that, when one is walking to the coop, through the coop, through the run one needs to be walking as if that rooster is not in front of you, nor the hens. Just like the livestock do...they just WALK. That's what we are suggesting here but you are turning it into some kind of following the rooster around every day so we can walk through him and that's not what we are talking about.

 

[CrazyTalk]

As for other livestock, no one said they deliberately changed direction, it was said that they walked through exactly where the rooster was occupying space.

This is exactly what people are arguing - going deliberately out of your way to walk through the rooster.

This is from the 4th post in the thread, and the one I responded to.

Never walk around him. walk through him. make him move out of your way. If he's standing somewhere, take a few minutes to stand where ever he thinks he wants to be. In other words, make him move, and keep him moving. Don't let him eat until the girls have eaten.

The bolded is very different than walk through him when hes in your way - it's get in the way of the rooster as much as you can - those are two drastically different approaches.

 

[Beekissed]

This lady is distinctly describing a training session only. And she's right. And I've never seen it escalate into anything with a rooster to move into his space...he's 2 ft and we are 5-6 ft...he's not going to stick around and fight until he's ready and can do it when he's the one starting it.

Now, unless you have a hands on story about how you deliberately moved into a rooster's floor space and he flogged your butt back to last week because you did so, your theory holds no water. On the other hand, I've done just this method and never had a rooster stand and fight, nor even act like he wants to. Actually, I've done it several times and had no rooster acting like he was antagonized or provoked into a fight.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I'm done here. You clearly are more interested in putting words in my mouth and insulting me than having an honest conversation.

 

[uzisuzuki]

Roosters are a hot button topic on these boards.

As has already been mentioned, he might have just hit his maturation stage and will grow out of it with some work. After all is said and done by each side of this battle though, the only "right" decision is the one that works for you. Are you willing to try things out or would you feel better just passing him along to someone else?

My only experience is with 1 rooster, so I can't give as much anecdotal evidence as others. When it was just him, he was very docile. He liked to roost in the hood of my hoodie. Now that he has 4 hens, he's acting like a rooster and he gets chippy with me sometimes. It took me some time to figure out what works for him and I and what doesn't, but the right answer for me was to keep him. What works for you might be different.

Best of luck to you no matter what you choose to do!

 

[Moonbeam0420]

Here's something that works and works well if you follow through and do it with attitude:

When is the last time anyone saw one rooster holding another as he walked around doing his daily chores? That doesn't even compute in his brain case. Chickens respond to chicken behaviors, not human behaviors. Treat him as one chicken would to another...in this case a dominant rooster would do to a subordinate. And dress for the job..other chickens have scales and feathers, so put some cloth on your legs as protection. This kind of behavior modification doesn't take long but it does take a confident manner and consistent behavior from all humans who walk into that coop and no one feels confident when they are only wearing shorts around a crazy acting rooster .

As Lazy Gardener said, make him give you space at all times, even when he's making friendly. Roosters don't commonly make friendly with one another unless they were raised together and have already established pecking order. When you turn your back, keep one eye on your nether regions...you can bet all the chickens do the same thing which is why it's hard to catch a normal, untamed chicken. Don't be on the defensive...dominant birds never are on the defensive. They are always the aggressors and they act first, not last.

Watch your birds as they interact and eat...watch what the dominant hens do to the subordinate ones. They make them MOVE. The lesser hens are always on the look out for the dominant ones because they have already learned this one principle "If I do not move away from this food, this roost, or this nest right now, she is going to peck me...but HARD". The lesser hens eat with while keeping a wary eye over their shoulder...and your rooster needs to be feeling exactly that way when you get done with your behavior modification.

Find yourself a light weight but sturdy rod about 4-5 ft. in length and take a chair into your coop/run where you feed. Sit down, get comfy. Keep your wand at ready and when the rooster approaches "your' hens, give him a peck. If he doesn't move and move fast, stand up and peck him harder...then move towards him calmly and surely, and keep pecking him until he's on the run. Sit back down and watch. Don't let him at the feed or near your hens..you should be able to accomplish that now with just a point in his direction with your wand.

Now, while you are doing this your hens may be running around and freaking out but they will soon realize they are not the target and you can see them visibly relax as they realize he is your target. Be calm, don't move fast but move decidedly and with purpose. Stare at him and don't take your eyes from him.

Then, let him come into eat...let him get comfy eating and not getting pecked. When he's the most unaware of you, give the floor next to him a resounding WHACK with that rod, hard enough to make him jump and run. If he comes back to eat, peck him until he leaves the premises. Stand up and "hold" him in the corner with your presence and with your rod...don't corner him but just hold. If he is facing you, advance and peck him until he's running for his life. If he is pacing back and forth, trying to get away from your presence, your work there is done for the day. Exit stage left/right and let him eat.

The next day when you go in to feed, walk directly towards him with your wand until he is moving, moving, moving. Preferably move him out of the coop into the run and don't let him back in until you are done feeding. Don't let him in until you are ready to leave.

If all of this is working, don't think your job is done. Keep acting like you own this coop, that no 2 ft feather duster is going to rule your roost and every chance you get surprise him with a touch, a lunge in his direction or a peck from your wand until he is moving away from you quickly. That's how the big boys do it and, until now, that's what he's been doing to you...the sneak attack, the attempts to get you to MOVE and run away, inducing fear until you have to worry about attacks from behind.

Don't feed him treats. When is the last time anyone ever saw a dominant rooster call over another rooster and let him eat the goodies he just found? Nope. That is only reserved for the hens. Let the hens eat goodies, keep the rooster away from the treats. He can pick up any crumbs that are left when you and your hens move off.

Just turn the tables on him and he should settle right down. Then remember to keep him looking over his shoulder with the occasional peck or jump at him out of nowhere so he doesn't relax around you. And that's how the big boys do it. Soon you won't need the wand, just your confidence and presence should do it but I find it's a little fun to sit down in the coop and have a "train your rooster session" just to see if they still remember. It's good entertainment!

Excellent Info. Thank you for taking the time to explain all that.!

 

[Mad Respect Rooster]

Welcome! Your boy is starting to mature into the jerk he wants to be; he'll be great in the crock pot, or in someone else's. Cockrels who attack the hand that feeds them are stupid and dangerous. There are nice useful roosters out there, and you may be able to raise a nice boy this spring. Much better for you and your flock. Mary

Sounds like someone doesn't have the time or the want to understand and raise these amazing male creatures for their true purpose on the farm. A strong bond and relationship between you and the head of your flock can be a beautiful rewarding thing.

For example: I have 2 roosters (Georgie & Fenix) in the same run/coop setup and they get along great. Georgie was a injured rescue and Fenix was raised from a chick. I had to break and earn Georgie's trust becuase he came from an neglected home. They keep eachother in check and they work together to protect the hens as a whole. Literally the other day they both teamed up to defend the hens from a hawk attempting to attack. Georgie protected the girls in the coop and Fenix got between the hawk and the hens in the run. That bought them enough time for me to run out and scare the hawk off. I rewarded the boys with treats and praise because that will enforce that they will do this again if something similar were to happen.

I have dealt with many roosters and they were all different cases, but I've been able to take spurring maniacs and turn them into cultured flock leaders. Leaders that work with you as a team to provide what the flock needs.

It's truely a case by case basis when it comes to roosters and reinforcing good and breaking the bad behaviors. There are several things to keep in mind. Respecting their space and flock. That includes trying to not make loud startling noises around him and the flock. Don't answer aggression with aggression, but provide the inverse as a response. Roosters really don't expect that, to the point in some cases, they are literally in shock and awe of it. Taking time to sit with him and his flock, talking to them and provide treats for the flock and make sure to set asside some for just him. Also find out what treats he likes most. Micro greens, fruit, dried worms, pumpkin, etc. are some good suggestions to try. I have even just used their every day feed as treats, I just provide it in a different way than normal, and they were happy with that. Be patient, calm, cool, and collective at all times.

The pot is not the solution, just a ignorant scapegoat. A scapegoat out of not dealing with the miscommunication and misunderstanding between owner and head rooster.