Rooster crabby in summer

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Hi all
I have a black australorp rooster. He is almost 1 year old with the rest of my flock of 10 (and 1 leftover from previous flock).
I like him but he can be moody at times. Some times I can pick him right up and sometimes he wants to attack. He is noticeably more aggressive when it is over 80 degrees.
Is there a way to calm him down?
Today he bit me and actually drew blood. I resisted the urge to punch him (he caught me off guard) and instead grabbed him, held him, and pet him. After deflecting one attack attempt he calmed down, I set him down and he was ok till i walked out of the run. He tried when my back was turned.

I've been told putting him in a cage for a few days should calm him. Yeah hes moody but i like him and have procrastinated this effort. Any other thoughts that dont include soup?

 

[igorsMistress]

He's a boy and letting you know it. You're competition if you're picking up his girls and you're trying to stop his natural behavior to defend his flock from potential competition. My roo doesn't like me picking up his girls or treating them and so I don't; nor do I hand feed him, pet him or even talk to him when he's in a mood. It's his job to treat them and in return they think he's a good guy for doing it and he gets points. Work with him and you'll get better results.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

He's a boy and letting you know it. You're competition if you're picking up his girls and you're trying to stop his natural behavior to defend his flock from potential competition. My roo doesn't like me picking up his girls or treating them and so I don't; nor do I hand feed him, pet him or even talk to him when he's in a mood. It's his job to treat them and in return they think he's a good guy for doing it and he gets points. Work with him and you'll get better results.

Good point. I did notice if I give him a treat he usually turns to drop it or one of the comets will take it right out of his mouth.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good point. I did notice if I give him a treat he usually turns to drop it or one of the comets will take it right out of his mouth.

Yup and if you do that instead of giving it to the girls you'll gain some ground.

 

[BuckeyeAmy69]

He's doing his job, protecting the flock. I would not pick him up. I only handle my roosters when I need to, not to cuddle them. Roosters aren't pets, but they are a valued part of the flock. Here are two links that are worth the time to read:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/beekisseds-rooster-speak.73664/

Oh, and NEVER turn your back on a rooster!

 

[CindyinSD]

If they're gonna get human aggressive it seems to get worse as they grow bigger... parts.... And of course the heat irritates everyone. I try not to turn my back on them but I have a lot of poultry and they're all free during the day, so...

These two who have been sneak attacking me neither tidbit nor dance for the girls and they will be soup as soon as I have a few more boys grown out. Yours sounds like a good flock rooster. If you have no children for him to attack, I'd keep him. I seldom wear short pants, so the roos can fly at my legs (and if I'm quick, they'll fly right back in the opposite direction). They can't really hurt me.

You can despur if you need to. You simply twist off the spur caps with needle nose pliers or similar--they're like compacted hair. This doesn't harm them nor cause apparent pain. The caps will eventually grow back, sometimes less sharp. This can also save possible mating injuries to hens.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I know this is an old thread but I've still been learning about him and think I might understand better. If I ignore the chickens he is sometimes ok but sometimes crabby. If I throw treats his job is to watch over the girls as they eat and he never gets any treats. When this happens I think he feels I am challenging him for leadership, and angry he didn't get any. So I've taken effort when I give treats or scraps to hold some for just him. He will choose to eat, give to the girls, or let them take from him. He has been much better since i have started focusing on treats for just him. Not sure if this solution will last but that's where it is today and hopefully it can help someone else.
No I dont treat often or a lot, mostly scraps we don't want to go to waste.