We have a Black Copper Marans rooster we bought as a chick this past spring for hopeful eventual breeding. He has matured nicely and is wonderful with the flock (he is our only roo). We free range a lot so he's been great to have around when it comes to doing flock duty.
Even though he was hand raised, once he started maturing, he would occasionally issue me a minor challenge. Over the last 9-ish months it seems to come and go in waves. He'll be a dream to work around, come when called, eat from your hands, etc for several weeks. Then increasingly over a few days, he will get a little more and more aggressive toward me (never my husband, only me). I'm usually able to deter his advances with a water bottle as a quick harmless distraction, he rethinks and goes on about his business, so I usually keep one handy when we're going into those days. After his phase is over in a few days, he's back to normal.
I noticed this phase coming on again a couple days ago. It started with him giving me the stern look when I was near the first day, then yesterday in the barn he'd be a little more forward and run a few steps toward me but nothing more (I didnt let it go unnoticed, he was reprimanded with a stern NO SIR and I chucked a horse brush at the ground in front of him and he went on away). Last night he upped his game when I was feeding horses and puffed up at me, jumped at me a couple times. He got an entire 5 gallon bucket of water dumped on his head (hey, its all I had in my hand at the time) and he went off pouting.
Today I let them free range around the farm and when I was walking through the backyard I knew he was in a mood. I tried to just ignore him but then he launched himself at me. I picked up a small stick and tried to deter him and get him to go back to the flock, but he would not let it go. He launched at my legs several times no matter what I did until finally I was able to grab a small metal pole and pin his neck down to the ground, grab his legs and sling him upside down. Let me tell you... the neighbors across the road got a show, but it was my only way to get him to safely STOP without hurting him. As soon as he was unpside down, he was limp with wings out (neighbors for sure thought I'd killed the sucker) and I walked him like that to the pen to lock him up. He was so quiet that I turned him over and held him football style in hopes we could be nice (when he's being good and I pick him up, he's always fine being held) but he immediately regained his attitude and bit my sweater with no intentions of letting go. So I slung him upside down by the feet again and got him safely in the pen.
My first inclination is that this is just going to get worse as he continues to mature, but I dont understand why this is all targeted at me and never my husband. We take equal care of them, however I do have more hands on contact with the hens.
If this is going to be an ongoing aggression issue, we dont want to breed the gene into future birds. We got a BCM roo because we'd read so much that they are usually so docile. However our big RIR roo we sold last year to make room for this BCM roo was an angel compared to this. Its frustrating that he is so physically correct for the breed, and such an AWESOME roo with the flock, but we have this one growing problem.
So before we make the crock pot offering, I'm hunting around for any suggestions, ideas and thoughts on 1) why I am being targeted and 2) if this problem can be fixed since he is still young. Anyone have any ideas?
Even though he was hand raised, once he started maturing, he would occasionally issue me a minor challenge. Over the last 9-ish months it seems to come and go in waves. He'll be a dream to work around, come when called, eat from your hands, etc for several weeks. Then increasingly over a few days, he will get a little more and more aggressive toward me (never my husband, only me). I'm usually able to deter his advances with a water bottle as a quick harmless distraction, he rethinks and goes on about his business, so I usually keep one handy when we're going into those days. After his phase is over in a few days, he's back to normal.
I noticed this phase coming on again a couple days ago. It started with him giving me the stern look when I was near the first day, then yesterday in the barn he'd be a little more forward and run a few steps toward me but nothing more (I didnt let it go unnoticed, he was reprimanded with a stern NO SIR and I chucked a horse brush at the ground in front of him and he went on away). Last night he upped his game when I was feeding horses and puffed up at me, jumped at me a couple times. He got an entire 5 gallon bucket of water dumped on his head (hey, its all I had in my hand at the time) and he went off pouting.
Today I let them free range around the farm and when I was walking through the backyard I knew he was in a mood. I tried to just ignore him but then he launched himself at me. I picked up a small stick and tried to deter him and get him to go back to the flock, but he would not let it go. He launched at my legs several times no matter what I did until finally I was able to grab a small metal pole and pin his neck down to the ground, grab his legs and sling him upside down. Let me tell you... the neighbors across the road got a show, but it was my only way to get him to safely STOP without hurting him. As soon as he was unpside down, he was limp with wings out (neighbors for sure thought I'd killed the sucker) and I walked him like that to the pen to lock him up. He was so quiet that I turned him over and held him football style in hopes we could be nice (when he's being good and I pick him up, he's always fine being held) but he immediately regained his attitude and bit my sweater with no intentions of letting go. So I slung him upside down by the feet again and got him safely in the pen.
My first inclination is that this is just going to get worse as he continues to mature, but I dont understand why this is all targeted at me and never my husband. We take equal care of them, however I do have more hands on contact with the hens.
If this is going to be an ongoing aggression issue, we dont want to breed the gene into future birds. We got a BCM roo because we'd read so much that they are usually so docile. However our big RIR roo we sold last year to make room for this BCM roo was an angel compared to this. Its frustrating that he is so physically correct for the breed, and such an AWESOME roo with the flock, but we have this one growing problem.
So before we make the crock pot offering, I'm hunting around for any suggestions, ideas and thoughts on 1) why I am being targeted and 2) if this problem can be fixed since he is still young. Anyone have any ideas?
