Rooster Hormonal Stage

[Chicalina]

So the cockerel will eventually calm down? I have a similar situation. My 6 month old marans cockerel was supposed to be female. He is starting to jump at and attack my young children when they are in the yard. I know he is trying to protect his flock, but I can't have him hurt my kids. If I keep him shut up while his hormones settle, will he be more tame?

You have to work with him every day in the same way you would a puppy. Shaping his behaviour, showing him what is acceptable and what is not. Gaining his respect and reinforcing that daily with your handling of him. Just as you shouldn't with a dog, never leave young kids alone with him. And be watchful of any triggers to his attacks, like fear, threat to his flock, etc. Pick him up and hold him every day, establish your authority with kindness. Don't lock him up and just wait for it to pass, because you'll end up with an antisocial rooster who doesn't know how to behave, and who doesn't respect you. It takes a lot of work. He will always have male hormones, and will behave like a rooster. Teach him you aren't a threat to him or the flock, but that you won't tolerate being attacked. Also teach your kids to respect him and his space. And supervise them always around him.

 

[aart]

So the cockerel will eventually calm down? I have a similar situation. My 6 month old marans cockerel was supposed to be female. He is starting to jump at and attack my young children when they are in the yard. I know he is trying to protect his flock, but I can't have him hurt my kids. If I keep him shut up while his hormones settle, will he be more tame?

Get rid of him...before someone gets hurt.
He is not going to magically 'calm down'.
Each human needs to know how to behave around male birds.
Young children, and many adults, are not likely to be able to do that.

 

[LittleFalcon]

He is probably reacting to you putting the collar on him. He is upset and fearful of you now.

Your old rooster probably stopped crowing because you damaged his throat with the collar.

The adolescent stage of any animal passes as they mature. They settle down with their hormonal behaviour to a large extent. Roosters are meant to crow though. That doesn't pass.

I'm genuinely confused as to why you have just chosen to obtain a new rooster (i.e. not accidentally) when you don't want a crowing bird. What did you expect him to do? Did you get him always planning to use a collar and knowing he will be culled if he crowed?

It makes no sense to me.

I did not mean to keep him. He was supposed to be food for my 11 ft reticulated python but he was a little too big and he was just too sweet. With my other rooster, we got him checked out when he stopped because we were concerned, but he was fine. There was nothing wrong, he had just stopped crowing. With this new roo, he hadn't been cooping for about a week before I put the collar on him. I had to put the collar on because he woke us up a 5 am crowing and picking fights with the dogs. I do feel bad but I just need him to be quiet for a bit while I convince my mother that it is a natural thing that roosters do.

 

[NatJ]

I did not mean to keep him. He was supposed to be food for my 11 ft reticulated python but he was a little too big and he was just too sweet.

I would recommend turning him into people-food (butcher him and eat him.)
Even if he's sweet.

You say your other chickens are too young to safely interact with him, and his crowing is irritating your mom, and he's causing troubles with your dogs. To me, that means that this rooster is not a good fit for the conditions you have right now.

If you keep buying chickens to feed your python, I'm sure plenty of them will also be sweet, and maybe can later keep one that fits in better with your current household & animals.

 

[LittleFalcon]

I would recommend turning him into people-food (butcher him and eat him.)
Even if he's sweet.

You say your other chickens are too young to safely interact with him, and his crowing is irritating your mom, and he's causing troubles with your dogs. To me, that means that this rooster is not a good fit for the conditions you have right now.

If you keep buying chickens to feed your python, I'm sure plenty of them will also be sweet, and maybe can later keep one that fits in better with your current household & animals.

We have the chicks and one of them I am hoping is a hen but is probably a roo and I am raising them so maybe they will be nicer but my boy is just a stunning animal and I really don't want to cull him. I am hoping that after the collar he will at least crow less. We are also getting more chicks on the 26th. But my current chicks are actually almost old enough to go in with him. They are fully feathered and quickly getting bigger and they will be moved in with him a couple days before the new chicks arrive. We have bought several other chickens and roosters for her but none were like him. Everyone has been getting rid of them because they crow, are terrified of people, or are aggressive and he wasn't any of those things until a couple days ago and we have had him for almost a month now. He is gorgeous and when not hormonal, well behaved. I love his beard the most.

This is him:

 

[LaFleche]

He is handsome, but this does not help with your other chickens being much too young to deal with his hormonal behaviour. Pullets mature much later than cockerels and you need to keep them separate until they start to lay eggs and will be able to deal with his kind of attention towards them.

 

[Chicalina]

I see you have a dog crate. You could bring him inside every night in the crate into a dark room/garage/basement and cover it with a blanket, and only let him outside in the morning at a decent hour. He is unlikely to crow in the pitch dark.

 

[Chicalina]

And wow, an 11ft python!

 

[LittleFalcon]

I see you have a dog crate. You could bring him inside every night in the crate into a dark room/garage/basement and cover it with a blanket, and only let him outside in the morning at a decent hour. He is unlikely to crow in the pitch dark.

Yeah, maybe I will try putting him in the garage tonight and take off the collar. I do feel bad for him.

And wow, an 11ft python!

Yes, she is a big baby. Super sweet.

 

[Chicalina]

At least snakes are quiet!