Rooster is getting fresh with me...what do I do?

[Thecowboysgirl]

My barred rock rooster is just now reaching full maturity. He has always been docile till now though not really tame. I could pick him up if I had to and he didn't really mind that much, but he wouldn't stand still to be petted or anything like that.

Anyway...in the last few days, he has run up behind me and chest-butted my leg, and then today he ran up and pecked me on the back of the leg. Not enough to draw blood, just enough to let me know he was feeling frisky. When he chest butted me (literally bashed my leg with his chest) I swatted him on the heinie with the bucket scrubber I was holding. My husband said, no! don't do that, then it will always be war.

So, today he pecked me, and when I turned around he backed off and I just wouldn't let him get behind me again after that. But i didn't do anything to him.

How should I handle him? Do I have to put the fear of god into him, or will that make him meaner? Is there any way to keep him from getting nasty toward people? He seems pretty fine with the hens, sometimes he throws his weight around but he is mostly a gentleman.

 

[ReikiStar]

There are lots of threads about handling riled up roos. Sadly, so many of the responses are "eat him!" First, learn his patterns, does he do this in the morning? Only in the coop? When you've got food? Only when your back is turned? See what his triggers are...if he has any. The next thing is to STOP HIM before he nails you. When you see him about to attack (and they can be sneaky) pick him up, stuff him under one of your arms and hold his head down with your other free hand. In rooster talk, the one who backs down is the loser. So simply hold his head down until it's even with his back until he calms down. Then remove your hand. If he lifts his head up, he's not learned that you're the Boss Roo, so hold his head down again...just use an open palm over his neck. Keep doing it until when you remove your hand, he keeps his head down. That's a sign that he's relented. But be prepared to do this from time to time. Even if/when he's learned his place because it's natural for them to always test the leader for weaknesses.

Other tactics are simply to act like a rooster. If you see him trying to breed with a hen, chase him off of her, put yourself between them like this is MY hen. A Boss Roo would never stand to have HIS girls mated on by a subordinate. So basically, to gain the upper hand, you need to learn his language and speak/act/move like a Boss Roo. I'll go so far as to flap my arms and puff out my chest. We have a huge BarnevelderXBCM 23 week old randy roo. He doesn't care if it's male or female, he'll try to mount it if he thinks I'm not looking. I'll even do that silly little rooster dance to HIM! And he takes off!

If there are others in the family, have them to the same hold-n-head-down move. He needs to learn all humans are Alpha to him.
But the bottom line is, right now where he is in his life is like dealing with a horny teenager. Don't turn your back on him, move him around because the one who moves first loses and end each session with him walking away from you.

Good luck!

 

[galanie]

I held my boy's head down on the ground till he kept it there when I removed my hand. It took him a few tries, but the last time he stayed down so long I thought I was going to have to call an ambulance! I am definitely ALPHA now! *pounds chest*

 

[m_shuman]

Something I have been doing to show I am the dominate roo is I go into the run and pick up and hold the hens (mainly the favorite) while the roos stand there and watch. I pet the hens and hand feed them infront of the roos. I won't let the roos eat treats first or mount the hens in front of me. My husband laughs and say I am playing Jedi mind tricks with them and I am! I want them to know I am the boss I can and will pet the hens and I don't need the roos permission to do it.

 

[sourland]

A variation on the 'hold and head down' is to place one hand on his back forcing him to the ground while also restraining his neck and head and forcing that to the ground. Force him into submission and hold him there a minute or so after he stops struggling. He must know that you are dominant or his behavior will escalate. Understand that he s a breeding male animal and his behavior is normal-- that does not mean, however, that it must be tolerated. If he does not straighten up there is absolutely nothing wrong with culling him. There are plenty of non human aggressive roosters looking for good homes. If you intend to hatch eggs, remember that in most instances 'like begets like.' Good luck at proving that you are BOSS!

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Right now I have the best cockerel that I have ever had-an error from MMM. He was supposed to be a BO pullet. He is 5 months old now, and has been as good as gold. But recently he has acted like he thinks he ought to do something about me-he was running up behind me and following me closely. All I've had to do was to bend down, look him straight in the eye, and give him a short, meaningful lecture about what would happen to him if he persisted. I let him know that I would embarass and shame him in front of his large (somewhere around 30) harem, and that they would laugh at him. So far, it has worked, which is unlike any roo I have had before that no amount of rooster-whispering, holding down, or carrying around would work with and that all ended up as yummy stock.

 

[MED747]

You can do it show that roo I had to do it to mine also

 

[Rosaleen]

chicken pie might be the answer

 

[cravenchx]

Quote:
Very interesting! As I had stated before, someone had
told me to hold the roo upside down and pull a tail feather
out; but I believe this will work better. We are suppose
to have 14 pullets......but I'm beginning to wonder about
"Mary"

 

[Mama_Chicken]

I have a black Rosecomb bantam roo that has recently started doing this to me also (he's 4 1/2 months old). Thanks for the suggestion about watching for triggers! I'll start trying the head holding thing this afternoon!!