rooster Problems

[chickenchicklady]

I have one rooster and lately he has been showing aggressive behavior. He pecks at me whenever I go into the coop to clean it, change the water, or refill the feeder. He also pecks at the hens. And they aren’t just little pecks, they are pretty hard. I was hoping the behavior would go away on its own, but if anything it has gotten worse. I’m worried for The hens. Is there anything I can do to reverse the behavior?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Why do you have the rooster? Are you breeding?

Most flocks do not need a rooster. Hens lay eggs just fine without them.

If you need a rooster to fertilize eggs to refresh the flock with chicks, then only keep those that are well behaved.

How old is your boy? Roosters often become more aggressive around 6 to 8 months of age as their full hormones kick in. That doesn't taper off until nearly 2 years in many.

How willing and able are you to set boundaries with your boy? Rooster temperament is largely genetic. Mean roosters only get meaner. Medium tempered roosters can often be handled in a way that generally can help them behave appropriately. Gentle tempered roosters are pretty much nice from the get go and remain that way even through teen hood. Never keep a rooster that attacks you. Never breed from a rooster that attacks people. Don't keep one that is rough on the hens.

Do you have small children? Generally small kids and roosters don't mix. Roosters often attack small children flying into their faces. Roosters can cause quite a bit of damage. So, unless you have a good farm mentality and kids who are being raised savvy, it also may not be worth keeping a rooster.

So in my opinion the answer to your rooster is the culmination of the answers to those questions above.

My experiences,
LofMc

 

[chickens really]

How old is he? How old are the Hens?

 

[Shadrach]

On which part of the hens body does he peck?
Is he drawing blood?
Chickens peck each other. It's what chickens do.
Does he mate with the hens, or isn't he old enough yet?
Does he raise his hackles?
Does he try to flog you?
Most of the tamer roosters here peck me. It's often a sign of 'affection'. If I'm cleaning a coop and the groups rooster arrives to see what I'm doing in his house I sometimes get pecked, especially if I'm moving eggs. The short answer is wear gloves.
A peck to a bouncy pile of feathers may look hard but to a chicken it's hardly felt. Sometimes if the hen is particularly hysterical she'll make a terrible fuss. I've yet to see one that got physically hurt by one of these pecks.
There are lots of different levels of pecking. Sometimes the mating grab is mistaken as an aggressive peck. Often the rooster is just trying to grab onto something as he would the feathers on the back of the neck on a hen. If he does this to you, you could feel flattered rather than threatened.
Normally such mating grabs are on the lower leg or foot. Wear boots.
If you have a picture of your rooster three feet off the ground, wings outspread, beak open and legs flailing then you may have a problem.

 

[chickenchicklady]

Why do you have the rooster? I think he just ended up in the order of pullets. Not 100% sure, as I inherited them without much information from previous owner. Are you breeding? No

Most flocks do not need a rooster. Hens lay eggs just fine without them.

How old is your boy? I believe around 1.5 years.

How willing and able are you to set boundaries with your boy? Willing to, depending on what it requires. I don’t want to hit him with a shovel when he comes at me as others suggested on a different chicken forum

Do you have small children? Yes.
LofMc

 

[chickenchicklady]

On which part of the hens body does he peck? Mostly the face that I’ve seen.
Is he drawing blood? Not that I’ve noticed.
Chickens peck each other. It's what chickens do.
Does he mate with the hens, or isn't he old enough yet? I’m not sure. I’m still getting use to use behavior, as I’ve only had them for 3 weeks. But he didn’t use to be like this. He used to come to me when I was feeding/watering.
Does he raise his hackles? A couple times he has.
Does he try to flog you? Let me look at the definition of this and get back to you

 

[Lady of McCamley]

@chickenchicklady j

From your answers, it doesn't sound like you need a rooster at all.

I personally would re-home him. Enjoy your new little flock of girls with your kids without the worries of a rooster.

BTW....flogging is when they come up to you and flap their wings at your legs like beating a rug.

LofMc