Rooster question regarding Pinless Peepers

[Chicalina]

Trying to put together intelligent and rooster in the same sentence Please don’t be offended simply thought it funny, Phil

Ha! But seriously, although chickens can do some monumentally stupid things sometimes, it takes a certain amount of cleverness to survive as a prey animal in a flock of birds with a brutal hierarchy system, and they mostly do that pretty well!!

 

[margaretbyrd]

I think this shows a fundamental lack of understanding of animal behaviour.

No animal is "mean", that is a purely human trait we project onto them to rationalise behaviour they show which we don't like. And that behaviour 9 times out of 10 is down to us, our treatment of the animal and the situation we put it in.

A rooster that is showing perfectly natural protective, hormonal, inept, fearful or competitive behaviour (by showing aggression, albeit often misplaced) is not being deliberately spiteful to you or the hens. It is just being an animal. And often it is reacting to something we have done which they have perceived in a certain way.

By all means, kill and cook and don't breed your roosters who display behaviour you don't like, that is your perogative, but please don't assign human motives to them like "meanness", don't avoid all your responsibility for their behaviour and don't castigate them for just being roosters.

I've raised a variety of animals for many decades. Some animals have loose screws just like people. I've seen dogs that were fear biters, ones that have rage syndrome where they just snap into a frenzy one second then snap back the next like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Some roosters are sweet by their nature but others in the same flock raised exactly the same way attack people and can't be dissuaded. Animals can be mean acting not "mean" in the sense of they know better and just act badly. Regardless of why they are behaving badly there is liability in having an animal that attacks humans or other animals.

 

[Citytransplant]

I had the sweetest most gentle rooster and one day I went into their yard and he came after me the same way. I walked backward slowly and apologized to him when I realized that I walked in rather fast and frightened him. He was only doing his job of protecting his girls. After that I always let him know when I was entering... no further problem. Sometime later I had the rooster from hell, hope my friend enjoyed his chicken dinner.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

There's always the option of rehoming the rooster to a bachelor flock if the issue continues and it is decided he's too much of a liability. I know Facebook has rooster rehoming pages for many states. I live in Washington and there's a Washington rehoming rooster page that I've used. I too have had some problems in the past with aggressive roosters and wasn't willing to kill them. I've been pretty fortunate now and have been able to find bachelor homes for 3 in my few years of chicken keeping. Wishing you luck friend!

 

[lifein1840]

1. He will jump at people with his talons out but not showing major signs of aggression. He's has had contact with us only a few times and have some questions on whether or not we can break him of this. My first reflex would be to kick him. That is what I did with another rooster but I am aware this doesn't work every time.

That is just asking for someone to get hurt. Never put up with an aggressive rooster! There are some really good roosters but at some point, most of them will try or become aggressive. That's when they pay you back for feeding them.....

 

[Weeg]

I want to update on the rooster. We used the tactics that @Chicalina suggested and they seemed to be working! He is doing better with adults and still not so good with kids but progressing. He was part of a bachelor flock so he was let out of the pen with 3 other males at different times of day then the hens. Everything was going good, and well, then there new Huskey who had been doing good with chickens decided to take the shot. He grabbed Dale to rooster and ran around with him. By the time they got him out of the Huskeys mouth he was gone. They were devastated! Thank you for all the help even though we didn't really ge tot apply it, but we are now working on trying to train the husky to not attack chickens using a check cain. Wish us luck, Avery

 

[Chicalina]

I'm really pleased the methods were working, but sad to hear what happened to him after that.

There is a current thread about training huskies around chickens. If it isn't yours then I recommend checking it out.