Rooster question

[Love Donkeys]

I do not pick up any of my birds or hand feed them. Once I had a rooster start to turn mean. I kept walking pass the chickens like I always did. One time he got up the nerve to try to attack as I walked by. I heard him coming I spun around, bent my knees, threw my arms out to the side like wings and roared at him. There we stood the rooster in his attack stance and I'm in mine. I kept glaring at him and eventually he gave up and join his girlfriends. From then on I kept one eye on him and the other eye on where I was going. I'm not saying that going into an "attack stance" would work every time with every rooster. I do know when you show fear the animal knows it and then your toast. (I have free-range Speckled Sussex, 2 roosters and 28 hens)

 

[Birdofire1]

Thank you for the info! I've run into someone who was talking about training roosters, chickens really but roosters specifically. I've started taking more time when I feed treats while taking their suggestions and it seems to be working. That having been said I still refer back to the various posters here and the information that's been given to help me understand the situation as it evolves! It's been interesting. I will keep everything that was mentioned in this posting in mind. Thank you all!

 

[Birdofire1]

I do not pick up any of my birds or hand feed them. Once I had a rooster start to turn mean. I kept walking pass the chickens like I always did. One time he got up the nerve to try to attack as I walked by. I heard him coming I spun around, bent my knees, threw my arms out to the side like wings and roared at him. There we stood the rooster in his attack stance and I'm in mine. I kept glaring at him and eventually he gave up and join his girlfriends. From then on I kept one eye on him and the other eye on where I was going. I'm not saying that going into an "attack stance" would work every time with every rooster. I do know when you show fear the animal knows it and then your toast. (I have free-range Speckled Sussex, 2 roosters and 28 hens)

LOL I've done something similar but not always on purpose!!! I just react to aggression, then I overthink everything, go online and post questions to forums like this!!!! Buuutttt... having said that I genuinely put effort into learning what's actual aggression and what's just defensive behavior. If I'm going to have a rooster around I need to learn what he's saying. I'm getting better!

 

[Birdofire1]

So I'm not sure if it will work to post this here but for anyone who is still checking posts... he's still alive and things are progressing fairly well I think!

I've started taking more time when I feed treats to get them more used to me, including Bonnie Boy. I've also tried to just spend more time out there with a chair as I have time to help as one poster suggested. He's tried a couple of tricks a couple of times since our initial meeting of the minds but it's been rather half hearted and I've responded by attempting a sort of catch, dunk (not literally), and release when he stops resisting (I'm trying for 'discipline' instead of raving lunatic as a response!) and it actually seems to be working. Color me surprised. I don't think if he were truly an aggressive bird that any of that would help but he never really struck me as being full blown aggressive which is why I posted here and I got a wealth of information for which I am very grateful to all of you!

As an added bonus, I have another rooster that I was holding for a family member who I couldn't figure out and I've not only worked out why he's so jittery (we have a coon attempting to get to him) but the same methods I am attempting to use on mine seem to have calmed him down some with me as well which is a bonus as there is less stress all the way around.

So thank you to *EVERYONE* who responded, I keep going back to this thread for info and I'm learning a lot!

 

[McChooky]

My cockerels persistently try to sneak past me to mate 4 older hens I keep in a separate pen (Soon as they see the door open)They're never aggressive but its annoying because I have to stop what I'm doing to usher them back out.These cockerels have 16 other hens

 

[McChooky]

So I'm not sure if it will work to post this here but for anyone who is still checking posts... he's still alive and things are progressing fairly well I think!

I've started taking more time when I feed treats to get them more used to me, including Bonnie Boy. I've also tried to just spend more time out there with a chair as I have time to help as one poster suggested. He's tried a couple of tricks a couple of times since our initial meeting of the minds but it's been rather half hearted and I've responded by attempting a sort of catch, dunk (not literally), and release when he stops resisting (I'm trying for 'discipline' instead of raving lunatic as a response!) and it actually seems to be working. Color me surprised. I don't think if he were truly an aggressive bird that any of that would help but he never really struck me as being full blown aggressive which is why I posted here and I got a wealth of information for which I am very grateful to all of you!

As an added bonus, I have another rooster that I was holding for a family member who I couldn't figure out and I've not only worked out why he's so jittery (we have a coon attempting to get to him) but the same methods I am attempting to use on mine seem to have calmed him down some with me as well which is a bonus as there is less stress all the way around.

So thank you to *EVERYONE* who responded, I keep going back to this thread for info and I'm learning a lot!

I ordered 2 male chicks last spring along with 13 pullet chicks (I already had 7 hens) Still trying to integrate the last 4 from my original flock. They aren't fond of having a rooster tell them what to do.( 3 yr olds )

 

[Birdofire1]

My cockerels persistently try to sneak past me to mate 4 older hens I keep in a separate pen (Soon as they see the door open)They're never aggressive but its annoying because I have to stop what I'm doing to usher them back out.These cockerels have 16 other hens

LOL There's never enough hens are there?!!!!

 

[McChooky]

LOL There's never enough hens are there?!!!!

My roosters were with my barred hens until my pullets started laying .After I released them in the flock the barred hens kept pecking them and chasing them away from the food until the roosters ran them off.