Rooster Starting to Attack!

[Lokibinian]

Hello, everybody! I have nineteen chickens in the run, and two of them are roosters. One's a barred rock, another's breed is not identified yet. They're about six months old, and the barred rock rooster is the sweetest thing a rooster could be. It comes near me, lets me pet it, and hand feed it without pecking me or ripping my skin off.

The other rooster is terrible. At first, it seemed like a rooster who wandered around without bothering the humans. I didn't really hand feed that one or pet it, because 1. I didn't trust it, and 2. It was pretty hard with its pecks.

Today, I was about to dump some water into the bucket they drink from, but it came at me, ruffled feathers, and its talons were about to connect with my skin when I reacted and kicked it, albeit very gently, away from me. I had researched chickens very thoroughly before purchasing my first ten unsexed chicks, and I knew that roosters were prone to get aggressive, and I had my suspicions about this rooster. I had always kept an eye on him whenever I went to feed them some grains or scraps.

It kept coming at me, and I kept kicking it away gently, and it managed to get a sharp peck on my ankle, tearing the skin. I kicked it away harder after that, and it fell on the ground, getting up again to attack me once more. Finally, it stopped, eyeing me, then wandered away. I carefully left the run, staring at him to make sure he didn't run at me again, then limped away to put something on my torn skin.

I know I should have grabbed him and pinned him to the ground, but my hands were full of water containers, and I couldn't exactly grab him.

Luckily, his spurs are not grown yet, otherwise my leg would be bleeding right now. There's plenty of room, plenty of food, and plenty of water. I didn't provoke him, he just came after me with murder in his eyes.

Can anybody tell me why this rooster is so aggressive, and how to deal with it? Answering the poll would help too. I really would appreciate hearing about all your experiences. Thanks!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He's a young male coming into puberty with raging hormones. He was trying to dominate you. You can try to put him in his place, but I personally would be rid of any rooster who came at me like that.

 

[bobbi-j]

He's a young male coming into puberty with raging hormones. He was trying to dominate you. You can try to put him in his place, but I personally would be rid of any rooster who came at me like that.

Agreed.

Great advice above. I'd only add that you should keep an eye on your currently friendly cock bird. This could change, assuming you get rid of the aggressive bird.

Yep, a change in the pecking order could give him more confidence which could result in aggression.

He's a young male coming into puberty with raging hormones. He was trying to dominate you. You can try to put him in his place, but I personally would be rid of any rooster who came at me like that.

Me too!

You have three basic options. 1. You can keep going as you are, having a human aggressive rooster on your hands. 2. You can try "rooster rehab" if you really feel you want to keep him. 3. You can cull him. ("Cull" does not necessarily mean to "kill". It simply means to remove from the flock. In this situation, he'd be going into my crock pot. I would not give away or sell a bird this aggressive without full disclosure.)

If you decide he's worth giving a chance, I would suggest you read the post below by Beekissed. I haven't tried rehabbing a cockerel this way, because it's how I treat them from the beginning. I haven't had to deal with an aggressive rooster (or cockerel) in a very long time, and I feel it's because of how I act around them from day one.

If you decide he's not worth the risk, there is nothing wrong with that, either. There are plenty of nice roosters (or cockerels) around that could use a good home. You may even find you don't want to keep a rooster around at all.

Here's Bee's post:

"I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby."

 

[FlyWheel]

Get rid of it, before the good rooster starts picking up his bad habits. I've made this mistake enough times to know.

 

[AllynTal]

I'm gonna get flak for saying this, but...some people shouldn't have dogs just like some people shouldn't have roosters. A person who isn't calm-assertive dominant isn't going to have the demeaner and mindset to be the alpha, either in a flock or in a pack.

Yes, a rooster will attack if he sees you as a threat, but it's more likely that he'll attack if he feels he is dominant over you and you need to be shown your place in the flock. I have three roosters and I see it happen in their 'pecking order' where the alpha rooster makes sure the second rooster knows who is boss and the second rooster makes sure the third rooster knows his place. If your rooster thinks he is dominant over you, he'll want to put you in your place if he feels you're too 'uppity.' Being mean to the rooster to try to 'show him who's boss' just fuels the fire because then he'll start looking at you as an adversary.

To establish yourself as dominant over him, you have to do it in a language he understand. Subordinates move out of the way when a chicken higher in the pecking order comes through, so move toward him and make him move. I don't mean to chase him, but if he's in front of you, walk confidently and expect him to move. Carry a short stick or a piece of PVC pipe, not to hit him with it, but to block him with if he challenges you. If you have a rooster, you've seen him put a wing down and circle the hens. That's a dominant behavior. Circle your rooster, so he gets the message that you're dominant over him. Block him with the stick if he challenges you and then move forward to make him step aside.

Notice that all through this, nothing has been said about verbal commands. Chickens don't respond to verbal commands, so using your voice is a waste of effort. It's all about being calm-assertive dominant and using behaviors that the rooster understands to establish yourself as dominant over him. Will it work? Not always. A timid-minded person can't fake it; the rooster will know you're not dominant and he'll work at putting you in your place.

Some people shouldn't have roosters. That's nothing against them; that's just the way it is. For their safety and the safety of the other humans in the household, it's best not to have a rooster if he is more assertive than you are.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I'll never tolerate an ill behaved bird again. Not in the least. Have curbed dominant behavior before but those birds could not be near the kids only I was untouched when tending them. It's a hassle and you're always keeping an eye on the cock bird every time your in the run. Not a good place to be and once you get well behaved birds you'll not tolerate it in the least ever again. The most aggressive my current line gets is this spring, or maybe it was last year, one cock had a thought of stand off in peak breeding season when first let out of coop in morning. Not that he stood up to me but saw the start of it then hesitation then it backed away from me and called his hens out. y four year old is out with the birds a lot and when younger would run right through a cock's harem and they'd only eye him. I just keep a short leash on my boy during the peak of spring rut.

Great birds are out there. Lines from breeders typically produce well behaved birds as human aggression has been bred out. Or local free cock bird (over 1 year old) with proven track record of behavior can be had from craigslist.

 

[Birdydeb]

I have had chickens for a little over a year. My romanticism with roosters is over....all sentimentality gone. I have now culled the first 3 roosters that were part of my first dozen chicks. I gave the first 2 a chance in a Bachelor pen and that didn't end well. Though raised together(they did fine together for a very short while) in the end they fought to the death. It wasn't pretty and I will never do it again. They became crockpot roosters. The third rooster(BR) who was also part of this original bunch was always subordinate to these two and even had to learn to crow again once he was alone with the flock. I thought I had merely chosen the wrong one of the 3. Wrong! No doubt breeding season plays into this some but this rooster went after people and HENS. I just simply won't tolerate a rooster that will not behave and I am sick of him terrorizing a few hens. He is...as I write....sitting in a crate temporarily before he also ends up in a crockpot. I am done. There are just too many nice roosters out there for me to tolerate bad ones. For me...the kind of attack you had would mean a death sentence for the rooster. He would never get to propagate and I for sure would not pass him off to someone without full disclosure. And I have no need of a "pet" rooster in a pen by himself that I couldn't trust. All three were hatchery roosters. I have about 3 young ones, 8 weeks and younger, that came from established flocks. They have the same chance my first three did. And the same result if they are aggressive. I was in the same spot last summer as my three were becoming juveniles....I wanted to give them a chance. After all they were part of my original chicks but I have had enough grief from three rotten roosters this past year that if I didn't want my flock to propagate itself...I just don't believe I would even have a rooster.....just my thoughts. Once you see peace in a run that has no rooster in it...it will make you rethink roosters.

 

[firestomp]

I had a black australorp that was hyper aggressive from the time he matured, Hated all people, He knew I was the boss, but would hit when my back was to him. I have scars, had a nasty infection, they thought he broke a bone in my hand at first, and put up with him for to long. I have picked him up, locked him up, cut off his spurs (no pain for him no nerves there and the tool rotates so fast it comprises any blood vessels as it goes) the only thing he was afraid of was the broom and the khaki drake. One hit from behind to many while working out back. He is no longer or ever will be a problem again. Big Jake was a beautiful rooster and I put up with him for to long. In over 50 years of having chickens,rabbits,dogs,coons, and other things, I have never had one so aggressive and won't hesitate if it happens with another. They are easily replaced and can harm a child very badly if you have kids. Put that rascal down, and get another one.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is really sad to see so many people are willing to kill their rooster instead of trying to fix their behavior.... Have you tried to pick up you rooster every time you see it eyeing you, and just hold it for several seconds (while being prepared for possible resentment) and then put it down when it calms down. Keep doing this over and over again. Your roo will eventually get that you are in charge, not he. But you have to keep doing it, every time (consistency is key) and not give up. You must also not show fear, so maybe wear gloves initially until you feel comfortable around him again. All animals have the ability to change, just as people do....

Welcome to BYC. There are just more roosters than there are homes, I would rather people put down a dangerous animal who takes the joy out of keeping chickens, and give a good respectful rooster a good home. Chickens are livestock, which means males can be dangerous if you don't know how to deal or handle them. Generally once a rooster turns aggressive it's too late to change him, and he will always be willing to attack.

The good thing about keeping chickens is everyone can manage their birds in a way that fits their life, and there's no one way.

Many people still butcher and eat their own birds, which actually gives many roosters a go at life as opposed to those ground up at hatch because no one is willing to raise them and butcher them anymore.

 

[kissezmychicken]

I have done the same, but I use a fishing net. I start my chasing as soon as they start making the pullets, long before they start looking at me, and will scoop them up and either release after a bit or I toss them in jail temporarily. They learn to avoid me like the plague, and all grow into respectful roosters towards me. I'm than free to judge them based on other attributes. After they mature fully they no longer fear me because they have no need to.

Thank you everybody, sorry this answer is a bit late. I feel like we've made the best deal decision, and I carefully pondered every answer before choosing.

I wouldn't want to say my decision because I don't want to make anybody feel like their opinion wasn't considered, but once again, thank you.

You are very kind and thoughtful. Thank you for that.