Rooster Starting to Attack!

[PatrickRoo]

Adding my two cents - I have about 10 roosters, each in their own family/flock. I love them. Some are super respectful and I trust them, some I watch as they are not "bad" but are the type that need ongoing attention. The only cockerel I ever had that came at me repeatedly after being shoved off (like what you describe) I culled - I see that as very dangerous behavior, and potentially genetic.

There is some great advice here that I need not repeat. One of mine who is a very good rooster with his hens and protective, but occasionally fussy when I fill the feeder, I make sure to stand (loom) over while holding out my arms, and I crowd him out of the coop by walking toward him and he gets the point and leaves. I don't let him back in until I'm done. It works well, and discourages attempts at dominance (I don't have to do it all the time, just every once and a while).

I would add one other tip - a blast of water to the face (hose or, better yet, super soaker) works VERY nicely with ones who try to posture and/or dominate. They run away like little humiliated girls. And they actually now recognize the super soaker and if they come up to the fence toward me in a way I don't like, I just have to start reaching down toward it and they spin around and head in the other direction, suddenly finding something REALLY interesting to peck at on the ground. This is a nice option for a rooster that you are committed to keeping that isn't outright dangerous (yet). I like it because it can be applied at a distance and there's no need to get in there with them or near them, or try to catch them, etc. You can do it while you're doing your chores without much interruption.



I hate to tell you this, but giving a rooster away (especially one with behavior problems) usually ensures that someone ELSE will kill them and eat them - or worse, they may be used as bait for illegal cock fighting. No way would I ever sell or give away a cockerel or rooster to someone I didn't know very well. Giving them a good life and in the end a quick, humane death (rather than hoping they aren't mistreated by whomever you gave them away to) is the right thing to do for me. And I prefer knowing what sort of life the chickens I eat had, rather than the grocery store ones (unless you are a vegetarian?).

- Ant Farm

I never said I would recommend giving a rooster away to a complete stranger. I would only give it to someone that I know that has the time, money, and space in order to tame the mischievous rooster. I would want to know how the rooster is doing once I got rid of him, my animals are important to me, even when they're not at home. Say if the person I gave the rooster to couldn't take care of it and had to rehome it, I'd still want to know what that person is going to do to my rooster. Also, I'm not a vegetarian, for your information. I just can't eat what I've raised.

 

[bobbi-j]

I never said I would recommend giving a rooster away to a complete stranger. I would only give it to someone that I know that has the time, money, and space in order to tame the mischievous rooster. I would want to know how the rooster is doing once I got rid of him, my animals are important to me, even when they're not at home. Say if the person I gave the rooster to couldn't take care of it and had to rehome it, I'd still want to know what that person is going to do to my rooster. Also, I'm not a vegetarian, for your information. I just can't eat what I've raised.

The thing is, once you've sold or given it away, it's no longer *your* property, therefore out of your control. If you want to know how they're being treated or what is done with them, you need to keep them. I'm guessing that you've never been in a situation to try to find a home for a "mischievous rooster" for someone else to tame. If your rooster isn't good enough for you to keep, don't dump it off on someone else expecting them to fix it.

 

[PatrickRoo]

The thing is, once you've sold or given it away, it's no longer *your* property, therefore out of your control. If you want to know how they're being treated or what is done with them, you need to keep them. I'm guessing that you've never been in a situation to try to find a home for a "mischievous rooster" for someone else to tame. If your rooster isn't good enough for you to keep, don't dump it off on someone else expecting them to fix it.

Not everyone knows whether their cockerel will turn into a tame rooster or not, not everyone has the time to tame a mean rooster and not everyone can even have roos depending on where they live. I'm trying to give the most helpful advice I can to someone who needs it. I also recommended you should give the rooster to someone you know, a friend. Someone who truly knows about how much you care about your animals and where they go will let you know how your (which I know it's now technically their's) rooster is doing.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I never said I would recommend giving a rooster away to a complete stranger. I would only give it to someone that I know that has the time, money, and space in order to tame the mischievous rooster. I would want to know how the rooster is doing once I got rid of him, my animals are important to me, even when they're not at home. Say if the person I gave the rooster to couldn't take care of it and had to rehome it, I'd still want to know what that person is going to do to my rooster. Also, I'm not a vegetarian, for your information. I just can't eat what I've raised.

Not everyone knows whether their cockerel will turn into a tame rooster or not, not everyone has the time to tame a mean rooster and not everyone can even have roos depending on where they live. I'm trying to give the most helpful advice I can to someone who needs it. I also recommended you should give the rooster to someone you know, a friend. Someone who truly knows about how much you care about your animals and where they go will let you know how your (which I know it's now technically their's) rooster is doing.

There is certainly nothing wrong with your sentiment or desire to see a rooster with behavior problems rehabilitated or rehomed. I happen to really like roosters, and would far prefer to correct their behavior than cull. But it's just not as easy as it sounds, and it's misleading to say "I would just give the rooster away" (as you yourself pointed out in the post above, of the detailed circumstances you would need to be comfortable with rehoming a rooster with someone). It can be very difficult to find a new home as you describe even for a rooster who is well behaved.

There is some excellent advice in this thread on how to adjust the behavior of a rooster rather than culling or rehoming. I was just pointing out that giving the advice "I would just give the rooster away" is not usually a practical option in most situations.

 

[PatrickRoo]

There is certainly nothing wrong with your sentiment or desire to see a rooster with behavior problems rehabilitated or rehomed. I happen to really like roosters, and would far prefer to correct their behavior than cull. But it's just not as easy as it sounds, and it's misleading to say "I would just give the rooster away" (as you yourself pointed out in the post above, of the detailed circumstances you would need to be comfortable with rehoming a rooster with someone). It can be very difficult to find a new home as you describe even for a rooster who is well behaved.

There is some excellent advice in this thread on how to adjust the behavior of a rooster rather than culling or rehoming. I was just pointing out that giving the advice "I would just give the rooster away" is not usually a practical option in most situations.

I understand now it is not, and yes I admit, it is a bit misleading. I apologize for this, and I apologize @Lokibinian who created this thread to know what she should do about her aggressive rooster, not to watch us have an argument.

 

[PatrickRoo]

It has also been pretty easy to find our animals an excellent home. This may not be everyone, but almost all of our friends are farmers that have livestock, including chickens. We always need to check out the house of the person who wants our animals. (This is a good idea, so you get to know where your animal is even going to live.) We ask that they give us updates often on the animal. @Lokibinian you could even try creating a thread on BYC for rehoming your rooster, you could get to know the person well, visit their home (if they're comfortable with it) to see their coop and how they treat their chickens. If you care about your rooster as much as I, ask them for often updates, and ask them to not turn him into dinner. (Lol) You also need to make sure the person your giving your rooster to has the time to tame the rooster, as I said not everyone has the time to tame a mean rooster. It may not be simple at first rehoming an animal, but some person here on BYC or somewhere else would really love to tame and have your rooster as a wonderful pet.

 

[Patinas]

I have one rooster with 20 hens and he just recently came into manhood and is constantly with my only laying hen at this point. So far, no aggression towards me but he does check me out. I let my birds free range in the afternoons so when they're out and I see him near, I make a point of walking directly at him with my arms spread out and he just turns away from me and decides to move on.

For now, I worry about our small dog who has completely accepted the birds and they have no fears around her. She wanders around right in the thick of them all the time. That doesn't mean at some point he may view the dog as a threat because she does sniff the hens bums occasionally.

I do know that the day he decides to attack anyone, including the dog, he won't live to see the next day. I will feel bad about it in the sense that he is just doing what he is supposed to do by attacking anything he perceives as a threat but at that point, I will view him as too big a liability because I would be nervous for anyone that visits while they are out free ranging, and especially young children who get excited and want to chase and be loud.

I never intended to have a rooster but since this one was labeled a pullet when purchased and turned into a roo, and so far he's been behaving, I've kept him. In the mean time I'll just keep doing what I'm doing and make sure he walks away when I come at him.

 

[Lokibinian]

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.

 

[BYCforlife]

My rooster tried to attack me when I was in the run. I pushed him to the ground and picked him up for about 5 minutes, and he stopped being mean. He even stopped doing his "come here hens there is food" cluck for a while. I was in charge.

 

[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.