Rooster starting to become agresssive towards me

[escoffee]

I have a rooster and 5 hens. The rooster's name is Pets, if that tells you anything. Lately he has began having spells of acting like I'm another rooster. He's never seen another rooster. Any suggestions on how to modify his behavior? I do like him, but if he gets more aggressive, I won't be able to keep him.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! How old are your birds? If he's a 2016 cockerel, he's maturing this spring, and needs some 'attitude adjustments', and will hopefully learn to leave humans out of his managed flock. You need to 'walk through' him, never around, no hand feeding, and carry a stick, wand, whip, whatever, to tap him out of your space. There are good threads here about rooster management that may help. Some cocks will learn, and some are idiots who can't ever be safe, and need to come to dinner. Mary

 

[Venevee]

Hello!

What is your reaction when he attacks you? Do you attack him back? If you hit him back, this can encourage him to become meaner and more aggressive. Don't give him any sort of attention for his behavior. There really is no solution for a aggressive rooster once they've turned mean. I've heard that the very first time they attack someone, you shouldn't react at all and this can help with the aggressiveness. I use to have very mean nasty roosters, but they are all gone now and I have six roosters, all of them are not aggressive.
Try hand feeding him to earn trust, but if his behavior continues, you will more than likely have to part with him. I had a mean d'Uccle rooster one time that I would hand feed and he usually wouldn't attack me, only on rare occasions. But he would attack other people he saw as a threat (my other family members who would "defend themselves" and carry around sticks to hit him with when he attacked.) You're not a opposing rooster. You're not competition. So don't act like a fighting chicken towards him back.
I wish you luck with your naughty rooster!

 

[escoffee]

Yes, he is a 2016, and I think you have good advice. I have to crawl into their pen to get them into their coop at night, although I hope to have one I can walk in someday. I read some of the other threads, about how you shouldn't imprint yourself on a cockerel. By the time I knew he was a cockerel, it was too late. I got 7 pullets, I thought. I will carry a wadded up piece of newspaper from now on and a water squirter too. I would like to keep him, but he may go to dinner somewhere. I don't need a rooster for eggs, and I've told him that. Any advice is appreciated, because I would rather adjust his attitude than eat him. Thanks.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I don't eat meat but I hear the mean ones taste better.

Gary

 

[wamtazlady]

I've read about how to calm down a rooster. Some people say to pick him up and carry him around. That didn't work for me as I couldn't catch him to pick him up and carry him around. I finally caught him while he was roosting one night and put him in a small coop and pen by himself. He had to depend on me for food every day as I only put in enough food and water for the one day. I kept him in there for 2 months. At that point I hoped he'd learned that I was the food lady, not the enemy. Two days later he came after me again. Had my neighbor come over and take care of him. Was so pleasant to be able to feed and water the chickens without worrying about some rooster coming at me.

Unfortunately, 5 weeks later a hen of mine came out of hiding with a batch of chicks that are his. Included in the batch was a cockerel. Have read that personality is often inherited. Am watching him closely.

 

[escoffee]

Contradictory advice! Someone out there have one that turned aggressive and they were successful with an attitude adjustment? I LOVE MY ROOSTER!!! What will be, will be I suppose, but I will be waiting on replies and trying to get his attitude adjusted, and also looking for a good chicken and dumpling recipe!

 

[wamtazlady]

What will be, will be I suppose, but I will be waiting on replies and trying to get his attitude adjusted, and also looking for a good chicken and dumpling recipe!

Mine was a skinny Polish. He was so skinny it wasn't worth plucking him. If he'd been plumper I'd have gone the chicken and dumpling route. On the other hand, his cockerel offspring is taking after his mom. He's nice and big and at 6 months old has a lot of meat.

I have 3 Salmon Faverolles cockerel chicks coming in 1 1/2 months. I really don't need an ugly (and I mean he's the ugliest chicken I have ever seen) cross breed messing with the Salmon Faverolles pullet chicks I have ordered.

Just remembered the skinny roo is in my profile picture. You can see how skinny he was. That was before he got an attitude. Grandson wanted a picture with him so caught him when he was sleeping.

 

[kmpcfp]

I have had a few roosters. The mean ones were "spoiled" in the beginning. The nice ones were either lower totem pole roosters, or were never given any attention. I have had good luck stomping my feet in their direction and "flapping" my arms, especially when the girls are around. My current rooster and I have a mutual understanding. If I come by, he turns around now.

 

[Folly's place]

Over many years, raising many cockerels, it's a combination of proper handling (not petting!) and genetics. I've had an eight week old cockerel try to kill me (funny, but not so nice!) and birds who never had a bad thought towards any human. Those are the keepers! I'll try the 'three strikes and you're out' retraining technique, and once it reformed a cockerel, but in general, not. My birds are raised in a flock with adult hens, and cock birds, and the youngsters learn good behaviors from them too. Mary