Rooster starting to become agresssive towards me

[LadyVictorian]

All the roosters who we had that were evil were the ones we never handled and they mistook humans as an enemy. All our nice roosters were hand raised and played with as chicks and friendly as adults.

 

[bobbi-j]

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.

Don't just watch. Teach him that you are the boss. Beekissed has great advice for fine-tuning a cockerel. I'll give you the condensed version, and hopefully if I miss something, Bee will chime in and correct me.

Find a thin, pliable switch, stick or cane. Carry it with you when you are out among your chickens. Go up to your cockerel and give him a light swat on the butt, back or head. No, don't HIT him, just a light tap - enough to get him moving. Keep him moving until you get tired of the game. If he advances toward you, you make him move. You make him go where you want to by tapping, tapping, tapping. Let him relax and start again. Lather, rinse, repeat. It shouldn't take too long for him to realize that anywhere you are, is someplace he should not want to be. Walk toward him and make him move. Walk right on through wherever he is. Feed in meals only, and when he tries to eat, make him wait until YOU say it's OK by letting him near the feeder.

I have not used this method myself, but I do move confidently and purposefully among my chickens - especially the roosters. I had a cockerel this summer who was showing signs of being a great flock leader, but also was pretty full of himself. I would walk through him, make him move, get between him and the pullets. He'd "growl" at the dog every time the dog came near (I thought that was pretty funny since my dog is pretty good sized). One day I had to catch a pullet for some reason or other. This cockerel looked at me, started in my direction, and I gave him "the look" (you know the one - the one the husband and kids don't even have to see because it raises the hair on the backs of their necks). He gave me one more glance and decided it was best to move on. Unfortunately, he gave his life defending one of the pullets.

 

[Chic Rustler]

​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!

Honestly i had one go at one of my kids and i did what i do to any animal that shiws aggression toward a kid. Then i had the kids, even my 3 year old, chase him around the coop for a while. He hasn't shown aggression since but if he does hes gonna get shot. I wont put up with it

 

[escoffee]

I think that everyone out there has helped me a bunch. He has just started doing this, and after reading all the advice, I got a stick and I just shove him out of the way when he does the hunch down ready-to-fight posture. He was a little shocked the first time, but I think that everybody is right, be mean and they will be mean back, because I did that the second time and he was just more ready to fight. I have a squirt bottle too, and it's helping with overfriendly hens pecking too hard. My rooster is liked by the hens, he has shown that he will defend them (not against me), and I think that once raging hormones have slowed down, he won't be as aggressive. I can handle him pretty easily in situations that require it without him being mean. So I think that thanks to everyone who has posted advice, I've found a solution that works for me. As I said before, if it keeps up, I don't need a rooster to have eggs, and I doubt that I would ever be able to raise chicks for food and be able to kill them. So he isn't necessary, I just like him. So hopefully the problem will keep getting better. This community is a great resource.

 

[escoffee]

I think I could pick up Pets and carry him to town tucked under my arm. And I can handle him when I need to. I do believe he would defend his hens to the death. I believe he is starting to get the message that I am top bird and we will come to an understanding. The hens like him and I do to. Lots of good advice about how to deal with him without being mean to him, and since this just started, I think it may end pretty quick.

 

[escoffee]

Pets has done a 360 degree turn in attitude. I'm still working on him not mounting hens in front of me, but even that is half-hearted. I have just gently, using a stick, been shoving him away from me. I haven't even had to do that the last two days. Getting this until control before it was a problem is GREAT! I couldn't have done it without all the good advice. I have Pets back!

 

[escoffee]

I like that!