Rooster struck at husband, now me. What can I do?

[minaayindra]

I would suggest feeding your rooster and letting him call the girls to the feed. Those are his ladies not yours. When I go out with food or treats, the dominant roo gets a bit of whatever I have and he calls his girls over. Then I can toss out the rest for everyone and all is well.
I second not petting the rooster. They're very sweet as youngsters but when their hormones get going all bets are off. Please, no matter what you do, don't chase the roo or hit him with a stick, or hold him upside down by his feet.

EXACTLY- those methods work very well and that is living within his nature. Giving him snacks, like I mentioned before, lets him look like the big provider and elicits so much happiness as he is calling the hens over (you don't have to physically hand them to him but you do need to put them where only he has the stash and he distributes)! The clucking sounds he makes to call them are so distinct and they come flying while he watches them as protection.

 

[fjbonser]

I had a couple of boys, who, as they got older and more territorial around the girls, would attack me. it was an alpha thing. When i'd walk out, all the girls would run from them, to me. So, what I did was pick them up and cradle them like a baby. head has to hang down a bit, but not upside down. (some tell you to hold by their feet, but that's completely inhumane) I'd hold them, their heads would go about an inch below their body, and i'd walk around the yard for a few minutes, rocking like a baby. When i put them down, they were a bit disoriented, but unsure if it was because they felt emasculated or not. They'd shake it off and run away. Peace was through the flock for the next few days or so, until it happened again. but it's their nature to protect their girls even if you're the mama. Pick him up, pet him and scold him. he'll learn.

 

[igorsMistress]

EXACTLY- those methods work very well and that is living within his nature. Giving him snacks, like I mentioned before, lets him look like the big provider and elicits so much happiness as he is calling the hens over (you don't have to physically hand them to him but you do need to put them where only he has the stash and he distributes)! The clucking sounds he makes to call them are so distinct and they come flying while he watches them as protection.

Yes, I love to hear my roo call the girls.

 

[Chicken Heel]

That's a really great track record for 50+ years!

Yes. That is not to say that I haven't had a few that were rambunctious including a Black Australorp right now. He is about six months old and is in with my twelve mixed large breed hens that are almost three years old. My years of experience have been invaluable in the past in these situations and tell me he will eventually calm down. He is the last one that goes to and first to come off the roost, calls the girls to feed/scraps and alarms immediately when a predator is in the area which are all desirable traits. And he is quite a handsome fellow which might be part of the issue (narcissistic tendencies).

 

[minaayindra]

Yes, I love to hear my roo call the girls.

And, as an aside, I love your dog too!

 

[igorsMistress]

And, as an aside, I love your dog too!

Thanks! His little sister is my avatar.

 

[Chickassan]

Billy will keep improving too, thankfully.
He's going to have spurts of dumb when the weather warms up, by then though he should be using those spurts to wow the girls.
It is always nice when they start putting all that hormonal mess where it belongs.
Little guys like Billy have always been so much more hormone packed than any of the big fellas.
Kind of a dirty trick to have something so cute set to have a puberty that dead serious.

SO true- as Billy is getting past his first surge of hormones, he is definitely mellowing out. I do try ignoring him and not looking at him, moving past as if he were completely inconsequential and he looks confused and stops. Of course, on the days he decides to pull a sneak attack, he can't get anywhere through the jeans and boots so he looks humiliated again and walks off. I never act like he's God's gift to the universe but I do talk to him when I'm running around. Thanks for acknowledging he is not ruined; he's just doing his job (and well I might add).

 

[Soy Milano]

Here is a good infographic with tips for gentling roosters - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/gentling-roosters

 

[kcan2]

Billy will keep improving too, thankfully.
He's going to have spurts of dumb when the weather warms up, by then though he should be using those spurts to wow the girls.
It is always nice when they start putting all that hormonal mess where it belongs.
Little guys like Billy have always been so much more hormone packed than any of the big fellas.
Kind of a dirty trick to have something so cute set to have a puberty that dead serious.

Lol, I have laughed at all of your posts! Apparently my rooster had a bad bout of the associated troubles with little manbirds, but today he acted a little more like his sweet self. I think he has a lot of teenage angst or sumptin...

Here is a good infographic with tips for gentling roosters - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/gentling-roosters

Thanks, will check this out! He was so gentle until yesterday, smh

 

[Peppercorngal]

Lol, I have laughed at all of your posts! Apparently my rooster had a bad bout of the associated troubles with little manbirds, but today he acted a little more like his sweet self. I think he has a lot of teenage angst or sumptin...


Thanks, will check this out! He was so gentle until yesterday, smh

A bad rooster, in my humble opinion, does not accept "training" to become a good rooster. Once he "turns", I don't believe there is a turning back. I've raised 6 roosters from chicks to adulthood. Only one was bad, and he was all the way bad. He was a Dominique (Cody) and just mean as the day is long. My husband, who does nothing with the chickens, "liked him", but I got attacked every day. One day he attacked me when the dog was feet away. He's gone now, the dog took him and I never saw him again. This was his look, like, all the time. Don't wait to get really hurt, and bloody before you do something with him. It's not worth it.