Rooster Suddenly Territorial

[GingerChickenMan]

I have had my Rhode Island Red rooster for at least a year now and he’s always been great, calm, great with hens and never bullying, overbreeding, or even really chasing them. He’s even been good at not bothering my much smaller Cochin bantam, only chasing him when he breaks the pecking order by mating or crowing. Suddenly however (and I mean within the last week or so at most) he has become very standoffish. It started with him doing the very finicky sidestep they do when they don’t like what you’re doing any time I was in the run near him, and then within days it progressed to mock charges and even full on jumps at me.
He’s not a young rooster, I got him when he was at least a year old and already very mature, and all this time he’s been a joy, so it’s not like he’s going through puberty or anything.

My only ideas are that about a week or so ago I tried to pick him up suddenly to move him and he didn’t like it, and that my flock is currently only ten hens, the Cochin bantam rooster, and him, as we lost a few hens this year due to a raccoon and so perhaps he’s being territorial due to wanting to defend his comparatively smaller flock?
I would rather not cull him but this year not only did I produce a cockerel from my most recent hatch, but a family friend also gave me his due to hatching too many by mistake, and while my current rooster was once one I would be willing to cohabitate with other younger roosters due to his attitude, it’s starting to look like replacing him might be a better option.

Any advice as to why he may be acting this way, and potentially how to curb it?

 

[3KillerBs]

I have had my Rhode Island Red rooster for at least a year now and he’s always been great, calm, great with hens and never bullying, overbreeding, or even really chasing them. He’s even been good at not bothering my much smaller Cochin bantam, only chasing him when he breaks the pecking order by mating or crowing. Suddenly however (and I mean within the last week or so at most) he has become very standoffish. It started with him doing the very finicky sidestep they do when they don’t like what you’re doing any time I was in the run near him, and then within days it progressed to mock charges and even full on jumps at me.
He’s not a young rooster, I got him when he was at least a year old and already very mature, and all this time he’s been a joy, so it’s not like he’s going through puberty or anything.

My only ideas are that about a week or so ago I tried to pick him up suddenly to move him and he didn’t like it, and that my flock is currently only ten hens, the Cochin bantam rooster, and him, as we lost a few hens this year due to a raccoon and so perhaps he’s being territorial due to wanting to defend his comparatively smaller flock?
I would rather not cull him but this year not only did I produce a cockerel from my most recent hatch, but a family friend also gave me his due to hatching too many by mistake, and while my current rooster was once one I would be willing to cohabitate with other younger roosters due to his attitude, it’s starting to look like replacing him might be a better option.

Any advice as to why he may be acting this way, and potentially how to curb it?

He's probably on edge because there are other males threatening his leadership of the flock.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

My guess is that he's stressed from losing his hens and now has to compete even more so with the bantam rooster. Then when you went to pick him up he took it has a sign of you throwing your hat in the ring for the competition.

 

[GingerChickenMan]

Both responses seem to be pointing in the direction of there being too few hens per rooster, which is a relatively easy fix, first off the Cochin has been in the running for being either rehomed or turned into tacos for awhile, his genes are just not what I’m looking for in my flock, and as for the new roosters, this puts me in a position to either keep them separate or get new hens, neither of which are impossible.
Thanks so much for the responses!