Rooster Training Advice

[ocap]

I have tried to understand rooster behavior. I think your rooster's behavior is normal. If I can be so bold as to describe what I think he is thinking. He thinks you are either going to mate his hens or hurt his hens. If he decides you are going to mate with them he is going to knock you off their back when you mount. If he decides you are going to hurt them he will fight you to his death or yours. If you move slowly and his hens stop calling for help he might not attack. You must be (act like) human not rooster.

 

[rehdancer]

Well, this certainly explains a few things for my flock !!! You folks are the best.... Answering questions for other folks and educating me when I didn't know I needed it!!!

 

[schradersl]

Hi All,
I have a 6 month old Buff Brahma rooster (Cameron). I am devoted to proper training and am always seeking advice on best practices. His last remaining unruly behavior is to run toward me when I pick up a hen. I can pick him up and do anything else around him without issue. He does not bite or jump at me. When he runs toward me (when grabbing hens) I push him over with my foot, then grab him and hold him to the ground until he submits. I try to do this every few days. Sometimes 3 times in a row. He eventually wonders off (free rangers).

I would like for him to not mind when I pick up the hens and never run at me or any other human (obviously). I got him because I heard his breed makes docile, beautiful roos - which he is! When I'm not picking up hens, he is very sweet and mellow.

Will this training method ever work? Will he ever ignore me when I pick up hens? Will he ever ignore 'strange' humans when they pick up hens?

Thanks!View attachment 1853958

We crow at ours and will chase him around. He thinks we're bigger roosters. Just show you're dominant. Kinda fun.

 

[VJK]

Maybe not me. I'll talk anyone's ear off if they give me half a chance.

Thank you for your kind comments.

I'd love to have you talk my ear off! I also really appreciated your article. I am learning a lot and new to all of this. I ended up with 2 cockerels (age 4 1/2 months now) and don't want to have them in with the 7 hens. We don't free range (fox den within 200 feet and lots of other wildlife here) but we have a 14x70 foot covered run and coop. The cockerels are large and my hens are little gals- and no desire to raise chicks now.... but we also don't want to get rid of them. I was advised to separate them from the hens completely

(out of view) ​

so they will settle down and form their own flock of 2- though some on here had no problems sharing a fence line with theirs. We are in the process of building a separate coop and run for the 2 boys. Right now they might be mad at me for keeping them away from the hens as they spend most of the day at the fence line trying to get close. One in particular attacks my foot when I enter their run but will calm (stands stiffly on my hip but at least stops trying to bite) when I pick him up to carry him to their temporary coop. He also bites me and acts like he wants to attack me when he sees me on the other side of the fence. He does a lot of posturing, circles me, etc. when I go into the run but eventually walks away. Any advice on how to handle him?

 

[ellend]

In answer to "Why pick up the hens at all?"
Not everyone raises chickens for eggs or meat. Like any other animal, they are often kept as pets, and the interactions of the flock is fun to watch. Part of enjoying most pets is directly interacting with them; i.e. picking them up. There are no rules (outside of legal restrictions) on what type of animals can be pets! Personally I am going to have to give away most of our eggs, as I don't bake much any more, and don't care for eggs in particular, and I can do just fine without eating chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

In answer to "Why pick up the hens at all?"
Not everyone raises chickens for eggs or meat. Like any other animal, they are often kept as pets, and the interactions of the flock is fun to watch. Part of enjoying most pets is directly interacting with them; i.e. picking them up. There are no rules (outside of legal restrictions) on what type of animals can be pets! Personally I am going to have to give away most of our eggs, as I don't bake much any more, and don't care for eggs in particular, and I can do just fine without eating chickens.

I asked because reason for picking them up can influence how it is done. I have some that are pets to the extreme with some that will fly to me when called, sometimes even fly down 15 feet from a tree. How the birds are picked up can influence how they react to the handling. Manhanding by grabbing them in a manner that stresses them can be avoided.

 

[ellend]

If we humans are having this difficult a time understanding the mind of a rooster, imagine how confusing our behavior is to them! And our behavior is so often inflected by the variances in our moods--our posture, how rigid versus relaxed our movements are, etc..

 

[ellend]

I asked because reason for picking them up can influence how it is done. I have some that are pets to the extreme with some that will fly to me when called, sometimes even fly down 15 feet from a tree. How the birds are picked up can influence how they react to the handling. Manhanding by grabbing them in a manner that stresses them can be avoided.

I see---thanks for the clarification!

 

[McBriec]

I am a chicken newbie with only 1 bantam cochin rescue rooster who was several years old when I got him. (My second rooster died at only four months old but I still learned something from him in that short time.) But I very much agree with folks who don't recommend pushing your rooster down with your foot as punishment for running to you when you pick up a hen. If he's just running up to you, and is not attacking, I don't think there should be any aversive response to the behavior. (Of course, any physical attacking behavior should be quashed immediately.) He's just "monitoring" what's going on with his ladies.

I also very much agree with you that you (not strangers) should be able to pick up hens at any time to enjoy them and that he cannot be allowed to think that they are his private property. The way things are, however, he thinks bad things happen when he's checking up on his ladies. I would try to change the aversive dynamic and perhaps try feeding him and the hen some treats when he conducts his non-violent "investigations." That way the whole encounter won't seem so stressful for him and he may make a positive association with you picking up his hens.

 

[Sharischicks]

I agree with you - because I LOVE to hold and cuddle my hens, and they love it too. My rooster came into the flock after the hens were grown and he grew up seeing me holding the hens - so there is no problem. I think the best option is to pen him while you hold the hens, then hand them back to him one at a time. Eventually he'll trust you.