Rooster Training Advice

[minaayindra]

Exactly- it’s best to understand any animals basic motivation and work with it. Roos are great and serve a definite purpose (or more than one).

Unless he's coming at you feet first, his behavior sounds normal. He's running towards you to check on his hen, claim her and get her back in line. "Get thee behind me, woman!" This is not usually aggressive although he is trying to claim ownership of your hen. If you put down the hen, he should dance around her with a wing dropped and mostly ignore you or put himself between you and the hen. Try holding the hen firmly about the wings with both hands so she is calm and hold her toward him - in his face. He should back off. He should be OK with you picking up hens around him; once he trusts you not to hurt them or steal them, and he respects your personal space most of the time, he will react less to your picking them up.

 

[minaayindra]

I like having lap sitting hens. I picked them up long before I had the roo and would like to continue. It was picking them up and giving them treats that made them lap sitters. Now with this new 6 month hen flock the roo is getting upset when I train them in the same way as my older hens.

It all makes sense, of course, I am just looking to see if people can have a rooster and pick up their hens.

TOTALLY understandable!

 

[C J]

Only having read the first few responses, (no time to read 9 pages right now) I want to say that my roosters are all very friendly and allow me to pick them up and the hens (Icelandics.) So I think your rooster is totally trainable. Keep doing what you are doing, in my humble opinion (though I've only had chickens for less than 2 years now.)

 

[minaayindra]

Only having read the first few responses, (no time to read 9 pages right now) I want to say that my roosters are all very friendly and allow me to pick them up and the hens (Icelandics.) So I think your rooster is totally trainable. Keep doing what you are doing, in my humble opinion (though I've only had chickens for less than 2 years now.)

Minus stepping on them of course...

 

[AP332]

I have to agree with most everyone here. The rooster is in charge of the girls. His behavior is actually good as he will try and keep the hens safe, this is a good trait. I just got a new rooster and am hoping mine will act like yours. I always get one that jumps at me and usually draws blood from my legs if I don't have long pants on, even if I am only changing the water. I have decided to give it one last try as I want a momma to raise some chicks for me. If I were you I would just enjoy him not attacking you and let the hens come to you if they want to.

 

[cuddleclucker]

I have a method that always works well for me:
For undesirable rooster behaviors:
Pick rooster up right away, hold him in your arms and give a couple yanks on his wattle while firmly saying"no no"! then give him a peck with your finger on top of his head, then Carrie him around in your arms for a little bit. I only have to do this a couple times, and the bad behavior stops. I have twelve roosters in my 130 free ranging flock and any person can safely walk amongst them with the roosters.

 

[minaayindra]

Yes, I’ve experienced the contradictory advice each time I’ve asked a question but I’ve found reading everything and starting with what the majority of people recommend usually works. As bantychooks said, there are so many different ways people work with their chickens and hardly any are definitively “wrong”- so just start with what works for most.

 

[BantyChooks]

Be careful now, people might see you have deep interest in chicken behavior. That can be regarded as a sin. I have already been cursed to hot place for it. Do you want to go there?

If that happens, I'll most likely continue with my current troll training method of making rude gestures at them (from behind my computer screen) and hitting 'ignore'. Seems reasonably effective at keeping me out of the mods' hot place, at least.

Edit: I like your signature. It is good advice.

 

[Barnycat]

Thanks for the article! I can certainly stop using my feet (that was advice from someone else). My hens are pets and many are lap sitters that I had before the roo. It's a really enjoyable part of my day to go out and kneel and have my hens hop up onto my leg and pick them up. I have to say, if the decision is between picking up the hens and my roo, I'll choose picking up.

That being said, is what he's doing currently listed under 'bad rooster' behavior? Will/can it lessen with age and training?

Thank you!!

I had a wonderful Light Brahma roo (Bill) for many years. He was docile & kind. I don’t recall him reacting when I picked up his hens, tho I rarely did so. If they squawk or make any sound at all when you lift them up that would trigger him. If you just sit there and the hens jump on you of their own volition, without squawking, does he still run at you? I would never kick at him because he could see that as an act of aggression.

 

[Barnycat]

For the most part when I handle hens, it involves taking them gently off the roost after dark. I do have a couple social groups that handled extensively. With those, the birds are in fact trained when called and all, including rooster will come to hand when it is presented. There is likely a breed issue enabling that and I set out to train those birds from a very early age. Birds in that latter group are exceptionally tame as used for public display with audiences including individuals that are naive to handling chickens.

Why do you take your hens off the roost at night?