Rooster trying to kill us

[Jtaranc]

If you're throwing hot coffee on your rooster, you should get rid of him for his good, not yours. I'm glad you don't work for my vet.

I'm glad I don't as well. I don't owe you an explanation for how I got an aggressive animal away from me who was flying at my face with his spurs. My leg is bruised and bleeding for the second time in 2 weeks. I have an entire farm of animals I am responsible for, and a job I need to be able to do, to care and feed everyone. A job I cannot do if I am maimed or blinded.

If you think I wanted to hurt him, he would've been dead months ago. I got more coffee on myself than I did him.

 

[tripletfeb]

Survival instincts and reflexes. I would do just about anything to keep an attacking bird away from my face.

 

[WI chickens]

I have the opposite of some people. I have raised chickens for over 40 years, I don't get attacked. I raise chickens, and roosters to be held. Some don't want to be held I am fine with that also, but if they come near me I hold them. Soon they only come to be held or avoid me. I always keep an eye on them. I walk with purpose, or through them.

I never push with a stick, broom or a shoe. I never show fear or run away. These are things a rooster enjoys and thinks he is winning if you do them.

If you can put him away at night in a sleepy box. (air holes of course.) This also tells you rooster I control you and I put you away, or let you out. I also hold him and talk to him before putting him away and hold him in the morning before letting him out. Then he thinks I am the boss. If he always runs away and you cannot catch him he also thinks he is winning.

Most of my roosters will be like a hen around me and squat so I can pick them up. I have even taken on someone else's problem rooster and have not had a problem myself.

I do the same with aggressive roosters as far as carrying them around. I've never tried the box thing, but I will pick them up off the roost and carry them around under my arm. Once they are calm, and set them down. If I start to set them down and they get frantic, I put them back under my arm and carry them around until they calm down and understand that I decide when they can go. I also don't back them into a corner when they are on the ground, leaving them no choice but to fight.

 

[Jtaranc]

I have the opposite of some people. I have raised chickens for over 40 years, I don't get attacked. I raise chickens, and roosters to be held. Some don't want to be held I am fine with that also, but if they come near me I hold them. Soon they only come to be held or avoid me. I always keep an eye on them. I walk with purpose, or through them.

I never push with a stick, broom or a shoe. I never show fear or run away. These are things a rooster enjoys and thinks he is winning if you do them.

If you can put him away at night in a sleepy box. (air holes of course.) This also tells you rooster I control you and I put you away, or let you out. I also hold him and talk to him before putting him away and hold him in the morning before letting him out. Then he thinks I am the boss. If he always runs away and you cannot catch him he also thinks he is winning.

Most of my roosters will be like a hen around me and squat so I can pick them up. I have even taken on someone else's problem rooster and have not had a problem myself.

We are beyond the come here and let me hold you stage. He is flying at faces when he gets close to you. Im not bending down to his level anymore. Quite frankly he hurts and I had a 5 inch black bruise on my leg from last week that just went away. He is flying from across my paddock when I turn my back. It's easier said then done to say when he comes near me I'll hold him.

 

[WI chickens]

I'm glad I don't as well. I don't owe you an explanation for how I got an aggressive animal away from me who was flying at my face with his spurs. My leg is bruised and bleeding for the second time in 2 weeks. I have an entire farm of animals I am responsible for, and a job I need to be able to do, to care and feed everyone. A job I cannot do if I am maimed or blinded.

If you think I wanted to hurt him, he would've been dead months ago. I got more coffee on myself than I did him.

You sure don't owe me anything but if you are actually afraid of being "maimed or blinded" by a rooster, I question whether you would have kept it for months already.

 

[tripletfeb]

We are beyond the come here and let me hold you stage. He is flying at faces when he gets close to you. Im not bending down to his level anymore. Quite frankly he hurts and I had a 5 inch black bruise on my leg from last week that just went away. He is flying from across my paddock when I turn my back. It's easier said then done to say when he comes near me I'll hold him.

He really needs to go. If you can, catch him in a large net and put him in a dog cage. No food for 24 hours but water is fine. Then cull and butcher. I know it sounds harsh but it also sounds like you won't be able to rehome him. Good luck to you

 

[tripletfeb]

You sure don't owe me anything but if you are actually afraid of being "maimed or blinded" by a rooster, I question whether you would have kept it for months already.

You are being very argumentative and have no solutions for the OP. I question why you are even responding

 

[Shadrach]

Hey everyone! I need some advice.

I have a 9 month old barred rock rooster who has never been quite nice. We used to have to go into the coop with a stick and now my chickens free range during the day and he attacks me and my husband when the hens run over to us. He's gotten us a few times very unexpectedly. I guess I kinda know what the answer will be, but other than this, he's a good rooster. He chased a hawk away the other day. Gets along with the bantam rooster. Doesn't pick on my turkey. Doesn't attack the goats or dogs, just me and my husband. The hens all listen and stay with him. He is fabulous protection.

Today he flew at my head and I had to throw my hot coffee at him, and then my BBW turkey got between us and got him away from me and then they got into a tussle. Last week I had to hit him with a plastic end table because he came at me and I had nothing nearby. I'm potty training a puppy right now and run out and forget to grab the rake on the porch and then I'm SOL.

I've had all of these chickens since March. I raised this rooster since he was days old and handled him a bunch. I am a vet tech and have been for 20 years, I'm kind of hardwired to help things and not hurt them, so this has been difficult to deal with.

Is there any undoing this? Any advice?View attachment 3371812View attachment 3371818

You've been feeding his hens without his approval. This is why I think as much. You didn't write they all run over, just the hens.

he attacks me and my husband when the hens run over to us. He's gotten us a few times

Despite him having gone for you it seems you haven't taken a step back and wondered why. For you to be taking a rake with you I assume to discourage any attack this has been going on for some time.
Contrary to some often voiced opinions, roosters don't come as devils and angels and are not mindlessly aggressive. Like most other creatures they attack when they feel they, or their group, are under some kind of threat.

The threat you are to the rooster is you're trying to entice his hens away from him buy offering them food. This is exactly how a competeing rooster would act, they find treats and give the I've found food call which attracts usually junior hens away from the other rooster. There are probably other factors mixed in.

Is there any undoing this? Any advice?

There is but it takes concentration, work and commitment.

A few rules if you will.
Roosters are not male hens. Seems obvious but once this is realised then the next step is to not treat them as such.

Feed the rooster before the hens and let him feed the hens. There are many ways of going about this. Some imagination is required.

Don't pick up his hens, especially at hte age he and they are. Get it right with the rooster and later handling his hens becomes less of an issue.

I must write such an emotive title to the thread from a vet tech doesn't bear well.

Given you free range (?) this article might be of use.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[WI chickens]

You are being very argumentative and have no solutions for the OP. I question why you are even responding

Actually, I gave two solutions. Either butcher him, or wait until he roosts and carry him around until he recognizes that you are the boss, not him.

 

[Jtaranc]

You sure don't owe me anything but if you are actually afraid of being "maimed or blinded" by a rooster, I question whether you would have kept it for months already.

The bruise on my leg from last week, I don't want that on my face. The second time he got me I had a gash that bled. Again. I don't want this on my face.

If you have no advice other than to tell me how I reacted is wrong and harp on everything I post, move along cause I'm not interested.