Rooster trying to kill us

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I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to the definition of dangerous animal, the actual chance of losing an eye to your rooster, and the acceptable responses to their aggression. My experience is much like @gimmie birds. The more you try to "fight" a rooster, the more they will fight back. Hitting them or kicking them makes them hate you.

He's attacking, not striking back after human aggression.

He's dangerous and needs to go.
 
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.

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.


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/
Most of the attacks happen when I am taking the puppy out to potty. I have nothing for him or his hens. I'm standing in my yard and there he is.

Would my title go over better if I was a banker? I get my butt whooped by animals all week. I should be more used to it? I don't understand my career translating to I should be happier about getting hurt by an animal.
 
I think it's hard to "settle" a rooster, especially when they are still relatively young and working through hormones. You can either try some of the tricks (asserting dominance, mostly) or wait to see if time will settle him. Either way, in the mean time you have a hostile mini-velociraptor after you (and causing injury, it seems). It's not worth the risk to your safety/health.
I wouldn't bother finding him a new "home", he poses a threat to anybody who takes him. I think your best course of action is to cull/butcher.
 
Most of the attacks happen when I am taking the puppy out to potty. I have nothing for him or his hens. I'm standing in my yard and there he is.

Would my title go over better if I was a banker? I get my butt whooped by animals all week. I should be more used to it? I don't understand my career translating to I should be happier about getting hurt by an animal.
You should have tried this title, "Rooster is attacking a vet tech! Go rooster!!(but seriously, I need help)" 🤭 Naw, doesn't sound as good
 
I think the question is, do you really want to keep him, and be willing to try anything to make that happen?
Or have you had enough, and don't think you can cope any more.
If the former then Shadrach has posted good advice; if the latter that is totally ok!
There is nothing wrong with culling him, or giving him away (with full disclosure) you have given him a good chance, and he really hasn't taken it.
Its not that hard to find a good one around, and its really nice when one has a rooster that one can trust.
 
I'm sorry your rooster is attacking you. In spite of all your care and efforts he sees you as a threat and you are being injured. It is okay to say you are done and to protect yourself and your health. There are good non-human aggressive roosters out there.

There is lots of information on here about how to raise a non human-aggressive rooster, although much of it is conflicting, and much of whether you are successful depends on the individual rooster. Trying again another time with a different rooster is an acceptable choice.

Don't let this rooster take the fun and joy out of chickening for you. I vote for freezer camp.
 
I must write such an emotive title to the thread from a vet tech doesn't bear well.

I'm going to say one more thing and then let this post die.

I've read all your articles, I actually read the link you posted before I had posted my question here and thought it was quite a good read and helpful. The general idea being roosters are more than just their behavior and there's reasons for how they behave. Sort of a dont judge a book by its cover if you will.

Ironically enough you decided to not extend me the same courtesy you want people to extend to roosters and their behavior, and you judged me based on the title of this post even though I am asking for HELP.

Not the 20 years I've spent time away from my own pets and family comforting other owners and their pets. Not all the moments I've spent in the closet at our hospital crying over someone else's baby. Not the dozens and dozens of owner surrenders I've taken home and rehabilitated out of my own pocket because someone else didn't care or couldn't afford to do it. I have animals who are diabetic, 3 legged, full of buckshot from being shot, crippled, crazy, run over, beat up. You name it. I'm currently rehabilitating a pregnant donkey someone beat the crap out of and hopefully gaining her trust before she delivers. I've worked in horse rescue for 10 years and was picked up and thrown over a fence by a horse last summer. I get out of bed every day for animals, whether they're my own or someone else's. I work in a profession with one of the highest suicide rates. Yesterday at the end of a 7 day stint in the ER I had a 3 day old puppy die in my arms before the owner could decide what she wanted to do. I've comforted more animals than I can count on their final journey, sometimes without the owners there because they didn't care to stay.


If you or anyone else want to judge me and my ability to do my job or my compassion for animals on this post, you go right ahead.

This post is a good indicator of why many people don't ask for help.
 
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