Rooster trying to kill us

[Dumb Cluck]

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

My wife's secret for handling our Rooster, a Road Island Red rooster is she applies the essential oil of Rose oil. Why, what a surprise when the rooster actually submitted to her and let her put her hand on his back and also to pet him. However what I usually do is to accept the challenge and chase him around the yard getting him away from the hens and holding him away or chase him until he becomes frightened of what I may do to him. Done, I established my first place in the pecking order. Now when I approach he picks up twigs showing me he does not want to challenge me. However he still protects the flock from other predators.

 

[Delmer_B]

I had a rooster that was very aggressive with my family. Had to carry a long piece of PVC pipe to keep him away. Was attacked several times. One day as I was bending over to pick up feeding pans, he jumped and hit me in my butt/back of my legs and I lost my balance and fell over as I was trying to get a way from him.
I kept his wings trimmed so he couldn't get in my face. I trimmed his spurs several times. He was a good protector of the flock, and I knew he was a "wild" animal that could not be trained like a dog or horse or other animal, so I learned to keep my distance. The other thing that kept him alive was that my daughter was adamant that if anyone took him out, it would be her. She put up with just as much abuse as the rest of us.
The aggressive rooster was finally replaced and ended up in the stock pot. He tasted really good.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Being super hands on and friendly with roosters as a chick can cause them to grow up and view you as one of the flock and therefore one to be dominated.

I've found this false, I'm hands on from day 1 to adulthood with my cockerels/roosters. Only have 2 butt heads that need culling, they have what I refer to as the "Mean Gene." Which has nothing to do with being handled often, but being human aggressive genetically.
One is a Black Sumatra rooster, the other is a Buff Orpington Cockerel. The Buff Orpington cockerel was human aggressive since 7 weeks of age.

Occasionally you get those that are extreme, & attack both humans, & other birds alike. Had a Silkie like this, we named him Mr. Evil. He ended up as soup.

 

[Jtaranc]

I was going to just read and be done, but I can’t. Being attacked by a rooster is scary. Being attacked multiple times even worse.

I read a lot of judgmental and hurtful posts. @Shadrach doesnt sugar coat, but I can’t see what the heck was offensive. I am a teacher. If I wrote something online saying “I can’t deal with obnoxious kids that don’t listen to me”, I would not be offended if someone expected me to be better with student behavior than the average person. Expecting you might have some background with animal behavior is somehow offensive?

In your original post, you only mentioned being attacked when feeding your hens. That is what Shadrach referred to in his behavior information. I am sorry for what you are going through, and I’m sure you must be overwhelmed with stress. I also commend you for helping out with abused animals. People trying to help you online to keep your rooster with behavior modification ideas are not your enemies. I hope you figure things out, and good luck with your rescues.

I had no problem with advice about the rooster. The part that set me off was this

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

Good for you that someone saying you should deal with bad kids well cause you're a teacher doesn't offend you. You are you and I am not you. That doesn't help me.

I'm sorry to see the thread still going because I regret posting it. If I could take it down I would have.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I only have ducks but have had a really sweet Rooster years ago. He was alone but I kept him for years. I have always had the mindset of Human lives first, animals second no matter how much I love them. Our friend let his Pitt Bull attack his girlfriend 4 times before he finally go the picture. I have no tolerance for any animal doing that to a human. Good luck with your decision and God Bless you for caring for abused animals.

 

[Isadora]

I had no problem with advice about the rooster. The part that set me off was this

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

Good for you that someone saying you should deal with bad kids well cause you're a teacher doesn't offend you. You are you and I am not you. That doesn't help me.

I'm sorry to see the thread still going because I regret posting it. If I could take it down I would have.

You can click the report button and request a moderator lock the thread for you.

 

[Judy Todd]

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

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.

Please don't take anything negative to heart. Just remember 99%of the answers were very healpful, sometimes you hit on one who does not have any empathy. Delete it from your memory, it is difficult to put down a chicken you have raised since birth.
I am sending you a medal for your brave work with all animals. Take a breath and count your good memories. Life is short and then we die.

 

[SillyChickenPNW]

We had a rooster we raised from a chick. We just thought it was another hen and my daughter loved him. We handled him all the time, not knowing he was a rooster. When he got big he started be super aggressive to our whole family. He surprise pecked me through 3 layers of winter clothes. One day he attacked our daughter and almost got her eye. That was it for him. Talking to many of my chicken friends, they all said once you have an mean rooster, there's nothing you can do to change it. We now have a new rooster that we have never handled and he's super nice. But this one is an Orpington and I guess they are really mellow birds? Good luck!

 

[Eggatha]

I had the same problem with my hand reared rock rooster. I held him down and squeezed him close to my chest with his wings rucked and pet him on his head. I did this every day for nearly 2 weeks. It seems to have calmed him down as no sudden attacks in last few months. I still don't trust him but if I 'm out i keep an eye on him. If he looks suspicious or puffs up I pin him down and cuddle him nice & tight into my chest & pet him. Strange but it stops the number of & violence level of attacks for sure. Don't give up just yet. And NEVER turn your back on him.

 

[Judy Todd]

That's awful!!! Seriously, be done.

Sad for the rooster, but your health takes priority.

My God, get rid of him in the next hour, until then, cage him. I have gone thru this, and do not intend to be injured at 83 years of age just to avoid putting down a aggresive animal.