Rooster turned mean

[Willow2253]

I have a bantam rooster that’s been perfectly friendly for the last 3 years, but suddenly in the last week he’s been attacking me. The flock free ranges, and we had a second standard sized rooster for most of the summer that was later killed, and the bantam’s behavior didn’t change when he was around. Now, though, we have several cockerels(too many probably, we’re trying to get rid of a few) that are just starting to crow, and I think he’s starting to feel like his position is being threatened. However, the bantam and the cockerels never fight, he only takes it out on me. If I walk by him, he’ll charge at me and jump at my feet with his claws out. He rarely makes contact and hasn’t hurt me, but I can’t let this behavior continue. There’s 4 other people in my household but he only does it to me. He does run away if I’m holding a broom or something similar, and usually backs down if I stand up to him, but he keeps doing it. What can I do to get this behavior to stop?

 

[Offshoreorca]

Grab him next time and give him a good shake (or I've heard that some people pour a bucket of cold water on aggressive roos to fix the problem). If these things don't work quickly and effectively, then it's best to get rid of the problem rooster before he injuries you badly - as rooster wounds can get super infected and nasty.

 

[Willow2253]

I have tried grabbing him, I wear gloves just in case but he’s too fast. It has worked for one of the cockerels that’s been getting bitey though. Oddly, I did wear a different colored pair of pants and shoes than I usually do out today and he paid me no attention. Maybe it’s my outfit that he associates with the apparent threat?

 

[Lovesumchicks]

I am going through the same situation but my rooster is going through a big molt so I am trying to not let it bother me. He has never been mean to me either until the other day.

 

[Offshoreorca]

I have tried grabbing him, I wear gloves just in case but he’s too fast. It has worked for one of the cockerels that’s been getting bitey though. Oddly, I did wear a different colored pair of pants and shoes than I usually do out today and he paid me no attention. Maybe it’s my outfit that he associates with the apparent threat?

Sometimes it can be something as simple as outfits - my mom said when she was young they had a rooster that always went after women with skirts. Her brother dressed up in a skirt, caught the rooster when he came after him and gave him a good shake. The rooster never bothered women again. You can try the cold water dump from the bucket. But be careful as nasty roosters if not corrected can develop into nothing short of a nightmare.

 

[Anime2lover]

i'd try the bucket. things that can cause change in a rooster may very. he could be unusually stressed. our three year old rooster isn't aggressive to us. but this summer, my second grader twin boys started to harrass our hens to pick them up and pet them. the rooster saw them as a threat after that and would go after them for several months after that. though he did calm down when the boys for the most part learned not to mess with him or the hens. and just to be safe, we bought spurr covers for him and he's had them on since then. now he rarely bothers them and they rarely bother the hens. i guess i'm trying to say that, that event could have turned the normally calm big red into a permanently aggressive rooster.

 

[Sally PB]

Oddly, I did wear a different colored pair of pants and shoes than I usually do out today and he paid me no attention. Maybe it’s my outfit that he associates with the apparent threat?

I did find that an orange Tigers baseball shirt seemed to set my cockerel off. Thus I conclude he likes a different team is set off by the color orange, and I don't wear that shirt in the run. There are a few other things that seem to trigger his aggression, and he seems ornerier in the morning.

I do not put up with his aggression. If he challenges me, we have a bit of a discussion about who really is the boss. If I figure out a specific thing that sets him off, I try to avoid that. I know chickens see things differently -- they can see colors we can't. So maybe that has something to do with it.

 

[Willow2253]

Sometimes it can be something as simple as outfits - my mom said when she was young they had a rooster that always went after women with skirts. Her brother dressed up in a skirt, caught the rooster when he came after him and gave him a good shake. The rooster never bothered women again. You can try the cold water dump from the bucket. But be careful as nasty roosters if not corrected can develop into nothing short of a nightmare.

I’ll start carrying water when I go outside and see if that deters him. He’s a family favorite so I wouldn’t want him to have permanent bad behavior.

i'd try the bucket. things that can cause change in a rooster may very. he could be unusually stressed. our three year old rooster isn't aggressive to us. but this summer, my second grader twin boys started to harrass our hens to pick them up and pet them. the rooster saw them as a threat after that and would go after them for several months after that. though he did calm down when the boys for the most part learned not to mess with him or the hens. and just to be safe, we bought spurr covers for him and he's had them on since then. now he rarely bothers them and they rarely bother the hens. i guess i'm trying to say that, that event could have turned the normally calm big red into a permanently aggressive rooster.

I do think he’s more stressed than usual. Suddenly there’s 5 big cockerels that are reaching maturity, and the weather has turned cold pretty quick. We wanted to let the boys grow out enough to get an idea of their personalities before we got rid of some, but now it seems to be agitating our old man.

I did find that an orange Tigers baseball shirt seemed to set my cockerel off. Thus I conclude he likes a different team is set off by the color orange, and I don't wear that shirt in the run. There are a few other things that seem to trigger his aggression, and he seems ornerier in the morning.

I do not put up with his aggression. If he challenges me, we have a bit of a discussion about who really is the boss. If I figure out a specific thing that sets him off, I try to avoid that. I know chickens see things differently -- they can see colors we can't. So maybe that has something to do with it.

I’ve been wearing blue shoes lately that none of the boys seem to like. It’s the same pair the bitey cockerel has been going after. The bantam was on the patio this morning and I walked outside barefoot, he didn’t care. The moment I put the shoes on he attacked them. My brown shoes haven’t caused any problems yet.

 

[Sally PB]

I’ve been wearing blue shoes lately that none of the boys seem to like. It’s the same pair the bitey cockerel has been going after. The bantam was on the patio this morning and I walked outside barefoot, he didn’t care. The moment I put the shoes on he attacked them. My brown shoes haven’t caused any problems yet.

Aha! Don't wear the blue shoes.

I have seen pictures of "normal" looking things with filters to show the UV light they reflect that we can't see. Some flower petals look like landing strips to bees, for instance. Maybe there's something like that going on with the blue shoes.

 

[RainbowHen]

Squirt gun! Or spray bottle, if you can't nab him up. Just ideas. In the past I have relentlessly chased an aggressive boy after an attack. Even if I couldn't catch him. I now know that is a controversial approach. I didn't know batter at the time. I can't say that it worked 100% of the time. My boys only got a couple chances before they were dinner, but I had plenty to choose from. Eventually bred aggression out of my flock.