Rooster wear on hens

[donrae]

Exactly what purpose does this rooster serve that couldn't be served by a hundred other nice, calm, respectful roosters? That's what you need to be asking yourself. Get rid of him and either go rooster-less or look for another guy. You'd thrill someone to death to take their Oops rooster. Don't pass him on to anyone else, just butcher him.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I find such roosters are very responsive to crockpot therapy.

 

[Happy Feathers]

I find such roosters are very responsive to crockpot therapy.

 

[whitneywpanetta]

I know you are all right... This will probably be where Richard will end up. I just need to convince the hub, he refuses to get rid of him. If his aggression will continue to increase, as Mrs. K says, Hub will eventually get a taste of my frustrations. He keeps telling me it's just an 8 lb animal, I just hate being so wary of him when I'm trying to visit with my hens! I may have to wait hub out.

 

[Tuhmu]

I know you are all right... This will probably be where Richard will end up. I just need to convince the hub, he refuses to get rid of him. If his aggression will continue to increase, as Mrs. K says, Hub will eventually get a taste of my frustrations. He keeps telling me it's just an 8 lb animal, I just hate being so wary of him when I'm trying to visit with my hens! I may have to wait hub out.

You have the chickens to enjoy them and relax when you're with them, you cant do that having to watch over your shoulder whenever you want to spend time with them.

 

[Euarto Gullible]

I have had roosters that needed a little reeducation. I had a really good flock protector that would get too big for his britches every couple months and flare his hackles at me and lunge. He was all bark and no bite, and I'd chase him down, pick him up and hold him and give him a good inspection, turning him upside down (in front of his ladies). He'd be fine for another month or two and he'd do it again. I had to get rid of him because he scared my wife and she was not assertive enough to establish her dominance over him. I thought he was a great rooster and I was really sad to see him go. On the other hand, I had another one that shanked me from behind as I was walking out of the pen. I could have kicked a 40 yard field goal with him. The SECOND time he did it, he spent his last night in the shed awaiting culinary justice. IMO, a rooster who attacks you from behind or from the side, unprovoked, is almost always lost causes. On the other hand if a rooster stands in your path and tries to block you from the hens and lunges at you, that's a rooster being a little overzealous in his roosterly duties. Some of those can be reeducated, and may not be not "bad" roosters. They're just protective. In my experience, there are also factors that can increase aggression. Is that rooster the only rooster? Having more than one rooster together with the hens puts the alpha rooster on a constant defensive to protect his hens from being mated. People might find that the same aggressive rooster is well behaved if he's operating as the only flock rooster and can let his guard down. Do you have a dog or a child that terrorizes your chickens (chases them around constantly)? That also can also get roosters riled up and put them into protection mode. I mean, a 3 year old with a big stick IS just as dangerous as a predator, and the rooster knows it. Also, is that rooster suffering from mites or an injury that might make him more cantankerous than usual?
Like a lot of people on here have said, there's no shortage of roosters. But if you have a particularly healthy specimen who does a good job of mating the hens, treats them well, and is a good flock protector, doesn't crow at night, etc it might bear looking at the environmental factors that could potentially be contributing to his aggression. Some roosters are just bad. But there are other roosters who are simply protective and the environmental conditions you have contribute to heightened levels of aggression.

 

[whitneywpanetta]

I have had roosters that needed a little reeducation. I had a really good flock protector that would get too big for his britches every couple months and flare his hackles at me and lunge. He was all bark and no bite, and I'd chase him down, pick him up and hold him and give him a good inspection, turning him upside down (in front of his ladies). He'd be fine for another month or two and he'd do it again. I had to get rid of him because he scared my wife and she was not assertive enough to establish her dominance over him. I thought he was a great rooster and I was really sad to see him go. On the other hand, I had another one that shanked me from behind as I was walking out of the pen. I could have kicked a 40 yard field goal with him. The SECOND time he did it, he spent his last night in the shed awaiting culinary justice. IMO, a rooster who attacks you from behind or from the side, unprovoked, is almost always lost causes. On the other hand if a rooster stands in your path and tries to block you from the hens and lunges at you, that's a rooster being a little overzealous in his roosterly duties. Some of those can be reeducated, and may not be not "bad" roosters. They're just protective. In my experience, there are also factors that can increase aggression. Is that rooster the only rooster? Having more than one rooster together with the hens puts the alpha rooster on a constant defensive to protect his hens from being mated. People might find that the same aggressive rooster is well behaved if he's operating as the only flock rooster and can let his guard down. Do you have a dog or a child that terrorizes your chickens (chases them around constantly)? That also can also get roosters riled up and put them into protection mode. I mean, a 3 year old with a big stick IS just as dangerous as a predator, and the rooster knows it. Also, is that rooster suffering from mites or an injury that might make him more cantankerous than usual?
Like a lot of people on here have said, there's no shortage of roosters. But if you have a particularly healthy specimen who does a good job of mating the hens, treats them well, and is a good flock protector, doesn't crow at night, etc it might bear looking at the environmental factors that could potentially be contributing to his aggression. Some roosters are just bad. But there are other roosters who are simply protective and the environmental conditions you have contribute to heightened levels of aggression.

Thank you for the response! It is very helpful!

Richard is the only rooster, with three hens. We are adding (hopefully) four more hens to the flock in another month or two. Maybe the extra ladies will calm him down?

I do have dogs, but they 100% leave the rooster alone, mainly because Richard will chase them down if they get too close. The dogs mind their own business and don't bark at them. The only time I have issues is when Richard chases down my beagle, who will run away, until he cant get away, then try to defend himself. That situation has only happened a couple of times, and no one has ever been injured as a result.

Other than the dogs it is just my husband and I. Richard won't run across the yard to come get us, but if we are within 15 feet or so of him and the hens, we will block us from them. His from behind attacks are typically when I am walking away from the coop.

He is a great protector and does crow on and off all day, but never at night. He is a very good mater (as you can see on my ladies' backs) but we don't plan on hatching our own chicks. Richard was supposed to be a hen, grew into a rooster, but despite his bad behavior we have enjoyed having a rooster. They are very entertaining to watch and are great protectors.

Anytime he lunges at my I also chase him down, pick him up, and won't put him down until he is no longer thrashing. I also won't release him until he can stand on the ground with my hands on him without trying to immediately run off. I am about to be on summer vacation (yay for being a teacher) and might try daily handlings with him for a couple of weeks and see how that helps his behavior. I also read somewhere a good dunk in a tub of water helps to "cool off" a rooster... not sure about that technique, but maybe I need to give it a go.

I will keep at the handling and see how it goes. In the meantime I will keep working on my hub to find him a good home!

 

[Sylviaanne]

You see the rooster in my avatar? He's gone now but not by choice. I have no idea what happened to him, probably a night predator. He was my Richard. I was the one caring for the chickens and their coop, they are mine. He was ok until sometime after he grew up. He was not my only rooster, nor the oldest but he became the alpha and for some reason he did not like me. He would both fly at me from the front and charge after me to whack me on the back of my legs with his wings as I walked out to the car. I was the ONLY one he attacked. Not my husband, not the kids (teens and young adults), not the little kids (one year to 15) nor any other animals. That stinker hated only me.

My husband didn't believe me that I was being attacked. It took months before that sneaky bird slipped up and my husband caught him attacking me. I went through all types of methods to correct his behavior. I thought that maybe he hated me for not feeding them at the same time every morning so we made it a point that someone fed them at the same time every day. I thought maybe he hated me for taking the eggs even though none of the hens were broody, so my husband or one of the kids would collect the eggs. I would take more food out in the afternoons and hold it in my hands to force the chickens to come close enough for me to pet them, I stopped that.

My husband would follow me out of the house to keep him from attacking me from behind. We would catch that bird and I would hold him until he settled down. I would wave my arms at him and yell. I would flap my dress or shirt at him. I read where you have to put them on the ground facing you and push their heads down and hold them that way until they stayed for a few seconds after you let him go. One cure said to hold the bird between your body and arm with his head tilted down behind you. Another one said to make him my buddy by holding him for movie time every night. Nothing worked. It got so bad I was throwing stuff in his direction. I had to stop that because I have such bad aim, I hit him once. Didn't bother him but it devastated me. Eventually, my husband took over the care of the chickens but nothing stopped that rooster from coming after me.

My husband also offered to put him in the pot but he was joking because no matter what, he knew I loved that bird.

In other words, I have nothing new to offer you. LOL I couldn't give up and give him away and I couldn't eat him. If he were still here, he would still be chasing me and whacking me if he could. I went on and put up with it because I was the only one who suffered his abuse and I loved the little snot.

Re-reading this I see I keep saying that he chased me, by that I don't mean that I ran from him, just he would come from clear across the yard to get me. Chase as in he followed me, not that I ran from him. When I was a child my grandparents had a rooster that would chase us kids and attack us. I would get angry and chase that bird until I caught him and then hold him. Hmm, at this moment I can't remember what would happen when I put him down. LOL I do remember my grandparents scolding us for chasing him but people for some reason don't tend to believe you can walk past a rooster and it would take a dislike to someone and continue to come after you whenever it saw you. Maybe my rooster was that one re-incarnated? LOL Sylvia

 

[whitneywpanetta]

You see the rooster in my avatar? He's gone now but not by choice. I have no idea what happened to him, probably a night predator. He was my Richard. I was the one caring for the chickens and their coop, they are mine. He was ok until sometime after he grew up. He was not my only rooster, nor the oldest but he became the alpha and for some reason he did not like me. He would both fly at me from the front and charge after me to whack me on the back of my legs with his wings as I walked out to the car. I was the ONLY one he attacked. Not my husband, not the kids (teens and young adults), not the little kids (one year to 15) nor any other animals. That stinker hated only me.

My husband didn't believe me that I was being attacked. It took months before that sneaky bird slipped up and my husband caught him attacking me. I went through all types of methods to correct his behavior. I thought that maybe he hated me for not feeding them at the same time every morning so we made it a point that someone fed them at the same time every day. I thought maybe he hated me for taking the eggs even though none of the hens were broody, so my husband or one of the kids would collect the eggs. I would take more food out in the afternoons and hold it in my hands to force the chickens to come close enough for me to pet them, I stopped that.

My husband would follow me out of the house to keep him from attacking me from behind. We would catch that bird and I would hold him until he settled down. I would wave my arms at him and yell. I would flap my dress or shirt at him. I read where you have to put them on the ground facing you and push their heads down and hold them that way until they stayed for a few seconds after you let him go. One cure said to hold the bird between your body and arm with his head tilted down behind you. Another one said to make him my buddy by holding him for movie time every night. Nothing worked. It got so bad I was throwing stuff in his direction. I had to stop that because I have such bad aim, I hit him once. Didn't bother him but it devastated me. Eventually, my husband took over the care of the chickens but nothing stopped that rooster from coming after me.

My husband also offered to put him in the pot but he was joking because no matter what, he knew I loved that bird.

In other words, I have nothing new to offer you. LOL I couldn't give up and give him away and I couldn't eat him. If he were still here, he would still be chasing me and whacking me if he could. I went on and put up with it because I was the only one who suffered his abuse and I loved the little snot.

Re-reading this I see I keep saying that he chased me, by that I don't mean that I ran from him, just he would come from clear across the yard to get me. Chase as in he followed me, not that I ran from him. When I was a child my grandparents had a rooster that would chase us kids and attack us. I would get angry and chase that bird until I caught him and then hold him. Hmm, at this moment I can't remember what would happen when I put him down. LOL I do remember my grandparents scolding us for chasing him but people for some reason don't tend to believe you can walk past a rooster and it would take a dislike to someone and continue to come after you whenever it saw you. Maybe my rooster was that one re-incarnated? LOL Sylvia

This sounds like my story! You are literally recounting what I am going through... Richard was my favorite chick, I loved him as a young cockrel,. but something has seriously changed. Nick is beginning to take over all chicken duties because I can't handle going into the coop with him. It is terrible but a part of me hopes he will get taken out by a predator.. At least then I won't have to make the decision and he would go down in a firey glory, doing what he does best, protecting his hens. I wonder if it is because I was the most hands on from day one, Richard sees me as the other "rooster" and is constantly testing my position in his little pecking order.

 

[Sylviaanne]

I found this article: http://www.motherearthnews.com/home...elp-for-agressive-roosters.aspx#axzz32P6qFhzJ

I wish this guy lived near me and was here when my rooster was attacking me. Never fight back? That doesn't always work, my rooster took it for a sign of weakness and went after me anyways.

What is this guy's definition of "aren't very dangerous?" My rooster would make my legs, arms and hands bleed from attacking me.
Don't scare them? Every time I walked out of the house he would come for me, when did I have time to scare him?
They do a little dance before attacking? How can I see that when he is behind me?
Back off a little and they will forget all about you? He used to do a stealth bomber attack from behind me, I wasn't even looking for him.
Feed them handfuls of grain? All the other birds would come up and eat out of my hand but not him.

I swear this rooster knew I was so scared of him that I was shaking inside and that is why he would continue to attack me.

Maybe there is something in his article that might help you. I really wish my evil bird was still here. Sylvia