Roosters behaviour.

[farmer90]

Last spring I hatched out some chicks. My luck of having girls is not good so I ended up with only two hens. All the mean roosters got invited to dinner by autumn and I left two gentlemen as I couldn't decide which one to cull. So right now I have 2 hens and 2 roos. I know my ratio is far from being perfect but they get along fine. Everyone is happy and healthy.

So now to the problem. Both roos have been nice to me and to my kids, never shown any signs of aggression towards us. My husband is a stranger to them, he prefers to keep away as keeping poultry is my hobby. One day when I had a long day at work I asked him to change water and collect eggs. Both rooster attacked him.

I was genuinely surprised. Did they think of him as an intruder and protected their territory? Could the behaviour transfer towards other people or did they decide to just hate him? One of them will be dinner by spring anyway as my movable summer coop will be too small for both of them. Now I'm thinking whether I should consider culling them both? I'm not sure what to do. Towards me they're still perfect and polite gentlemen. Today we went in together and my favourite roo was attacking him again.

 

[thecatumbrella]

You'll likely get a lot of differing opinions. Personally, I've never had a rooster, but I intend to try one with my next flock. I would not tolerate any aggression towards humans. Like you said, you and your kids are familiar to him. But what if one of your kids has a friend over? That child is now a potential target. I would cull both out of an abundance of caution.

 

[farmer90]

Thank you for responding. I've had kids friends came over, feeding them and petting hens and it's all been fine. I'll definitely be more alert from now on and look for any signs of aggression.

 

[McChooky]

I'm the only one around my chickens and the only one who does chores so I'm the only one who could get hurt by my roosters.I would like to add my rooster has tried to attack me and will be culled soon. Its a huge liability to expose other peoples kids to a rooster that's attacked family members before (esp adults)

 

[farmer90]

I agree it's a huge liability. After the attack I forbid anyone else to enter there and I'm thinking about my options for the future. I do not want to gamble with the health of children especially when I know a 40 year old woman who still bares the scars of rooster attack on her back from the time she was a little girl.

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

No way aggression toward people can not be tolerated! You don't know when they will turn on a person!! Children will be children just because you tell them not to "chase the rooster" or "tease the rooster" doesn't mean they will always listen..then that rooster feels threatened to him and his flock that is how bad things happen I really like our roosters so I do understand your feelings for them, but if one attacked my husband it would have already been gone. Now they have shown you a pattern and sadly that is very hard to break.

 

[McChooky]

After I watched a video on how to use vinegar water to stop rooster aggression my rooster stopped. All I did was spray him in the face every time be blocked my path or tried to attack me. It didn't change his fate when he stopped but its given me more time to replace him.My motto is never turn your back on them. Good luck!

 

[Perris]

Last spring I hatched out some chicks. My luck of having girls is not good so I ended up with only two hens. All the mean roosters got invited to dinner by autumn and I left two gentlemen as I couldn't decide which one to cull. So right now I have 2 hens and 2 roos. I know my ratio is far from being perfect but they get along fine. Everyone is happy and healthy.

So now to the problem. Both roos have been nice to me and to my kids, never shown any signs of aggression towards us. My husband is a stranger to them, he prefers to keep away as keeping poultry is my hobby. One day when I had a long day at work I asked him to change water and collect eggs. Both rooster attacked him.

I was genuinely surprised. Did they think of him as an intruder and protected their territory? Could the behaviour transfer towards other people or did they decide to just hate him? One of them will be dinner by spring anyway as my movable summer coop will be too small for both of them. Now I'm thinking whether I should consider culling them both? I'm not sure what to do. Towards me they're still perfect and polite gentlemen. Today we went in together and my favourite roo was attacking him again.

you do not say how your husband behaved when he entered their territory.

What follows is based on the assumption that they are confined (especially "today we went in together"); please clarify, especially if they are not.

Quite apart from his unfamiliarity to them, which would have made him threatening to them, he might have behaved nervously or aggressively towards them, or was very blatant about predating the nests to take the eggs, which could provoke an attack. In that case yes, their behaviour was defending their territory and their family.

What did your husband do when your favourite roo attacked him in front of you? What did you do?

You have already stated that they are fine with you and your kids. I expect this will prompt howls of outrage from the hang 'em and flog 'em brigade, but imo the problem is not the roos, it is the confinement, and perhaps also the husband's behaviour when shut in the same small space with them. Your experience as you related it suggests as much.

 

[farmer90]

They are in greenhouse during the winter. There's plenty of room, some people don't even have a barn this huge and wide. Their little shelter where they sleep and lay eggs is based on the back of the greenhouse and the first time they attacked my husband was when he went to the back to get the eggs.

Ofcourse I was doubtful at first, because when I wear different clothes or boots there's sometimes some curious pecking involved and maybe a person who's not familiar with chicken behaviour might misinterpret this as an attack. We went into the greenhouse together so I could see it first hand. My husband just stood there, he didn't do anything provoking. My favourite, beta roo was the initiator again. He started viciously pecking at his boots then started to aim a little higher, flying at him. I asked him to step out, then went to the back and collected the eggs. All was fine again.

The first time it was the same. First the beta roo started attacking and in some time the alpha joined in. If it's really only about my husband, it would be fine as he rarely deals with the chicken. But I'm mostly afraid this unreasonable violence might endanger other people.

 

[Perris]

If it's really only about my husband, it would be fine as he rarely deals with the chicken.

Perhaps get him to do some treat training with them, so they come to realize that he's not a threat? Is he OK with that, would he stay calm, or is he anxious around them?

But I'm mostly afraid this unreasonable violence might endanger other people.

who else goes in the greenhouse? And is it unreasonable anyway? "Man is very likely the worst enemy of jungle fowl" according to Collias N & E 1967: 375, and I'm inclined to agree with them.