I agree with you, too, Hotwings.
I talk sometimes about having aggressive roos--RIStewpot little Napoleon--but honestly, they've never been aggressive to ME (yet). No flogging, no pecking (well, not aggressive pecking, but I do get a that-freckle-looks-good-testing-peck every so often). If they try to dance at me, why, it IS cute, but as Cynthia says, it's just not a good idea for them to think of you as one of their hens. I pick them up firmly and carry them around with me while I do my chores. How humiliating for them, especially when they were trying to show off for the ladies.
Even mean little Napoleon never tried to be mean to ME... it was just to everyone else. He liked pinching and twisting wattles and combs especially.
When I'm in the coop and I see a rooster picking on someone else, I don't allow it. I pick him up. My favorite flock rooster has actually begun following my lead. I don't know if this is quite normal roo behavior or not, but the Dauphin will help me catch the offender... sometimes driving him into my hands. (It's much better to be picked up and carried by Momma than it is to be chased by the Dauphin.)
Most of the time, I just point at the offender's eye when I see him getting ready to take a hard peck at someone's head, and he goes off into the corner without making the attack, and without having to get picked up--the misery! (The Dauphin may scold him as he goes past.) I'm sure the behavior is quite different when I'm not around, but the point is that I'm the boss when I'm there.
I hope this relationship continues; it seems to be working for now. If the worm turns, I suppose I'll have to act or react accordingly. Actually, since we got rid of most of our extra roos, yesterday (then lost the light, so we'll have to finish up next week), I'm hoping it will get easier.
I talk sometimes about having aggressive roos--RIStewpot little Napoleon--but honestly, they've never been aggressive to ME (yet). No flogging, no pecking (well, not aggressive pecking, but I do get a that-freckle-looks-good-testing-peck every so often). If they try to dance at me, why, it IS cute, but as Cynthia says, it's just not a good idea for them to think of you as one of their hens. I pick them up firmly and carry them around with me while I do my chores. How humiliating for them, especially when they were trying to show off for the ladies.
Even mean little Napoleon never tried to be mean to ME... it was just to everyone else. He liked pinching and twisting wattles and combs especially.
When I'm in the coop and I see a rooster picking on someone else, I don't allow it. I pick him up. My favorite flock rooster has actually begun following my lead. I don't know if this is quite normal roo behavior or not, but the Dauphin will help me catch the offender... sometimes driving him into my hands. (It's much better to be picked up and carried by Momma than it is to be chased by the Dauphin.)
Most of the time, I just point at the offender's eye when I see him getting ready to take a hard peck at someone's head, and he goes off into the corner without making the attack, and without having to get picked up--the misery! (The Dauphin may scold him as he goes past.) I'm sure the behavior is quite different when I'm not around, but the point is that I'm the boss when I'm there.
I hope this relationship continues; it seems to be working for now. If the worm turns, I suppose I'll have to act or react accordingly. Actually, since we got rid of most of our extra roos, yesterday (then lost the light, so we'll have to finish up next week), I'm hoping it will get easier.