Quote:
I didn't do the behavior modification. I think the duck is gonna handle it for me. I put the babies in the big pen but still in their brooder for a couple days so the old roo and the duck could get used to them. Then yesterday I let them out. Well, Little Meanness went straight for the duck and had him backed in a corner. Crazy, cause the duck is way bigger than that little roo. Anyway, the duck was terrified, for about two or three minutes. And then he'd had enough. Bit the daylights out of him. He sqwaked and came running. I wasn't in the pen, so I couldn't pick him up, but I watched. He got beaten around a bit then they left him alone. And he went back for more!!! He'll figure it out. The big roo finally had enough of the little roo running around and acting like that and put him in his place.
Today, they seemed to have established an order, and he's no longer the head roo at all. (Seriously, at this age could he already have been head roo??) Today, he was calm and docile and much more normal. So hopefully, this is going to help. I am also picking him up and carrying him. Until today, all that had gotten me was some extra efforts at biting. I've read that if you do that it helps them to see you as the dominant one. Not sure, but I'm hoping it works.
What do you do for behavior modification? It's gotta happen soon, because I have small children around and we can't have him acting like that around them. And since we let them out to range some, it could be dangerous for the kids if he continues this aggressiveness. He's just worrying me because he's the worst I've seen.
I've done a few roos with real good results. The big Barred Rock next door was attacking the neighbor, so I went over there and demonstrated, of course the neighbor is clueless and he's a "man" so he really doesn't listen to women. (so also, after telling him 100 times that hens do not eat scratch and scratch only, one of his hens broke her leg due to rickets, then he finally now feeds them layer, and I got the hen, heehee).
But his roo won't come after me anymore. My silkie roo was attacking me, and I cured him as well. First off, you never back away. And you don't get into a fight with him like with a stick. You put on some heavy clothes, and go and make him move off his spot, and keep walking behind him making him move and move and move. Then you don't let him go to eat, you shoosh him away with your foot, just like pushing him along. The same with the water. You have to show him that you dictate what he does. I would do this for about 10-15 minutes a day. It makes you alpha roo. Just keep walking toward him and shooshing him along with your foot without being mean, if you're mean you give him reason to fight. Then I would just pick him up and pet him because I can. He became my my moosh mouse, and he would wait for me every night to tuck him in. Sadly he died, I think it was latent Marek's, he was 2 1/2 years old.
But it gives you great satisfaction to modify a roo. I had 5 roos and no problems. I like your duck story, LOL
yeah, i could probably convince him I'm the alpha. But I don't think my kids can. That's what's worrying me. If he comes after me, I'll handle him. If he gets my girls, well, that's different. They can't convince him they are the alpha. And I don't want to subject them to his biting to train him not to do that with them. I've decided, even though he seemed some better, to rehome him if possible, letting the people who take him know in advance of his temperament. If that doesn't work, then it's off to freezer camp.
I didn't do the behavior modification. I think the duck is gonna handle it for me. I put the babies in the big pen but still in their brooder for a couple days so the old roo and the duck could get used to them. Then yesterday I let them out. Well, Little Meanness went straight for the duck and had him backed in a corner. Crazy, cause the duck is way bigger than that little roo. Anyway, the duck was terrified, for about two or three minutes. And then he'd had enough. Bit the daylights out of him. He sqwaked and came running. I wasn't in the pen, so I couldn't pick him up, but I watched. He got beaten around a bit then they left him alone. And he went back for more!!! He'll figure it out. The big roo finally had enough of the little roo running around and acting like that and put him in his place.
Today, they seemed to have established an order, and he's no longer the head roo at all. (Seriously, at this age could he already have been head roo??) Today, he was calm and docile and much more normal. So hopefully, this is going to help. I am also picking him up and carrying him. Until today, all that had gotten me was some extra efforts at biting. I've read that if you do that it helps them to see you as the dominant one. Not sure, but I'm hoping it works.
What do you do for behavior modification? It's gotta happen soon, because I have small children around and we can't have him acting like that around them. And since we let them out to range some, it could be dangerous for the kids if he continues this aggressiveness. He's just worrying me because he's the worst I've seen.
I've done a few roos with real good results. The big Barred Rock next door was attacking the neighbor, so I went over there and demonstrated, of course the neighbor is clueless and he's a "man" so he really doesn't listen to women. (so also, after telling him 100 times that hens do not eat scratch and scratch only, one of his hens broke her leg due to rickets, then he finally now feeds them layer, and I got the hen, heehee).
But his roo won't come after me anymore. My silkie roo was attacking me, and I cured him as well. First off, you never back away. And you don't get into a fight with him like with a stick. You put on some heavy clothes, and go and make him move off his spot, and keep walking behind him making him move and move and move. Then you don't let him go to eat, you shoosh him away with your foot, just like pushing him along. The same with the water. You have to show him that you dictate what he does. I would do this for about 10-15 minutes a day. It makes you alpha roo. Just keep walking toward him and shooshing him along with your foot without being mean, if you're mean you give him reason to fight. Then I would just pick him up and pet him because I can. He became my my moosh mouse, and he would wait for me every night to tuck him in. Sadly he died, I think it was latent Marek's, he was 2 1/2 years old.
But it gives you great satisfaction to modify a roo. I had 5 roos and no problems. I like your duck story, LOL
yeah, i could probably convince him I'm the alpha. But I don't think my kids can. That's what's worrying me. If he comes after me, I'll handle him. If he gets my girls, well, that's different. They can't convince him they are the alpha. And I don't want to subject them to his biting to train him not to do that with them. I've decided, even though he seemed some better, to rehome him if possible, letting the people who take him know in advance of his temperament. If that doesn't work, then it's off to freezer camp.
![https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43218_img_1167.jpg[/img]](https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/43218_img_1167.jpg[/img]){kind=link}