Suddenly aggressive roosters

[sidechiks]

Hello, I live on an acre and my flock is fully free to explore. So, they have a large coup, plenty of free roaming, shade, lots of availability of food and bugs and treats. I go out every couple of hours to tend to my flock. I spend a decent amount of time out with them, but not as much as I would like (will be more feasible in the Fall/Winter). It is 110 plus degrees here in AZ right now and I usually have my toddlers behind me. Anyway, I have four roosters. One use to be aggressive, but if you saw my first post, then you know he was badly injured. He has just healed and been accepted back into the flock and has significantly chilled out. I inherited a rooster about two weeks ago and when I got him, he was extremely docile. I never saw a rooster so docile. However, I have a Bantham rooster that has always been dickish. In fact his name is Little Dick. He crows all the time and hates to be touched. Well, it seems his bad attitude has rubbed off the new rooster, Frankie. And our biggest rooster Hawkeye has now started to be very aggressive. He tried attacking me the other day. He attacked my son today and Little Dick is right in the middle of it. While this was happening, Frankie was attacking my daughter. I just don't understand. My kids don't do anything. They stand by me or walk around while I feed and water and clean up, but don't bug them at all. They just like being outside. I love my roosters, but I don't want jerk roosters. I read through some posts that many say they didn't have this problem and that roosters for the most part of fine. I don't know what is up my three this past couple of days. I want to have hatchlings and really have a go at homesteading. I don't stand down to them and will fight them off. I have no issues with that and I respect boundaries and letting roosters and hens be their authentic self and not over coddle. Am I gonna have to turn these roosters in meat?

 

[DonyaQuick]

It sounds like all was well until the new roo. The addition of a new roo could have thrown the existing flock dynamic out of whack and made both new and older roos cranky/defensive.

Not sure what posts you saw about roosters usually being fine in similar situations but there are many posts about roos attacking small children.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Attacking a child warrants instant death in my opinion. Aggression shouldn't be tolerated at all. There are millions of free roosters people are trying to get rid of, why keep bad ones?

 

[LaFleche]

With kids as young as yours I would rehome all your human aggressive roosters to the freezer ASAP.

You can let a broody hatch some of the eggs that would still be fertile up to 2 weeks after the last mating. This way the future males would be raised and educated by adult hens that won't tolerate much nonsense.
Usually, cockerels raised by older hens in a multigenerational flock will keep their distance and be more respectful of humans as they will not see and treat them as equals.

 

[Mrs. K]

The thing with roosters, is yesterdays behavior is no indicator for tomorrow, next week or next month. I am not sure if this is your first flock? Do the children share the play area with the chickens? Are most of the birds flock mates, as in they were all raised together? How old are the birds now? How many do you have? Do you have any older birds?

With the little children, just wanting to be out with them, I would not have a rooster until the youngest is 6 years old. There are years to work into this hobby, you don't have to do it all at once. Truthfully, I am love growing my own food, and presenting it to the table. These boys have just been invited to dinner.

Things to do, until your own little ones get bigger:

• order sexed chicks and raise them up in the flock
• pray for a broody hen, and let her raise the chicks
• think of your chickens as a flock in which birds come into it and birds move out of it.
• After a year or two - you could try raising a rooster up in the flock. You will have more experience, and be aware, and your kids will be bigger.

I do not believe in training a rooster once it has become aggressive. If you were the only adult, and wanted to play with that idea it would be one thing, but I would not risk the children. I am sure that the attacks will become more violent. There are some wicked injuries that can occur. Cockerels/roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of kids...and a lot of adults.

Mrs K

 

[Red Mangrove]

With kids as young as yours I would rehome all your human aggressive roosters to the freezer ASAP.

You can let a broody hatch some of the eggs that would still be fertile up to 2 weeks after the last mating. This way the future males would be raised and educated by adult hens that won't tolerate much nonsense.
Usually, cockerels raised by older hens in a multigenerational flock will keep their distance and be more respectful of humans as they will not see and treat them as equals.

Someone here said that they believe rooster aggression occurs primarily from chicks imprinting on humans. I believe it. The only aggressive rooster I've ever had was from my first batch of chickens that I raised myself. Since then it's only been broody hens and smooth sailing

 

[Nashv755]

Hello, I live on an acre and my flock is fully free to explore. So, they have a large coup, plenty of free roaming, shade, lots of availability of food and bugs and treats. I go out every couple of hours to tend to my flock. I spend a decent amount of time out with them, but not as much as I would like (will be more feasible in the Fall/Winter). It is 110 plus degrees here in AZ right now and I usually have my toddlers behind me. Anyway, I have four roosters. One use to be aggressive, but if you saw my first post, then you know he was badly injured. He has just healed and been accepted back into the flock and has significantly chilled out. I inherited a rooster about two weeks ago and when I got him, he was extremely docile. I never saw a rooster so docile. However, I have a Bantham rooster that has always been dickish. In fact his name is Little Dick. He crows all the time and hates to be touched. Well, it seems his bad attitude has rubbed off the new rooster, Frankie. And our biggest rooster Hawkeye has now started to be very aggressive. He tried attacking me the other day. He attacked my son today and Little Dick is right in the middle of it. While this was happening, Frankie was attacking my daughter. I just don't understand. My kids don't do anything. They stand by me or walk around while I feed and water and clean up, but don't bug them at all. They just like being outside. I love my roosters, but I don't want jerk roosters. I read through some posts that many say they didn't have this problem and that roosters for the most part of fine. I don't know what is up my three this past couple of days. I want to have hatchlings and really have a go at homesteading. I don't stand down to them and will fight them off. I have no issues with that and I respect boundaries and letting roosters and hens be their authentic self and not over coddle. Am I gonna have to turn these roosters in meat?

Do you allow them to breed around you? I take on the roll of flock leader with mine when I'm around. I simply knock them off the hens with my foot and take a couple steps towards them if they mount near me and treat them like any other bird in the flock when behaving. I never have aggressive cockerels or roosters no matter who visits no matter if I'm home or not.


I think of it this way. If any of your birds are comfortable enough to hang out with you. They see you as part of the flock. That puts you in the pecking order but if you show a little dominance you are automatically the flock leader and have final say of who you allow in the yard. If someone comes in the yard and you are ok with it, they are ok with it. Because you are the flock leader and that would be a challenge to you if they try anything. It's like being a boss. Be to nice and they will try to take over once they get comfortable with what they can get away with. Breeding infront of the flock leader is considered a challenge in the chicken world to see if he's a pushover.