Sultan Rooster attack

[Jharper]

My Sultan Rooster Rocky has been trying to spur me ever since we have gotten a knew hen (silkie bantam). I believe that he has favored her really quickly; this only happens when I pick her up. Is there anything I could do so he is more calm? He is only 8 1/2 months old.

 

[Pinky]

Grab him and hold him firmly to the ground. Don't let him up until he stops struggling. You may have to repeat this a couple times before he gets the idea, but it does work most of the time for me.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

He'd have been stew at my house already.

If he's that young, you MIGHT be able to stop this behavior, so give it a try. If he comes up behind you to attack you, kick him. HARD. Chase him around squawking just like a rooster would chase a junior rooster. Catch him. Pin him to the ground. Hold him upside down. If he fluffs up his neck feathers and stands erect when he looks at you, grab him and pin him to the ground. Don't let him mate any birds in front of you--kick him off. Remember that those are YOUR hens and YOU are the top rooster. Treat him like a subordinate, always.

If he keeps attacking, time to make coq au vin.

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Never heard of those methods before.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Never heard of those methods before.

You just need to communicate with him in a manner that he understands.

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

I was thinking of getting one and I was afraid to do that becuase it may be aggressive.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

I was thinking of getting one and I was afraid to do that becuase it may be aggressive.

I have had many roosters over the years, and have only had to get rid of one adult for aggression. I have sold some juveniles that seemed like they could be aggressive when older . I've had all kinds of breeds, from Leghorns to EEs to Delawares, to Orpingtons. Right now we have three--a Rhode Island Red, an Ameraucana, and a Marans. The RIR, our boss rooster, is three years old and weighs more than nine pounds. He is big enough to cause serious bruises and cuts if he wanted to attack--but he has only ever tried one time, when he was young and stupid. He came up behind me and tried to jump at me. I kicked him mid-jump. Then I chased him around squawking and flapping my arms, just like I was the biggest, baddest roo he'd ever seen. I make sure he doesn't breed my hens in front of me, and he actually hasn't tried to for years. The key is to be the boss rooster, so big and bad that he KNOWS it would be a bad idea to challenge you.

I will say that I don't treat my roosters as pets. I *want* them to be slightly afraid of me. Perfect rooster behavior for me is that they don't panic and flap around when I walk into the hen house or pasture, but they don't come towards me, and will move away from me when I walk towards them. I've heard too many horror stories of people having such sweet roosters, love them and sit in their laps, that turn into flogging beasts with no fear.

We have two small children that LOVE to gather eggs, so we don't tolerate aggressive roosters. They get two chances. The first aggressive move, I treat them like I outlined above. The second time they come at me, they don't see another sunrise.

As to your getting a rooster, it's not a bad idea. I like having a rooster in the flock--I think it cut way down on hen-to-hen aggression. The rooster breaks up hen fights. Also, good roosters are so sweet to the hens, showing them treats. You want a rooster that is not aggressive to you, and is good to the hens. Some roosters are too rough with hens, and pull feathers out during mating and cut them with their spurs. I think you could get a rooster, but be prepared to get rid of him if he's not the right one. You don't have to eat him--just be prepared to put him on Craigslist and try again.

You could look in the buy-sell-trade forum here on BYC--there are always lots of roosters there.

 

[CHICKEN CRAZY1]

Do you hatch eggs?

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

Yes, we have an incubator and we throw eggs under broody hens when we have one.

 

[Jharper]

Thanks a lot. I would hate to get rid of such a pretty Sultan Rooster.