The Complete Life Cycle of a (Mostly) Happy Rooster

[Intheswamp]

That is actually what I have been doing - somewhat. This I also learned here (BYC); the instant I feel him going after me I immediately try and grab him, which usually ends up as a chase - roosters are quick - and I either catch him or sometimes am lucky enough to herd him into the dog cage where he stays until I go out to fill their feed bins the next day and let him out. These 24 hour incarcerations usually do the trick. He leaves me alone or even avoids me. Unfortunately this only lasts for a couple of days tops.

The thing I don't like about doing this, besides the fact that any lessons learned are far too short lived, is that all this chasing gets the hens and pullets all agitated and they start panicking as well. And I am already starting to see some aloofness in them towards me. I certainly don't want the ladies to think of me as a threat. They are all people friendly and I would like to keep them that way, if not improve the poultry/human relationship.

Chaz (the rooster) is still in his cage, he gets feed and water regularly, but obviously cannot enjoy scratching and pecking and all the other things a rooster likes to do

. As of now I am actually thinking of keeping him there until all the pullets start laying (predicted: late February) in the hopes that ten mature hens will keep him too occupied to think about facing off with me. Or at least dampen his need to dominate. If that doesn't work then I will have no choice but to re-home him.

And I really don't want to have to do this; TTYTT, I actually like hearing him crow in the morning - kinda makes me feel all is OK.

FW, if the incarcerations "usually do the trick" it sounds like they don't work...you want a permanent solution. You are reacting to your roosters aggression rather than being the aggressor. You are basically *defending* yourself if you react to him and he expects this. Instead you should be the aggressor and instigate the encounter and make it where he doesn't want to be anywhere close to you. Make him believe that he needs to keep a safe distance from you for his on good. Being on the defense will most likely never change his attitude.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[FlyWheel]

OK, I'll try that. I really don't like chasing him around, ever since this started the hens have been getting more and more wary around me.This is not why I got Easter Eggers!

 

[FlyWheel]

UPDATE.

I've been using the periodic chase technique whenever I go out to the pen and he even gets close to me and it has helped. Somewhat, But he still has made lunges at me so from now on until spring when the pullets mature and start laying I'll continue to use the chase technique, in the hopes that he will eventually stop; but if and whenever he goes after me the kid gloves will be off and I'm going all Rodney King on his feathery arse. Not enough to injure him, but enough that he will not have any doubts that I am the top cock in this part of the woods!

 

[gagirl02]

Lots of cockerel and rooster attack stories. I can add my story and request some advice at the same time. My story begins with my brother and sister in law asking someone to help them by taking their cockerels and pullet off their hands. They went to a big box farm supply and bought six cute little chicks at Easter - 2016. They had no idea what they were getting until five of the six started trying to crow. That in a subdivision just wasn't going to work. Since I live very rural and was already interested in getting some chickens I took them off their hands. I don't know much about chickens but I do know I don't need five roosters and only one hen. I had three large cockerels, two smaller cockerels and a large pullet. One of the three large cockerels was a bit aggressive so I decided to get rid of those three and keep the smaller cockerels and the pullet. Turns out I have bantam cockerels, a Delaware and a Cochin, and a New Hampshire pullet. I found out I could pick up the Delaware and pet him but not the other two. I did notice that the Cochin is a little feisty and the pullet is wary of me. Time passed and decided I wanted some more layers since both cockerels were bothering the only pullet. My husband found someone that had three hens (they were chicks from the Easter before) They are white Leghorns. The guy had the three hens and a rooster. Before we could get them, something got in the pen and killed the rooster. This traumatized the hens so when we got them they had stopped laying. They are so skittish. They run as soon as they see a human. After some time I was able to incorporate them together. They get along fine. The Cochin, though, is my problem. He attacks me when I'm not looking. I carry a stick with me every time I go in their pen. I can't take my eyes off him. I'm in defense mode at all times. He is a very good cockerel. He protects those pullets like nobody's business. He is constantly watching over them. The New Hampshire is watched by the Delaware and the three Leghorns are watched by the Cochin. Tonight was the last straw with the Cochin. He ran under the table in their pen where I couldn't see him and attacked me. I hit him with the stick, he made contact about three times and kept attacking me a total of 10 times. Me continually hitting him with the stick. I don't like hitting him, I never hit hard enough to hurt or kill him. I had to get behind the gate and shut it quickly. I don't want to cull him because he is an excellent protector of the hens. (not to mention he is such a beautiful bird with those feathers all the way to the ground). I don't want to get into this dominance thing with the cockerel. There are so many posts on this thread, there's not enough time to read them all so I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

 

[FlyWheel]

I finally solved the problem of my aggressive rooster by using some down-home country discipline - A four foot long switch (a stick about 1/4" near the business end) around with me and whenever I saw the rooster approaching me i threatened him with it. If he tried anything that even looked like a challenge I chased after him hitting him whenever possible - hard. And I mean Show-No-Mercy hard! I could clearly hear the stick thwacking him. I kept this up, not giving him any quarter and making sure he knew I wasn't going to tolerate any funny business. After a week or so he finally figured out that I was The Top Cock of the pen. He rarely bothers me any more and even tends to stay in the furthest corner of the pen when I enter (especially if I'm holding that stick!).


@gagirl02 You have to hit him really hard. Don't hold back and don't show any fear or he'll continue to think he can dominate you. I know this sounds cruel, but as hard as I swung he never once got injured, and I'm a very healthy full grown man. If I didn't hurt mine I doubt you will hurt yours. Remember they're pretty well padded, just don't aim for their head.

 

[All Ball]

I looked around various threads when I was getting mild challenges from my roo, and saw that people generally warned against actually hurting them - they either felt there were effective methods that didn't require that, or that it would lead to the roo developing a competitive view of you as another roo adversary to attack from behind just when you'd decided the war was over.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Lots of cockerel and rooster attack stories.  I can add my story and request some advice at the same time.  My story begins with my brother and sister in law asking someone to help them by taking their cockerels and pullet off their hands.  They went to a big box farm supply and bought six cute little chicks at Easter - 2016.  They had no idea what they were getting until five of the six started trying to crow.  That in a subdivision just wasn't going to work.  Since I live very rural and was already interested in getting some chickens I took them off their hands.  I don't know much about chickens but I do know I don't need five roosters and only one hen.  I had three large cockerels, two smaller cockerels and a large pullet.  One of the three large cockerels was a bit aggressive so I decided to get rid of those three and keep the smaller cockerels and the pullet.  Turns out I have bantam cockerels, a Delaware and a Cochin, and a New Hampshire pullet.  I found out I could pick up the Delaware and pet him but not the other two.  I did notice that the Cochin is a little feisty and the pullet is wary of me.  Time passed and decided I wanted some more layers since both cockerels were bothering the only pullet.  My husband found someone that had three hens (they were chicks from the Easter before)  They are white Leghorns.  The guy had the three hens and a rooster.  Before we could get them, something got in the pen and killed the rooster.  This traumatized the hens so when we got them they had stopped laying.  They are so skittish.  They run as soon as they see a human. After some time I was able to incorporate them together.  They get along fine.  The Cochin, though, is my problem.  He attacks me when I'm not looking.  I carry a stick with me every time I go in their pen.  I can't take my eyes off him.  I'm in defense mode at all times.  He is a very good cockerel.  He protects those pullets like nobody's business.  He is constantly watching over them.  The New Hampshire is watched by the Delaware and the three Leghorns are watched by the Cochin.  Tonight was the last straw with the Cochin.  He ran under the table in their pen where I couldn't see him and attacked me.  I hit him with the stick, he made contact about three times and kept attacking me a total of 10 times.  Me continually hitting him with the stick.  I don't like hitting him, I never hit hard enough to hurt or kill him.  I had to get behind the gate and shut it quickly.  I don't want to cull him because he is an excellent protector of the hens.  (not to mention he is such a beautiful bird with those feathers all the way to the ground).  I don't want to get into this dominance thing with the cockerel.  There are so many posts on this thread, there's not enough time to read them all so I'd appreciate any help or suggestions.

As beautiful as he is, he will likely pass those genes on to chicks, if you hatch any from them, and I don't think you want that. Plus I don't think you really need two roosters anyway. With one as unpredictable as that, I'd probably lean toward culling. But if you're emotional like me and don't want to actuallt kill him, you could always just rehome him. If I ever get an aggressive roo I'll probably do that. Although being an aggressive roo, it will probably be hard to find a home for him. And if the flock is split like you describe with him taking care of certain girls, you might experience problems with the other "flock" integrating and roo watching the other 3 if you get rid of him. But then again maybe not.

 

[gagirl02]

I am emotionally attached to all 6 of them. I love getting their eggs but I just love to watch them in their habitat. Well, I thought I had this thing licked. On the advice of my husband I got a bigger stick. It's actually cumbersome but I carry it. The cockerel seemed to keep his distance this week until just now, this morning. Went to let them out and give them their morning salad when I noticed a hen was missing. So after giving them the salad, I went around the corner to check on her when I heard the rustling of leaves. Here he comes. Before I could position myself and get my stick ready, bam, the attack. I hit him and went after him. I didn't let up. I chased him swinging my stick. He was fleeing for his life. I've been thinking about this for a couple of days and have decided that for now I'm going to keep him. Thank goodness he's a bantam or I'd have to get rid of a normal size cockerel. If you think about what he's doing he's doing his job. He came after me to protect the hen. She happened to be in the nesting box laying her egg. I want a rooster to protect them. We live very rural with lots of predators so having him as their protector is important. I just know that I can't take my eyes off him. The other cockerel is not as alert as this one is. I can pick him up and carry him around with me. He takes his eye off the hens so I'd have to get another rooster. The new rooster might not get along with this one. These two cockerels grew up together so they get along fine. There's no fighting, they seem to divide their roles. Thank you all for your advice and comments. It's either cull or put up with so for now I will put up with.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It sounds like you have a pretty good handle on it then! Perhaps he will be able to be rehabbed after all then! And ah, I see why you want to keep him now. Speaking of what you said about being able to pick the other one up though, perhaps you should try that with this one? They say it helps to just pick them up and hold them/carry them aroundm

 

[gagirl02]

the pic as my avatar is my friendly cockerel. The white one in this pic is my mean-y. It's not a good pic of him. He's really beautiful. His feathers are flow-y. The breeze blows his feathers up lightly. He's just so pretty. Wish I had some girl Cochins.