Tips on working with a mean 2 year old rooster?

[hysop]

Good article, except that there's no way I'm going to passively allow a bird to attack me! Or a dog, or a horse, or whoever. Making it totally clear that chickens, dogs, cats, and horses, all have different minds and behaviors.
Mary

Haha yeah, I was like am I reading this right? It hurts!! I can’t remain calm while being spurred. But other than that I liked the tips.

I’ll keep everyone updated either by replying here or making a new thread if Masala (my meanie Black Jersey Giant) ever turns a new leaf. I have until December of this year.

 

[centrarchid]

Good article, except that there's no way I'm going to passively allow a bird to attack me! Or a dog, or a horse, or whoever. Making it totally clear that chickens, dogs, cats, and horses, all have different minds and behaviors.
Mary

I keep roosters for real, and had experience will all the other animals mentioned. Approaches different with species. I can have people come through without concern about attacks. I can also spot human behaviors that cause problems. Many of those causing problems refuse to make adjustments.

 

[hysop]

@centrarchid — I think I’m gonna triple layer my clothes and then I will go out and interact with my rooster. That way the multiple laters will lessen the spur attacks. I am scared of him only because he’s scary looking when he flares up and because I know his spurs hurt. But you’re right, attacking back won’t help anything.

 

[centrarchid]

@centrarchid — I think I’m gonna triple layer my clothes and then I will go out and interact with my rooster. That way the multiple laters will lessen the spur attacks. I am scared of him only because he’s scary looking when he flares up and because I know his spurs hurt. But you’re right, attacking back won’t help anything.

You got to get over being scared of him and future replacements. It is likely your actions to date make the aggression worse. Most of time, even during winter, I wear shorts. On rare days working a problematic rooster, protective clothing is worn usually as a glove only. If a rooster is one the requires me to wear coveralls, he is penned as described previously so only a glove is needed.

Trim the spurs if they are long. I use a hack saw and cut so only about 3/4".

Can you isolate him in a pen as I described?

 

[hysop]

Isolate him by himself or with his flock? Right now I put him and his flock (5 hens) in a 20 by 20 (fence) run with a coop that is off the floor. He used to free range but I wanted to move them to a new coop, which they now associate their new place as their permanent coop. He had stopped being aggressive until a few weeks after I moved him and out of the blue he attacked my ankle when I walked in to throw them some feed, which I had done multiple times with no reaction from him. Not really sure why the change, I read the article that was recommended and it said sometimes a rooster feels threatened by others feeding their flock.

I was going to let him and his flock free range again but my husband said Masala (BJG roo) attacked him while getting the eggs and he didn’t want to let them free range just yet. We did let em free one day that we had a mild storm and they went back to their coop for shelter that day after walking freely not too far from their run.

 

[centrarchid]

I isolate many roosters in relatively small pens without hens. Place high and make so they are not distracted by using covers of some sort. When feeding, do not do it all at once. Do not apply feed immediately after he gets sassy. Move slowly and do not react if he shows aggression. Move real slow.

The business of attacking ankles does not provide enough information to address. Some of mine go through a stage where they have similar inclinations. For a few days I walk more slowly than usual making no adjustments for where the rooster is located. Move slow enough so he can get out of way without feeling threatened. Do not kick or feign a kick, nor use objects like brooms.

 

[centrarchid]

The roosters feeling threatened by someone else feeding hens might be feed bucket-aggression. Especially if he does a lot of running around as feed is applied and he stops when you no longer have feed container. That is more likely when almost all interactions involve delivery of feed or treats.

 

[Chicken_lover1]

I had a mean rooster that would attack my three year old and my dogs. We eventually found out that the people who watched our chickens for us when we were gone would chase the hens. We told them to not chase the hens any more and the rooster saw no threat in us any more. So it turns out he was just pretecting his hens.

So I advise you not to chase your hens. I also heard that when they come up to you like their gonna attack you to just spray them with water

 

[getaclue]

IF he's really that aggressive, and you really want to work with him, get a long handled fish net, and a cage. When you go in the coop, catch him. For me, it worked best if I got him near a corner, and swooped downward with the net, covering him. Do this carefully, and don't wield it with the force of a baseball bat. Now that he's caught, he should settle down, or wait a minute until he does. Slide your hand under the net, while pressing down on his back. Now, extricate him from the net, scoop him up, and deposit him in the cage. Work your coop, with him in the cage, where he can see you. He may get flustered when you are working with the hens. That's ok. Once he's caged, if you want to let the kids in, that's fine. For a couple weeks, let him see you, and the kids working the coop, while he's caged.

After a couple weeks, go catch him with the net, but don't cage him. Keep the net in your hand, as you lightly work your coop. Don't fluster the hens too much today. I usually designate about a 3 foot circle around me, that is my safe space. He is NOT to come into your safe space. If he tries, catch him in the net, move him away from where you're working, out of your safe space. Do this for a couple weeks, until he is always moving away from you when you enter the pen, staying out of your safe space, and staying away as you water, feed, and collect eggs.

When things are going a bit smoothly, catch him, cage him, pick up a hen, and check her over. Let him see you do it. When she settles down, make sure he's watching. Keep a watch on how he's reacting. Is he giving you stink eye? Is he leaning on one shoulder? Do this for a few days, then for a couple days, go back to just catching, and releasing him. After a couple days of catch, and release, cage him, and work with the hens again. When he gets to the point that he looks at you when a hen squawks, but is not flustered, and goes back to minding his own business, eating, scratching, then begin entering the coop with the net in your hand, walking straight up to him, let him move out of your way, and proceed doing coop chores, etc. BE AWARE that there are times, when a rooster has been allowed to remain aggressive to people for too long, and while this method, over time does work, the only time they will continue to be aggressive, is when you try to pick up a hen, and they are loose. I had one that was fine, as long as I was not picking up the hens to check them over. That's the only time, I had to catch him, and put him in the cage. Once I was done checking the hens over, or dusting them for pests, or worming them, I could release him, and he was fine. It was totally do-able. He did continue to improve over time. He was a good rooster, and I had him for many years. We worked out our system, and all was good.

 

[Fairview01]

One of my roosters advances to me for any reason they get punted with a size 13. When i enter the run and I'm working the flock those hens belong to me and he is no longer flock alpha. I am. It doesnt matter which animal that is being intetacted with we must communicate in their language. All this rooster physchology is insane. We can not transfer human emotions and reasoning ability to an animal with a brain pan not much larger than a fat lima bean. I dont care weather they respect me of fear me. Either one is equally acceptable. When i enter the run i want them to shy away from me not confront me.

And to those that favor rehabbing this rooster and giving it another chance in the presence of small children when there are 3 other roosters that have good personalities I have one thing in response. Stupid can't always be fixed.

I hope the OP doesnt have to be reminded of her poor judgement every morning when she sees her child.