Topic of the Week - Aggressive Roosters: What is the best way to handle them?

[itsamyo]

I have a beautiful Barred Rock Rooster who has been so sweet until about 3 wks. ago. He now charges me & tries to scratch at me. Needless to say, my feelings are hurt

He belongs to my disabled son so I'm hesitant to eat him. Whenever I go outside I take my cane or if I'm out & he's coming at me I turn & raise my arms & "get big". That works. But, darn, he's sneaked up on me a few times & tried to dig out my back & legs. Good thing I had on jeans.

 

[chikchikchikey]

My husband wouldn't listen to me either when I voiced my concern over a rooster that watched me and would come out of nowhere to fly at me feet first. This guy viewed me as competition for HIS hens. I put an add on Craigs List and was able to rehome him the next day. If you are afraid, don't listen to anybody telling you what you need to do. Just rid of the rooster. Life will be much easier.

 

[AllynTal]

Some roosters are really amazing flock members that knows their place and looks after their flocks without ever causing issues, or show signs of aggression towards his hens, or humans. But sometimes a problem rooster crops up that shows either excessive aggression to his hens, or attacks humans. In this thread, please tell me your thoughts on how to best manage an aggressive rooster, specifically:

- What was your experience(s) with aggressive roosters and what did you try/do to remedy it?
- Should aggressive roosters be rehabilitated, rehomed, or invited for dinner?

I had a few cockerels out of the last batch of chicks that turned out to be troublemakers. One -- his designation is Black Band -- was the first to show signs of testosterone poisoning and he was a bully to all the other chicks. He started acting aggressive with me and I was having none of it. If he pecked me aggressively, I pecked him back. I thumped him on the head with a finger and advanced on him until he ran away. I know some 'experts' say not to do anything to aggressive cockerels because it just reinforces their human aggressiveness, but I disagree. I pecked that cockerel and chased him every time he acted aggressive and he stopped bothering me. In fact, when the rest of the cockerels started getting their own doses of testosterone, they started punking him and he ended up near the bottom of the cockerel pecking order for a while.

Then I had a cockerel -- Red Band -- who was strongly exerting himself, not only among the other cockerels, but also with the pullets. He was really mean to the pullets. He chased them away from food and water, even if he wasn't eating or drinking. I ate him first and he was delicious as lemon chicken in the crockpot. It's one thing to be aggressive with me, but I won't tolerate a cockerel being aggressive to the pullets.

Another of the cockerels started attacking me -- Purple Band. I did the same thing as I had with the first one, pecking him back and chasing him. I ate him, too. In fact, I ate all of them but three. Of the three left, one is on hold to go to another flock for breeding purposes. He'll be leaving in a couple of weeks. Of the two staying, one is the alpha -- definitely the flock leader -- his designation is Yellow Band. The other one is his lieutenant. They work together, and communicate back and forth as they oversee the flock. The lieutenant knows his place, at least so far. Guess what? The lieutenant is Black Band; that chick who bullied all the other chicks and tried to bully me, too. He's a good boy now. He doesn't act the least bit aggressive with me.

I don't consider rehoming an option for me. I hatch eggs and get straight runs of chicks, so I have to take responsibility for the extra boys in the flock. Aggressive roosters make yummy Cashew Chicken.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

Some of my aggressive roosters wouldn't go near me after I introduced them to an umbrella - it sure does give them a shock when you pop it out in front of them.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

I didn't read this whole thread, but just wished to respond to the OP.

Also I should say I've never had one of those sociopathic roosters people often hear about. So my dealings with roosters have all be very good, ... so far!

I did have one, an easter egger roo, who started to front with me and attack my heels if I'd walk by. I remedied this by turning around swiftly, picking him up and tucking him under my arm and walking around with him for a while... as if he was a rag doll. It worked. You don't have to be violently aggressive... in fact, I would suggest not as this could make the situation worse. But you just have to let them know early who is boss (well, the ones I've had, as I said none were those kind that were insanely wicked) The more respectful you are with them, the more you can get them to open up to you and respect you. Don't hurt them, but firmly and gently carry them around until they get it that you are in charge, not them. Stay calm, like its no big deal too. Don't be afraid of them. This is what I've found.. don't know if this is true for all roosters though. I pity those who deal with a real nightmare of a roo!

I do want to note now that the rooster mentioned is now very much friendly with me and not had a problem with him being aggressive with me since.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

Some of my aggressive roosters wouldn't go near me after I introduced them to an umbrella - it sure does give them a shock when you pop it out in front of them.

lol.. yes, umbrellas do seem to be quite a startling thing to chickens in general.

 

[Folly's place]

With roosters, you win some, and lose some, and it's both genetics and management. Bad boys will be jerks no matter what! Some cockrels will be able to learn to be respectful towards people, and some are just too stupid and driven to figure it out. It's also true that a bad boy may stop attacking one person, but go after everyone else, especially children. These birds need to be gone! My winter flock of about 35 birds will include four to six roosters, who must be polite to everyone, including each other. This spring, one of my roosters had to be rehomed because another rooster started harassing him. Spring fever! Right now I still have many cockrels, two to four months old. All are being good boys (so far!!!) but by fall, all but a couple of them will move on. Mary

 

[leafhopperfarm]

My first rooster started getting aggressive after he'd settled in with the hens for a few months. By picking him up and walking around with him while checking the hen house every evening, I'd pet and talk to him about being a nicer guy. After a week of handling him, the charging and kicking stopped. I think he was too embarrassed! My current rooster, (son of the previous mentioned) has never charged me, except when I am catching his ladies and they are squawking, but I appreciate him defending his hens then and do not correct him. I could not imagine tolerating aggression, I'd stew pot any rooster who keeps attacking me, and would not want chicks out of that sire.

 

[Lisa Wood]

I've had many cocks; the good, the bad, and the really bad, over the years.  I do NOT try to make pets out of my cockrels, rather I walk 'through' them and expect them to get out of my way at all times.  Cockrels who are 'friendly' as chicks have often not turned out well, in my experience.  I won't waste my time trying to reform a bird who's not going to be a 'keeper' for any other reason, but I have tried to reform cockrels who challenged me IN ANY WAY, maybe twice.  That's it, and then they are on the dinner list.  Tammy's RIR is likely not going to turn out well, IMO.  Here there are no excuses;  what I'm wearing, if I'm annoying another bird, phases of the moon, whatever.  The game bird people have shown that human aggression is separate from cock fighting behavior, and they have culled 'man fighters' for generations, even though their birds will fight each other to death.  (Ugh, but it shows something about chicken genetics).  Nasty roosters can cause serious injuries, and need to be gone before that happens.  Someone will be happy to have a nice dinner, if not you.  Managing your flock is part of being a good chicken keeper!  Mary

Off subject, but I do dogs alot. So many people are afraid of Pit Bulls because of dog agression, they think it relates to people aggression. Two different things. People aggressive are abominations of the breed.
Interesting that birds are the same.
We got our first chickens ever in May. Because I read so many horror stories about roos, we ordered eight females. Got nine females, and one accidental male who acted different from the get go. Because I have never raised chicks, and ordered females, I just thought he was an addled female. He was removed from flock first DAY for attempting to pluck their eyes out. I was ready to ring his neck right then, but husband protected him. Then it dawned on me when he was maybe 8 weeks old.
I thought he was aggressive with girls, till I read they actually stand on her back, from a book. I use ideas I learned here. He is only 12 weeks, so who knows. He clucks and pays attention if I upset a female, but calms down when I speak to him and he sees its ok. He once blocked my path and stared at me. He was telling me "Hey chicken waitress! We have no WATER!" Not a good thing here in SC. I walk thru him, make him move when perched sometimes, and while they all eat from my hand, he is just more stand offish. I am moving forward with the idea he is good.

 

[Lisa Wood]

Just wanted to add, I read in Storeys that the amount of testosterone is directly related to heighth and color of comb. Males read each other this way, and decide what position they hold, will they callenge another rooster, etc. Fascinating book