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

[Lincityfarmette]

Centrachid--- you made great contributions to this thread! Don't give it up please. Bobbi j , Aart ( not sure of spelling). You have all been informative about the aggressive rooster issue. So now the decisions of train by carrying and other handling, isolate, wait for maturity, dominate or soup are up to each of us. My belief in a Creator who gave us authority (probably a trigger word for some, I am sorry for that and I Get it) over the animals and this earth also leads me to be responsible for both to the best of my abilities. So...keep talking...we all have an affinity for these birds that is our commonality. We don't have to be the same, but respect is due because, well, we're just all a bunch of God's creation. And yes, I pray for the chickens sometimes. May Jesus richly bless you! Keep it comin'!!!

 

[melishkia]

I am not inclined to use that as a criterion for a good rooster. My free-range roosters that keep eggs fertile, provide protection against hawks, and literally help rear offspring will generally be up in roost before anyone else in their respective social group. The good roosters have an out sized role when it comes to roost site selection in the event it is changed. Sequence if going to roost I see is generally rooster, followed but hens, hens with chicks, then juveniles.

Just making a guess here but how long has it been since the younger girls have been introduced to the flock? Although the rooster will keep peace, I'm not sure the youngest are full fledged members from the get go. I think they need to be with the flock a bit longer. I am basing this on my own observations.
I have the main flock, which individuals and small groups have been integrated in over the years and I have this year's young ones who occupy the coop and run next door to each other so to speak. By winter, I want everyone in the main coop, but I'm not pushing it and both groups free range together, dust bathe under the same bushes and go in and out of each other's runs for food and drink.
This evening when I was closing the runs two of the younger girls were in the larger runs so I let them there and shut the door to the run. Later at dusk when I went out to close the chicken door within the run, all were inside with the exception of one of the younger girls (not quite four months' old) who was running along the fence line. I've watched the rooster many times and he will be the last one in and herd the girls in, but I'm guessing this one didn't want to go in. (The other one must have as she was inside.) She was running the fence line next to her run. For a moment I thought of opening the door and letting her go in but decided to go in and I herded her in and closed the door. The others were all inside on roosts.
My guess is she didn't get with the program so he left her as a non fully integrated flock member (They get along but the hens might reach over and peck the younger ones if they get too close.) and once the others were in, including the other young one, he went in
I intend to try to lock a few in every night and by fall they will be totally in the flock and under the guidance of the rooster.
Last year by September they were one cohesive group.

The younger girls have been out with the adults for about 2 months now, I can see there is technically 3 separate groups when I spend enough time with them however the younger ones usually combine into one group vs the adults. But for the most part they all stick together, the younger ones seem to forage more I guess they just have more energy but within range of the adults.

Thank you both for the answers and clearing that up for me!

 

[bobbi-j]

Ok everyone, I have a question for you. Since the topic is aggressive roosters, I am in need of advice.
I won't ask you what I should do, as I believe for safety sake(I have 3 kids), mr. Sizzler (yes, I named him that after we found out he was a smooth sizzle)will have to go!
What I am asking is on the timing of Mr. Sizzles departure.
Ok here it is
1. I have 4 adult hens 3 silkie/1EE
2. One of the silkies hatched 3 chicks about 4 weeks ago. Chicks are in the run with mom and rest of hens, and mr sizzler himself
3. I have 5 pullets(approx 13weeks old) I hatched and have them in run for about 3 weeks separated from adult hens, momma and chicks, and mr sizzler by hardware cloth.
I do free range all of them together and all is well, little spats, but nothing extreme.
I want to remove the barrier and fully integrate them. I was under the impression that roosters keep a peaceful balance in the flock.
Mr. sizzle is awesome with the hens, and the new chicks. I am hoping he can make the transition easier, and then once all is well he can disappear.
He is aggressive with my husband. He is constantly after him, trying to spur him.
Of course he is fine around everyone else, however I have 3 kids, and that could change. I am in no hurry, as the coop is at our farm and my husband is the one who checks on them every other day. I unfortunatly am only able to see them on the weekends due to kids school. So the kids won't be in danger of getting hurt. My husband and I need sugesstions on timing mr sizzler a departure.
Before or after I remove the barrier?
We are going down this weekend to add sand to the run, and wanted to have a plan. We are going to remove barrier and needed advice.
See below so you may get a better idea of what I am talking about.
The barrier is on the right side of the pic. There is hardware cloth in the middle so they have been able to see each other for weeks now.

How old is he? If he's an adolescent, he may not be old enough to "keep peace in the flock" anyway. Personally, since you're going to get rid of him anyway, I'd do it before mixing the other groups. Otherwise, you'll have change, change, and more change. Chickens don't do change well. There will likely be squabbles even though your birds have all been in proximity to one another. It's not like having physical contact. Although you likely have reduced the severity of those squabbles by letting them get used to each other.

 

[Shezadandy]

Ok everyone, I have a question for you. Since the topic is aggressive roosters, I am in need of advice.
I won't ask you what I should do, as I believe for safety sake(I have 3 kids), mr. Sizzler (yes, I named him that after we found out he was a smooth sizzle)will have to go!
What I am asking is on the timing of Mr. Sizzles departure.
Ok here it is
1. I have 4 adult hens 3 silkie/1EE
2. One of the silkies hatched 3 chicks about 4 weeks ago. Chicks are in the run with mom and rest of hens, and mr sizzler himself
3. I have 5 pullets(approx 13weeks old) I hatched and have them in run for about 3 weeks separated from adult hens, momma and chicks, and mr sizzler by hardware cloth.
I do free range all of them together and all is well, little spats, but nothing extreme.
I want to remove the barrier and fully integrate them. I was under the impression that roosters keep a peaceful balance in the flock.
Mr. sizzle is awesome with the hens, and the new chicks. I am hoping he can make the transition easier, and then once all is well he can disappear.
He is aggressive with my husband. He is constantly after him, trying to spur him.
Of course he is fine around everyone else, however I have 3 kids, and that could change. I am in no hurry, as the coop is at our farm and my husband is the one who checks on them every other day. I unfortunatly am only able to see them on the weekends due to kids school. So the kids won't be in danger of getting hurt. My husband and I need sugesstions on timing mr sizzler a departure.
Before or after I remove the barrier?
We are going down this weekend to add sand to the run, and wanted to have a plan. We are going to remove barrier and needed advice.
See below so you may get a better idea of what I am talking about.
The barrier is on the right side of the pic. There is hardware cloth in the middle so they have been able to see each other for weeks now.

We started off with 18 week olds, 6 of which are pullets and 2 cockerels that needed to be added to our layer flock of 10 hens and 4 broody raised chicks at 8-9 weeks at the time. I did not have a mature rooster- these two (now 20 week old) cockerels are the first boys-- one was starting to go after the pullets who weren't ready for his advances, so he got an early ticket to the big-girls who beat a little sense into him. He spent most of his time hiding in the nest boxes until his friends were added.

Anyways- the Welsummer cockerel at 18 weeks of age stayed with the 6 pullets and they had weeks of see no touch with the main flock. The day came to combine them, and the Welsummer cockerel kept his girls safe (other was still hiding in the nest boxes) and took the majority of the hits. A couple weeks in, and Welsummer cockerel came up limping, so I had to take him out of the main flock to the house for treatment- gruesome twosome was chasing him because he could only hop. (he's fine now with rest and aspirin) Taking him out of the combined group was a hold-your-breath moment, but I was pleased to discover everything went fine between the pullets/hens in his absence.

Our hiding in the nest boxes cockerel who did nothing for the pullets in the initial integration had been removed a couple days into the integration because he started jumping on the baby pullets when he couldn't catch the same age pullets in the much bigger space or the big girls for mating practice. The hormones are just starting so he was going for anything that he could catch up to or would stand still. So, he went back to the intro pen for a few days, worked on his "game"- started tid-bitting and doing some wing shuffle dancing through the fence- when added back in the absence of the Welsummer, he improved immensely. The girls were more receptive both from his improved manners and from being just a little older and starting to lay-- and was getting "lucky" instead of frustrated, so no more issues with jumping on baby pullets, and the baby pullets are considerably more savvy now.

The conflict for our nest box hider actually was with the gruesome twosome - they wouldn't leave him be and he was done hiding. There was a huge, huge fight that went on for what seemed like forever- it was her/them instigating, not him, or he'd have been out of there faster than you can blink. Ultimately they got some good shots in and he bled a little from the mouth area, neither hen had a scratch, so I took him out and washed him off and gave him the night to recover back in the intro pen. The next day he was just fine, no blood or scabs, so I tried again. The more dominant one challenged him again. Once. Two hops like a rooster, one jump kick- and she stopped and walked away. And has been a much nicer bird ever since- no more rotten behavior. I think those two hens kinda took on the flock-protector slash rooster role in the absence of a male, and he convinced her that that's no longer her job. She accepted it and is a different bird now.

So, they both did important jobs in keeping the peace and integrating the pullets and hens at different intervals in different ways. Neither has any aggression issues with people to date, so I don't have any deadline looming over my shoulder like your situation with your husband being attacked/spurred. I don't know if Mr. Sizzler will or won't assist with the integration, especially with the pullets being 13 weeks and not ready for his ... roosterness ... or, if knowing they're female he will want to add them to his harem and keep the peace- our situation was different, but IMHO things would have been more stressful without the cockerels.

 

[Lisa Wood]

Loved your post & pic.  He looks huge & I love the big breeds too.

He is so impressive with all his waddles! What breed is he?

 

[Libbie3593]

I had 3 roosters. One is a Jersey Giant and the other two were Polish. The Giant attacked me once just before his spurs came in. I have nerve damage in my leg so I didn't feel it. As I'm walking away my son tells me the Giant attacked me. After about 5 steps I turned around and picked him up. He kept looking at me like I should have reacted. I carried him around for about 1/2 hour. He has not shown any other aggressive moves on anyone since. He is the perfect gentleman. The same happened with the polish but in their case they kept trying and I made them dog food after one tried to hurt my Sheltie. I think not running is important and getting their attention when they are young is helpful. But some Roosters are going to be bad no matter what you do.

 

[teresa toth]

Yes, I was like that for a year: not "comfortable in my own yard". And the kids were terrified. I solved it by killing the rooster. I tried various other methods, lots of them, ones I read here, and ones I thought up myself. But there was no other choice, and a craigslist ad for 'free aggressive rooster' would have ended up with my rooster in a ring, so that was out also.

 

[teresa toth]

I have a question for people on this thread. I read over and over "pick up the rooster and carry it". What universe do you people live in where you can catch a rooster that does not want to be caught? If my life depended on it, I could not catch this rooster. He is FAST and agile, and can easily fly over a fence. If he is being chased, there is no way most humans can catch him. Usain Bolt maybe. Are the people that talk about 'picking up the rooster' catching him in an enclosed small pen? That I might be able to do, but mine are free-range most of the time, and their enclosed run is only 2 feet high, so I can't run around it to catch him. I can only catch him when he is sleeping late at night. Please tell me how you so easily just 'pick up' a rooster; IE how do you catch him?

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Much fantasy information, don't worry about it! I agree, that's how most of my birds feel about being picked up; only at night from their roosts. I do have a large long handled fish net (from the hunting/ fishing supplies store) that does work well catching birds during the day, but only if absolutely necessary do I get it out. Rodeo time! And nasty roosters need to be gone! Mary

 

[teresa toth]

Or is it possible that I had the only 'fast and agile' rooster? Are most aggressive roosters too slow to prevent a human from picking them up at will? Maybe I just had an unusual rooster who could run very fast.