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

[Corrales Chick]

Though you say you've had some success and I'm happy for you, in my opinion, they were not 100% into their aggression, not genetically programmed to that temperament. There are so many folks on BYC who've done exactly what you said with no success; the truly aggressive males never change, not permanently. And if you breed from them, you usually get more of the same, unfortunately. I did that with one, tried quite a few things to change him, but when he flew off the roost at someone's head, he was stew the next day. His genes did not need to continue.

We had a situation where one changed late in life due to a situation that necessitated us removing him from his hens nightly for a couple of weeks. He was a year and a half old, never even bitten anyone before this time. He became aggressive only to me, not my husband, no idea why since we both removed him equally. He became impossible to handle around me. I cannot deal with a rooster knocking me off my feet on this rock-and-root-ridden property since I'm prone to fracture, so a friend gave him a second chance, hoping a change of location would get him back to his normal self. He did flog her a few times but at least he was able to keep his head and live awhile longer. I tried everything with that rooster because I was attached to him, but nothing worked after something in his brain clicked.

Another situation that can change a formerly friendly rooster's temperament is a predator attack. I know of one that was very calm and easy to handle, came out of my line of Barred Rocks, but after a raccoon attack that killed several birds in the pen next to him (he was owned by my best friend), he turned into a psychotic nutcase. He would attack doors if you were coming in, fly into walls, etc. He had to be put down because he became too dangerous. 

There are other reasons for aggressive males that are not genetic, those situations that happen and make them different, but usually, if they are flogging by maturity, they just continue and no amount of babying or bullying or anything else can fix them.

The main thing I want folks to understand is that if whatever you do to "fix" an aggressive male does not work, DO NOT blame yourself! It is not your fault. You cannot re-vamp bad genetic programming and you don't need to feel guilty if your methods are unsuccessful.

 

[Corrales Chick]

Teaching them that you're the alpha rooster, really does work if you do it right.

 

[janvoigt]

By the time these roos come to your attention as being aggressive to humans, they are already really ugly to your hens- probably the majority of the time. Starting out, I tried to protect myself and grandchildren from them. Never again, because if they are coming after us, they are also attacking the hens and not just for mating..... I'm bigger and I don't have to tolerate that. I just kill them and I don't bother with eating a mean rooster, either. Just toss them in a field for the coyotes to eat.

 

[centrarchid]

For those willing to tolerate aggressive adult roosters (I am generally not), what procedures can be used to prevent damage from attacks. With the exception of those acting like broody hens, mine deliver attacks more than than knee high. Approaches I think of first involve clothing and manicuring spurs. The clothing part can be like not wearing flip-flops where walking among hogs trying to eat off the ground.

Cum sensus sentire.

 

[CuckooOrpington]

Over the years, I've dealt with many different aggressive roosters. Most of them have been Light Sussex but I've also had aggressive Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Silkies, and even Faverolles. The best way to deal with such birds is to understand what causes aggression and what breeds are most likely to become aggressive. Sussex and Game fowl are common examples. One of the main causes of aggression is genetics (some lines are a bit more on the aggressive side). Another very common cause is when roosters are raised isolated from other chickens - it seems ironic that a well handled pet can turn into a fiesty kicking cockerel - but when they are introduced to hens they can become territorial of their new flock.

Chooks are social animals. The pecking order defines who is boss - if the birds view you as part of the flock, they can pick on you. You have to show them that you are head roo. This means you must never run from a rooster. The simplest way to deal with this is to shove the bird away with your foot or catch him and hold him for a a few minutes. If you show fear, he will respond with a kick.

Try to use these methods before he kicks at you, he will most likely lower his head and raise his neck feathers before starting a fight (I once had a clever Blue Faverolle that would sneak attack from behind and kick me in the back, he learnt that I can kick too).

These methods have worked for every single aggressive rooster I have had, but remember, when you 'show him who's boss' don't kick him to the next country, just a slight knock. You are a lot stronger than him and you don't want to hurt him.

 

[speckledhen]

The catch and hold them teaching them that you are the main Alpha rooster has always worked for me and everybody I know. If you do it right it works.

You just cannot say that across the board. It rarely works on a truly human-aggressive male, rarely. There are too many people who have "done it right", including myself, and depending on why they are aggressive and how bad they are, you cannot give one formula to "fix" a rooster. You may make him afraid of you, but if he's really, truly aggressive, he will only bide his time and get you when you least expect it, one day, some way, somehow. The ones folks are saying they have trained are ones I even consider not truly aggressive males. A real "man-fighter" is usually a lost cause. JMHO. So many folks do all the right things to be "alpha" and they simply do not work and they blame themselves. It's not their fault, it's the rooster's genetic predisposition.

@Folly's place Mary, I do have three pullets with the little tyrant, but was hoping to keep the entire group separate. If Hector ends up being one of those lost causes, I do have Apollo, a male from my own line, who may not be quite as "bulky" but he is sweet and has better leg color, a gorgeous head, and pretty good barring, better than his sire's.

 

[MollySunshine]

Quote: Yes, this is true. The RIR was the first roo I noticed rounding up the flock the first time they free ranged. I didn't know they did this, it amazed me! I see the bantams role changing but I'm not certain at this point where he will fall. Currently, I say he's second in command. Last night was interesting, I wanted to see if his poor behavior would continue another night. It did not. Mr. Bantam was in the coop with the hens and he did not do his usual walk around. Overall, keeping my fingers crossed, all my roos get along well enough. Sure there is the occasional chest bump, feathers flaring but they always back down and walk away. All the pullets and roos that are currently in the coop, all brooded together, so I am hoping they (roos) all find there own space.

Quote: I can attest to this. I have 6 RIR roos and none are aggressive to me, the hens or each other for that matter. Sure they are young (19 weeks) but I am hoping this trend continues.

 

[Blooie]

All of these rooster-training techniques are interesting, but here's a point to ponder. If you have successfully "trained" an aggressive rooster to behave around you, that's great. But training under the theory that they see you as either a threat to their "head rooster" position, or as a threat to the flock has a major flaw, as I see it. All this training is to show him who you are and whose in charge. Once you've made him realize you are head of the flock and/or mean no harm to the others, he'll most likely give you that space and the respect you know is critical to a peaceful co-existence. But what of the neighbor kid? Your spouse? Your kids? Grandkids? Visitors? He hasn't been taught to extend that respect to them. I'm not going to go out and have the UPS man either walk through him or catch him to hold him down and carry him. The UPS man doesn't have time for that, nor do I.

Two roosters raised together might do very well, with only occasional jockeying for that coveted head rooster position. They have set their own boundaries and learned to respect those boundaries. But introduce a third rooster and watch what happens. It's the same thing with one person doing all this training. All can be peaceful until a third party enters the yard. Then all bets (and training) are off.

 

[bobbi-j]

All of these rooster-training techniques are interesting, but here's a point to ponder. If you have successfully "trained" an aggressive rooster to behave around you, that's great. But training under the theory that they see you as either a threat to their "head rooster" position, or as a threat to the flock has a major flaw, as I see it. All this training is to show him who you are and whose in charge. Once you've made him realize you are head of the flock and/or mean no harm to the others, he'll most likely give you that space and the respect you know is critical to a peaceful co-existence. But what of the neighbor kid? Your spouse? Your kids? Grandkids? Visitors? He hasn't been taught to extend that respect to them. I'm not going to go out and have the UPS man either walk through him or catch him to hold him down and carry him. The UPS man doesn't have time for that, nor do I.

Two roosters raised together might do very well, with only occasional jockeying for that coveted head rooster position. They have set their own boundaries and learned to respect those boundaries. But introduce a third rooster and watch what happens. It's the same thing with one person doing all this training. All can be peaceful until a third party enters the yard. Then all bets (and training) are off.

^^^^ This

 

[CuckooOrpington]

All of these rooster-training techniques are interesting, but here's a point to ponder. If you have successfully "trained" an aggressive rooster to behave around you, that's great. But training under the theory that they see you as either a threat to their "head rooster" position, or as a threat to the flock has a major flaw, as I see it. All this training is to show him who you are and whose in charge. Once you've made him realize you are head of the flock and/or mean no harm to the others, he'll most likely give you that space and the respect you know is critical to a peaceful co-existence. But what of the neighbor kid? Your spouse? Your kids? Grandkids? Visitors? He hasn't been taught to extend that respect to them. I'm not going to go out and have the UPS man either walk through him or catch him to hold him down and carry him. The UPS man doesn't have time for that, nor do I.

Two roosters raised together might do very well, with only occasional jockeying for that coveted head rooster position. They have set their own boundaries and learned to respect those boundaries. But introduce a third rooster and watch what happens. It's the same thing with one person doing all this training. All can be peaceful until a third party enters the yard. Then all bets (and training) are off.

This is a very interesting point. The results are varied, I find. My Partridge Silkie (he was only a Silkie but had a good jump in him) was trained not to attack me but would attack other people. My Blue Faverolle, however, was all peace with everyone and anyone. I have heard of roosters that were never able to be trained, some people can put up with getting kicked and pecked in the chook pen but others choose to cull or rehome. If you aren't up for rehoming or culling, the best thing you can do is keep his spurs trimmed and maybe locked in a pen when visitors come by. I think it comes down to the individual bird, it would be interesting to hear the result for other people of these techniques used on aggressive birds.