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

[lazy gardener]

Ok, moving on to an other point: My roo desperately needs to have his spur(s) trimmed. He broke one last summer, so it's blunt but getting longer. The other one is very deadly. I have not yet done it b/c I'm a scaredy cat, afraid that I'll get into the quick and he'll bleed out. So, how short can I go? How difficult is it to do? What do you use? I have some blunt end nippers that I think would do an admirable job, if they don't crack it. Then, I think I'd hit it with a plain metal file. I've heard of the hot potato, and simply twisting them off with a pair of pliers, but... I think either method would leave a very soft quick that would be prone to injury. I have no intention of putting him in a cage for a few days for something like that to heal. Will a styptic pencil stop any bleeding???

 

[azygous]

This is one topic I haven't written an article about yet. It's one of the most common issues here on BYC.

I've had eight roosters over the past nine years of chicken keeping, and each one taught me a lot. From the very first one, Stan, a SLW who sparred with me every day, to Strawberry, a Cream Legbar, who is the perfect gentleman, I've learned a lot about what not to do, which is probably more important than what to do.

- What was your experience(s) with aggressive roosters and what did you try/do to remedy it?

Stan, my first, from the time he came into his hormones, was combative and would attack me repeatedly. Back then, all I knew was to brush him off and keep trying to discourage him by fighting with him. It was exhausting, to say the least, and absolutely the wrong approach.

Since then, I've learned that a young cockerel is best ignored from the time he first comes into his hormones. He will usually signal that he wishes to be left alone by evading your attempts to handle him. This will mark a sudden personality change after being a cuddly, affectionate chick. Respect that clue. You can probably head off a lot of misunderstandings by just leaving him alone to sort out his role as flock protector. This approach has served me well with my present roo Strawberry.

- Should aggressive roosters be rehabilitated, rehomed, or invited for dinner?

I did have two cockerels that required a lot of rehabilitation because I wanted to keep them. Each had opposite issues. Penrod, a Buff Brahma, was a biter, and Darrell, a Black Cochin, was neurotic and fearful. Daily sessions with each worked miracles and by the time they were a year old, each was respectable.

With the biter, I modified my own behavior and was purposefully slow and precise in my movements around him. Some cockerels are very nervous and will react to the abrupt and erratic behavior of the flock keeper. Often this is half the problem with unruly cockerels. Teaching the cockerel what is unacceptable behavior by restraining him until he calms down is the other half. These boys are fast learners, as a rule, and consistent discipline will usually set them on the proper path.

With the fearful one, I had daily sessions with him where I would offer him treats and gradually gain his trust, slowly showing him it was okay to be handled and nothing bad was going to happen to him if I touched him.

Two young cockerels were rehomed last summer in order to keep my flock manageable. This is the option I choose over culling, but I emphasize it's a personal choice and either is acceptable flock management.

I can't recommend a course of action for every person with every cockerel and rooster. So much depends on flock management goals and patience capacity of the flock owner. Suffice to say there are many options available to fit the needs of each flock and flock manager.

 

[10AcreChick]

So we have two 21 week roosters, a Barred Rock and a Buff Orpington. They are good roosters to the hens. The Buff Orpington is the second in command and doesn't even seem to know that humans exist. The Barred Rock is a different story. This is my second BR rooster this year, by the way. The first one got made into a tasty dinner at 23 weeks due to chasing the kids and me, he was quite out of control. This Barred Rock, who came way after the first one, so didn't know him or learn from him, has been getting between me and the hens, as well as my small children and the hens. He has not scratched anyone...yet. He scares the kids, so I gave them a stick and told them to hit him if he is making them uncomfortable, even if he's not chasing them, but just following them or flapping his wings. I did this one day, and he has not walked towards me since. My 8 yr old stepped on his foot (accidentally, after which both of them ran in opposite directions!) and that seems to have made an impression, too.

A little back story, I had to handle him quite a lot for the first three weeks of his life, due to pasty butt. He let me pet him when he was younger, but definitely won't now. My chickens are NOT pets. I wanted a BR to breed with my Buff Orpingtons to keep the weight up for meat, but bring egg production up, too. It was a plus to get the Buff Orpington rooster, but I am afraid if I "dispatch" the BR, the Buff Orpington will just start acting like him. I told my husband, we all need to learn how to deal with a potentially aggressive-one-day rooster so that he doesn't get that bad. We NEED to have roosters, because my flock is free range.

Am I going about this the right way? He does not seem to be too aggressive, just doing the "boundary" thing. I have not done the "catch and dunk in water" method yet. But even if I do all that, who's to say he won't go after the kids? (just read Blooie's post, and I agree). If I keep on the kids to defend themselves and hit him when he is getting too close, will this fix the problem for all humans involved. Why do you all think?

 

[FlyWheel]

I had a Production Red that was mean to everyone, me, my Black Australorp cockerel, even the hens. Well I got rid of him and kept the gentler BA., but now he, although nice to and protective of the ladies, periodically attacks me. And when I say attack I mean he has tried (and sometimes succeeded) in taking chunks out of me! So I have a question; can a cockerel 'learn' to be mean from another Roo? Because one of my Easter Egger pullets ('Chaz') turned out to be male and I'm thinking it's best I keep him, but Chaz isn't as protective as the BA, he actually runs from my older hen's challenges, so I am reluctant to dispose of the BA until the EE at least starts showing some - ahem - 'testicular fortitude'.

I read on a thread where some girl solved her rooster problem by giving him a bubble bath, right in front of the rest of the flock, no less!

 

[Folly's place]

There's no room here for a human aggressive cock or cockrel of any age! If any of them challenge me, and don't get the message that it's a bad idea after maybe twice, they are on the list for dinner. Birds raised in a mixed age flock like mine will develop better social skills sooner; the hens correct the little guys very well. That is still separate from human aggressive behavior, something that just shouldn't be tolerated or bred on. Over the years I've tried every method described to 'fix' roosters who want to take me on, and other than the things I do always, as walking through them daily, nothing is a reliable fix. Having a bird attack family and visitors is just wrong! Mary

 

[azygous]

Ok, moving on to an other point: My roo desperately needs to have his spur(s) trimmed. He broke one last summer, so it's blunt but getting longer. The other one is very deadly. I have not yet done it b/c I'm a scaredy cat, afraid that I'll get into the quick and he'll bleed out. So, how short can I go? How difficult is it to do? What do you use? I have some blunt end nippers that I think would do an admirable job, if they don't crack it. Then, I think I'd hit it with a plain metal file. I've heard of the hot potato, and simply twisting them off with a pair of pliers, but... I think either method would leave a very soft quick that would be prone to injury. I have no intention of putting him in a cage for a few days for something like that to heal. Will a styptic pencil stop any bleeding???

My favorite way to remove spurs is to twist them off with pliers. It's simple and fast and zero guess-work involved. Once out of five or six times, a spur will bleed and take a bit to subside. I smear on some Bag Balm or spray with Vetericyn and the nubs harden in a few hours. The best thing about this technique is it lasts for months before needing to be repeated. The rooster, or hen (I have one with spurs) doesn't feel anything and I've even had a roo fall asleep while I was twisting off his spurs.

If you want to just file the spurs down, a Dremmel tool makes it super easy. Just go slowly and watch for the little dot that indicates you're near the "quick". Really, it's so much easier to twist them off.

 

[Folly's place]

Thanks! My Chantecler's spurs are getting pretty long. Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

So, if I went out after they've gone to bed, and did the spur removal, he'd be good to go in the morning? Tell me please, what will I see when I remove the spur sheath? How hard is it to twist them off? Any particular type of plier that you use?

 

[azygous]

The spur is a soft fleshy nub inside the horny outer sheath. It will appear pink and moist as you lift off the "horn". It does not bleed most of the time and dries in just a few hours. By the next day, it's hard.

You can do it any time and the chicken is good to go back to their business right away. No need to keep them out of action. I've never had a spur get infected, even if it gets encrusted with dirt before it dries.

I use regular pliers that you would use when twisting off a nut from a bolt. Take hold at the base of the spur, twist very gently back and forth until you see it's loose and then lift off with your fingers. It's so easy it will surprise you there isn't more to it.

 

[Dandelion44]

When my buffs started laying, my rooster would charge me and my dog from the back--that's when I got scared and started smacking a broom on the ground to scare all chickens away at least 3 feet. He's gotten a little more relaxed, but if he charges me I hit him with a flip flop, phone, whatever is in my hand bc that beak hurts! He got me one time on the back of my hand- dang! Hurts.. My flock respects the broom.