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

[ShrekDawg]

Mine used to run when you just went in the yard.  Little by little they ran less & less. As they saw they were not in any kind of threat & I talk to them.  Some of them, like the little one in the pic, I can get within a couple of feet.  When I made that pic the other day I was sitting in the lawn chair & it came right up.  The bigger ones will come up too but not that close. The other day my husband almost stepped on one.  I got some rabbit food & the little one eats it but the others don't.  

Wow that's awesome! I'll have to go outside more and try that hahah

 

[dragonbird]

This is my first experience with roosters. He is a Welsummer, and far bigger than the other one (we got two straight run and of course both are boys).. In the chicken world, he probably isn't THAT huge, but in my little backyard flock world he is a giant. haha! This is a full pic of my son holding him. You can see Mr. Ed is allowing this to happen...but his eye says he doesn't really like it much. My son is the only other one brave enough to try to pick him up. Between the two of us we are determined to keep this roo tame.

ETA: This was supposed to be a reply, but apparently I'm a complete dork and didn't reply properly. oh well. haha!

 

[newhamplover]

For the nature lovers I had to post a couple of pics of Shawn the fawn. When we were kids his **** was accidentally killed by our hunter-neighbor & he saw the newly born fawn & bought him home. We ended up with him. We had him for years, best watchdog you could ever have. No one came in the yard except for who lived there...it was his territory & he defended it. We had him for years & when I was away at college my Dad gave him to a guy that said he had some does. I was so mad at my Dad. Needless to say there has never been any hunting allowed on the farm.

 

[ShrekDawg]

For the nature lovers I had to post a couple of pics of Shawn the fawn. When we were kids his **** was accidentally killed by our hunter-neighbor & he saw the newly born fawn & bought him home. We ended up with him. We had him for years, best watchdog you could ever have. No one came in the yard except for who lived there...it was his territory & he defended it. We had him for years & when I was away at college my Dad gave him to a guy that said he had some does. I was so mad at my Dad. Needless to say there has never been any hunting allowed on the farm.

Awwww he's so cute!!!!!

 

[Nksg75]

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.

 

[melishkia]

Sorry if i'm repeating a question here...
I read somewhere in this thread that "a good rooster will be the last one in the coop." I've been paying attention and realized my rooster will be the last of his special ladies but the younger girls that he cannot mate with, he doesn't pay attention to often leaving them to be the last in the coop. Is this typical? I figured it would change once he could get action from them.

My rooster seems pretty great except he is very clumsy.. probably from being a big guy I guess (brahma rooster). When he tries to spur me he just flops back on himself and has an indignant look.

 

[dekel18042]

Sorry if i'm repeating a question here...
I read somewhere in this thread that "a good rooster will be the last one in the coop." I've been paying attention and realized my rooster will be the last of his special ladies but the younger girls that he cannot mate with, he doesn't pay attention to often leaving them to be the last in the coop. Is this typical? I figured it would change once he could get action from them.

My rooster seems pretty great except he is very clumsy.. probably from being a big guy I guess (brahma rooster). When he tries to spur me he just flops back on himself and has an indignant look.

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.

 

[centrarchid]

Sorry if i'm repeating a question here...

I read somewhere in this thread that "a good rooster will be the last one in the coop." I've been paying attention and realized my rooster will be the last of his special ladies but the younger girls that he cannot mate with, he doesn't pay attention to often leaving them to be the last in the coop. Is this typical? I figured it would change once he could get action from them.


My rooster seems pretty great except he is very clumsy.. probably from being a big guy I guess (brahma rooster). When he tries to spur me he just flops back on himself and has an indignant look.

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.

 

[newhamplover]

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.

Mine are pretty much identical to yours. The first 4 nights, after their 3 brothers were gone, Harry came back out & waited for them but now it's I'm tired & going to bed. The boys have been gone for a week & 2 days & each day I see a "little" joining up. Before they were 2 separate groups. The younger ones always waited for the older ones to be settled in before they went in. Mildred doesn't do a thing but Alice wants to do a little peck & if she does they think they are being killed. LOL

I heard from the owners of all 5 boys yesterday & all are doing great. I was so happy. The first 2 have been gone for over a month & they have settled in great. I had got so overly attached to the last 3. She said they just loved them & their antics. At first they didn't know what to make of the donkeys & when the donkeys bellowed they would try to crow. Her 10 year old daughter loves all animals & she is crazy about them. Was going to take them to school for show & tell. She said the mama ducks were putting some much needed discipline on them. Then they would come running to her daughter for protection. I was laughing so hard. She said there was never a dull moment. I told her that was what I missed so much the first several days they were gone....their antics. Every morning their thundering across the front porch, getting up on the chairs looking in the windows as if to say come play with me. It is just too quiet here without them. The 2 girls are lost too. But I am so glad they are in a home where they are loved & enjoyed. And they are definitely entertainment.

 

[Shezadandy]

With our roosters the same age as our "teenager" group, I find their whole group comes in before anyone else to the coop first to chow down (there are multiple feed stations in and out, I'm speaking of the evening routine) while the big girls are still outside, then they jump up and spend some time on the roosts that layers never, ever, ever let them use. When the big girls come in, have their last bite to eat and a good drink, the lowest ranking always seem to be up there first, followed by the leaders/higher ranking hens. As the big girls start jumping up, then the "teenagers" scatter and jump over to the roosts by the door that are "theirs" that the others have never used. When the self-appointed guardian hens (not mama hen, her job is done) of the broody-raised babies goes to roost, they go up too and scurry to their little spot by the layers. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over time but so far the cockerel (20 weeks) keeps "his" girls in a group and to bed before the others filter in.