Trained my now slightly aggressive rooster

[jdyson]

Lol, he sounds like a gem!

 

[Renews6]

I have a rooster "Rocky" and he is living up to his name lol! He wants to cock fight me, like I am another Rooster. When he does this my BAntam and Blk Austra. go after him! They protect me and while it is funny and cute to watch, I have kids and it is a concern with Rocky the Americana that he might attack one of the kids. I have walked him around backwards when I can get ahold of him. It does not work. He gets his senses about him again and wants to run at the door for me. He is very protective of all the hens, even the ones that are not his mates. Not sure what to do with him.
Read about poking his head down while carrying him and I will try that. He is very beautiful and good with the hens. I would hate to have to give him away.
I could never put him down.

 

[theoldchick]

Welcome BYC.

Aggressive roosters do not need to be tolerated. They can pass on those aggressive characteristics to his offspring. If you have small children he needs to go immediatly. Otherwise, tread carefully around him, and don't turn your back to him. He will get you. And when he draws blood you might not feel so kindly toward him.

 

[PSJ]

Welcome BYC.

Aggressive roosters do not need to be tolerated. They can pass on those aggressive characteristics to his offspring. If you have small children he needs to go immediatly. Otherwise, tread carefully around him, and don't turn your back to him. He will get you. And when he draws blood you might not feel so kindly toward him.

X2!!!!

 

[Victoria-nola]

In the past I've spoken here vociferously, if not eloquently, for respecting the rooster and trying to work with him. I too had an Ameraucana rooster, beautiful he was. We tried everything, and he simply would not stop hurting people. He would hurt you if you brought food outside for them. Seriously stabbed my hand finally, the hand that was holding the stick he had once been held off by, while the dogs he no longer feared stood at my side, my other arm holding bowls of grain for the chickens.

We rehomed him with an urban homesteader (old school, more than 20 years' experience) who needed to restart a flock. He was worse at the new home. My friend resisted it, but it was finally clear that no one was safe anywhere near that rooster. So he became, I'm told, a very nice coq au vin.

I still don't like it that that's what happened. I do believe that for some people, certain kinds of treatment can and have altered the roo's behavior. But I think once those methods have been tried, it's going beyond the call of duty to continue to suffer the cruelty. It's just not safe, especially for children or other pets. And I do think the fact that the tendency could be genetic is an argument against letting him reproduce.

We got a replacement rooster, I bought an adult roo that was promised to leave people alone, and he does. We leave him alone, he leaves us alone. He gives the humans a wide berth. And the girls love him, he's gentle with them, and a very hard worker. We didn't know that the first rooster wasn't good at his job until we got one who was. So I know for a fact that a rooster who is mean to humans isn't necessarily good at being a rooster. Ours was cruel to the hens and never once jumped off the roost when startled, to protect the girls. The girls love the new guy, and there's a big difference in the cohesiveness and general peacefulness of the flock. The new roo doesn't like the dogs back in the yard, but he remains circumspect with the humans. I'm actually starting to trust him, something I didn't know would happen after I got injured so badly.

my thoughts.

 

[summersteel]

Vic, you can try all kinds of chicken psycho stuff as you clearly have more patience than I do. But I will dispatch a mean bird quickly and move on. It's no different than a farmer culling the herd for necessary reasons for the good of the operation. There is nothing wrong with this action. I don't particularly enjoy doing it, but don't feel bad about it when it is necessary.