Upholding Task Of Taming A Rooster.

[The Angry Hen]

Hello Folks,

I am writing this today to ask one of the many questions of "chicken math." I have been a chicken keeper since 2012, I'm sure I've been through plenty chicken math without knowing...

But this one tends to be my most important task. I have a young cockerel, age: 4-6 months. His name is Magnum. He is so far so good- just a bit... You know... Aggressive. That ten letter word I really don't like to use when it comes to owning a healthy/stable flock.

The bird backs off from any hen that pecks him. For instance, my BO hen, Sofia, is about 5yrso and tries to peck Magnum.

Well Magnum doesn't stand up to Sofia, he just hides. But when Agnes comes around the corner... Agnes is an SF hen. A bit smaller than Sofia actually, but Magnum wants to peck Agnes and they both want to fight.
Magnum just started backing down from any fights offered, which I'm proud of... But he hasn't hit his mature spot. He's only four! Will he stay reasonably friendly ans smart?

I have formed a pleasant friendship with Magnum. He sits on my lap, greets me, knows when I'm around he shouldn't attack or start a fight, he protects his sister, Ferocious, too! I'd hate to do away with this young bird.

I am not a person who prays very often except for health, life and hope... But this is the first chicken that I'm praying stays sweet. My Dad is already disgusted enough with all the flock fights and pecking orderly fashions... So I can not afford for Magnum to turn out mean.

Not to mention, he's turning out handsome and would make beautiful breeding stock.

So once again I am creating this thread in hopes that an expert, someone learning too, someone who wants to stick around and learn for themselves, runs into this thread.

Any hints that got you through this are welcome, and tips. I would really appreciate your help for maintaining the reasonably sweet soul of a bird. Does this sound possible? I sure have learned and I sure know that I can not control any chicken math. But I sure do want to steer it in the right direction and not let it crash. Thank you very much for reading, please leave a comment, opinion or advice of wise. God bless! Have a very nice evening.

Best Regards To You And Yours,
-The Angry Hen

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I will separate out any trouble making rooster until they mature more. I don't put up with aggression towards hens or me. I haven't had a single rooster be aggressive with me since I stopped handling them. They grow up with a healthy respect for me and don't think of me as part of the group. You may have troubles because of all the handling.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hello @oldhenlikesdogs,

I had Magnum in with his Mother and sister inside a very large brooder... But within a few months they grew way too big for that- so I moved them with the youngest flock I have. But he couldn't handle himself then, so I put him with the oldest flock I have. Still didn't work... But now he is almost at the peak of maturity... So he's with the youngest and are doing well.
I agree I shouldn't have handled him that much and should have waited to keep him is one place... But it was a very tricky situation for awhile. As far as I can tell, he's %100 settled now.

Thank you for your advice. It's been two days with Magnum in the youngest coop. He's doing good. But if anything else starts, I'll separate him until mature.

Some folks say that if he gets pecked on for awhile it'll put him in his place. I don't want that... Nor do I believe that. But is there anyway to put him in his place if he does something really bad or is there just no shot in reviving his manners?

Thanks again! If I don't catch you, have a good evening.

Regards,
-The Angry Hen

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Here young roosters grow up in the flock and don't really receive anymore pecking from the adult than the pullets get. They learn to respect the older roosters and the older hens, and they take their proper places in the pecking order without too much troubles.

Is he your only rooster? You may need to manage him more. Removing him if he's too much or if others are too much on him. He won't be considered top of the pecking order until he earns it. More than likely he will take until next spring before he starts to fill the rooster slot, and he will take 2 years to fully mature and settle.

I would discourage forward movement at this point. He can come towards you but he should stop about 5-10 feet away and give you his side as a show of respect. He will probably flap his wings too.

I always throw treats to my younger birds so they aren't routinely enter my space. I don't ever want to confront a rooster, I want him to not think I'm a part of the flock. He should move out of your way when you approach or walk towards him. Raised correctly roosters will move away from you, never towards.

After my roosters are mature I'm don't really think about all this stuff when I'm around them, and I trust them 100%.

I have on occasion chased a young rooster down with my fishing net to remove him for a while. It apparently works as a domination ritual too. I sometimes pen them for a week or two, and sometimes longer depending on how it's going. I'm not punishing them, but helping them get through the turmoil of puberty.

 

[keesmom]

Am I missing something? In what way is this young cockerel aggressive? He backs off from the most dominant hens. He challenges but eventually runs off from lower ranking hens. Sounds like typical behavior from a juvenile male. He would like to dominate them but can't. It's like a 15 year old boy trying to tell a group of 40 year old women what to do, and they are telling him where to put that advice.

 

[The Angry Hen]

I have two roosters, him and another. But they are both in different flocks... The other rooster is his Father and his Father is with the same breed as his Mother, one of them is her.
Okay. I will try to get him in the habit of staying his distance and I wont move him anywhere further. Do you have any tips on helping him stay his distance and not get too close? I rather him too shy than aggressive... But I don't want a wimpy rooster. Thank you very much for you advice I shall be sure to take it. This is all very useful.

And thank you @keesmom. Magnum started out trying to fight Agnes. He'd go up to her and put up sickle feathers by his neck. He hated her.
Then finally he was polite and backed away from any fight offered by Agnes. Now he officially is okay with Agnes and they get along but she still isn't hot on him becoming a member of the flock. I want him to stay polite like that and I doubt he will. What I am interested in is preserving his smartness of backing off. Does that sound correct? Thanks for your info too.

-The Angry Hen

 

[lazy gardener]

Am I missing something? In what way is this young cockerel aggressive? He backs off from the most dominant hens. He challenges but eventually runs off from lower ranking hens. Sounds like typical behavior from a juvenile male. He would like to dominate them but can't. It's like a 15 year old boy trying to tell a group of 40 year old women what to do, and they are telling him where to put that advice.

Awesome analogy!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have two roosters, him and another. But they are both in different flocks... The other rooster is his Father and his Father is with the same breed as his Mother, one of them is her.
Okay. I will try to get him in the habit of staying his distance and I wont move him anywhere further. Do you have any tips on helping him stay his distance and not get too close? I rather him too shy than aggressive... But I don't want a wimpy rooster. Thank you very much for you advice I shall be sure to take it. This is all very useful.

And thank you @keesmom. Magnum started out trying to fight Agnes. He'd go up to her and put up sickle feathers by his neck. He hated her.
Then finally he was polite and backed away from any fight offered by Agnes. Now he officially is okay with Agnes and they get along but she still isn't hot on him becoming a member of the flock. I want him to stay polite like that and I doubt he will. What I am interested in is preserving his smartness of backing off. Does that sound correct? Thanks for your info too.

-The Angry Hen

Practice walking through him. Walk at him and he should move away. Make no big deal of it, make it a normal thing. I don't do it daily, but I do it every so often to see how they are doing. I mostly leave them alone. Your older birds should correct his behavior just like you saw happening.

My roosters all move off from me, doesn't make them wimpy. They still will defend the flock, but they don't see me as something to defend the flock from. They see me as the keeper, not competition.

He does sound normal, and not aggressive.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Thank you very much @oldhenlikesdogs, I really appreciate the tips. I will start doing that tomorrow. We shall see how it goes, I will fill you all in.

Thank you! He's turning out pretty good, just want him to stay that way.

Regards,
-The Angry Hen

 

[Mrs. K]

Most people do not live in the coop with their birds, their actions, unless they are submissive or nervous, do not have much of an effect on a rooster. Where as old mature birds in the flock do live with him, and will school him in good manners. Unless he is being pecked bloody, let them sort it out.

Do not let him sit on your lap. He is not being friendly, he is in the power position. Him eating treats from your hand, is not being spoiled, but in his mind he is taking food that you want for himself, again a power move. He will quickly be wanting and looking for birds he can dominate. Frequently they try and dominate children and small women first.

Take a long handled stick with you and tap the ground in front of you, keeping him back away from you. Let the older birds give him lessons, and he might just turn out fine...but he might not. No real fool proof way to do roosters, they are a crap shoot.

Mrs K