VERY Aggressive Rooster: Please Help!

Chop House.

"When the need arises - and it does - you must be able to shoot your own dog. Don't farm it out - that doesn't make it nicer, it makes it worse." - Robert A. Heinlein

I don't expect a chicken to act like a human, but I DO expect it to know its place in the flock. It is no kindness to allow an aggressor to live and continue abusing the innocent (or yourself) for reasons of emotion. Nor do I think it appropriate to "rehome" a rooster to someone unaware of his aggressive behaviors. As an NPIP certified breeder, I take flock security very seriously - poultry leaves my property, it doesn't re-enter.

Aggressive Roosters become meals for myself and my family.

I take no joy in it, but neither do I shirk from the duty. The bird has chosen its place in the culling line by its behaviors, I merely give motive force to its election.

You can try to rehabilitate - no doubt others will come along and offer emotional or moral pleas for not culling, and various means for retraining a Roo. Maybe it works. Usually not. Recommend you not delay sentence too long, that someone doesn't suffer significant injury from the delay.

Full disclosure. Both myself, and my wife ,have been flogged by an agressive Roo. Those spurs have been in very dirty places. The tend to penetrate, quite deeply, into soft tissue areas - around the ankle, under the knee - bleed profusely, and are prone to infection. I gave my Roo one "freebie" while defending hisgirls while I handled them roughly for a mass wieghing. When he attacked my wife while she fed the flock, I culled him THAT DAY. Even though he was my only breeding age Roo, and it set my project back a month or more. Simple risk management. My wife's and my health are worth a lot more than he is.

[Same advice I have offered many times - its a cut and paste at this point]
 
and for the benefit of those asking, YES, even though he was my only rooster (at the time), even though I was breeding, and even though my birds free range several acres.

I have roughly 70 birds at any given time. The have a value, maybe $250-$750 for the whole flock. What's the cost of a "minute clinic" visit, plus a few days of being less than 100%, because your leg is swollen, you are on antibiotics, and you have one puncture wound (or more) the size of a AA battery in your body? A rooster's spurs are no cleaner than a dog's claws, and less clean than your fingernails - yet penetrates deeper. That's not the sort of deep tissue injuy to ignore.

CULL. not "re-home". CULL.
 
Further (tangential) thought. A lot of people say they want a Roo to "protect the flock".

A Roo isn't going to win, consistently, against a Red Tailed or Red Shouldered hawk. A Roo is not going to win against a pack of coyote, the neighbor's pit bull, a panther/mountain lion/big cat, a bear (even the tiny little FL ones), or even a trash panda on the prowl.

The best thing my Roo can do to protect my free ranging flock is to alert loudly and lead the ladies back into the (relative) safety of run and hen houses. Then hope the goats get protective of an intrusion on their space, or that I and my dogs are alterted to trouble.

I don't want a brawler, I want a BARD!
 
Where are you located? I have three young Brown Leghorn roosters who are all still respectful of humans. I never make way for them and always make it clear that I'm 100% unafraid of them. They move out of my way, not the other way around. If you're nearby, I'd be happy to let you have one of our BL roosters since I have 4 roosters total. The BLs are a predator resistant breed...which is a fancy way of saying "good luck catching them". 😉
 
Further (tangential) thought. A lot of people say they want a Roo to "protect the flock".

A Roo isn't going to win, consistently, against a Red Tailed or Red Shouldered hawk. A Roo is not going to win against a pack of coyote, the neighbor's pit bull, a panther/mountain lion/big cat, a bear (even the tiny little FL ones), or even a trash panda on the prowl.

The best thing my Roo can do to protect my free ranging flock is to alert loudly and lead the ladies back into the (relative) safety of run and hen houses. Then hope the goats get protective of an intrusion on their space, or that I and my dogs are alterted to trouble.

I don't want a brawler, I want a BARD!
100% - I’m not expecting my roo to physically fight off a predator, but help alert/deter or take the first blow while the hens get to safety. We have large goats and dogs that help but the hens are free range and the dogs have a healthy in ground fence but there are some spaces the chickens can hang out without protection from either. ☹️ I’m hoping one will assume the lead role and we’ll manage!
Where are you located? I have three young Brown Leghorn roosters who are all still respectful of humans. I never make way for them and always make it clear that I'm 100% unafraid of them. They move out of my way, not the other way around. If you're nearby, I'd be happy to let you have one of our BL roosters since I have 4 roosters total. The BLs are a predator resistant breed...which is a fancy way of saying "good luck catching them". 😉
I am in Vermont! Looks like you’re in Arkansas? Thank you for the offer!!! 🥰
 
I’ve been dealing with an increasingly aggressive rooster in my flock for coming on 6 months now. I deeply value the role he plays, particularly in that he’s been an exceptional protector for our free range hens. Knock on wood we haven’t lost a single one (or had so much as an injury) in the year he’s been with them. I’ve read forums and watched videos.. on the rare occasions I’ve tricked him and been quick enough to pick him up and carry him around, I’ve tried reinforcing that I’m the treat lady and also (gently) reminding him that I’m alpha by mimicking alpha rooster behavior.

I don’t want to get rid of him, but frankly he’s stealing the joy I once had in raising my girls. I have to carry a rake around with me at all times because his new trick is to dart (at speed from a distance) and then attack me. I’m young and agile but it gives me a heart attack every time and it’s just miserable. In the summer I garden and the last thing I need is him trying that trick while I’m crouched down in shorts and a tank top. I don’t want to be afraid of my own animals.

So now what? Do I cull him or offer him up for free with full transparency to his temperament? Do I try and introduce a new rooster and make a point to do better imprinting/training? As fabulous as it could be, I’m hesitant to let him go and not have a rooster because I want my girls to be protected. We live near woods and my neighbors have lost tons of chickens. I wish I could suck it up but I can’t have children or guests anywhere near him. I can’t go on like this! Thanks in advance everyone!
Have you cut his Spurs? I would start there because then all he can do is jump and flap at you...if you don't respond with fear he will tire and realize he can't intimidate you...the other option is to regime and buy a roo chick, raise from a hatchling and it should be a nicer rooster...mine always were if I raised them.
Wish you the best
 

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