What do you do when your roo attacks?

[Sunny Side Up]

Go ahead & try those methods to change your rooster's behavior. I know they work with some roosters, in the hands of some owners. I wish you the best of success with it.

But they don't work with every rooster, no matter how hard you try. Perhaps you should be considering a good Plan B just in case. Re-homing him probably will not improve his behavior, and will only put another family at risk of injury from him. And having to deal with an aggressive rooster puts a big damper on your family's enjoyment of your chickens.

It's really nice that you are so committed to the welfare of your chickens, but you don't have to put up with that kind of behavior from a rooster. There are many many many more to choose from, many with better manners & temperment. You could spare some gentlemanly rooster from a meat pen and send your guy off to be an honored dinner guest somewhere else.

 

[keesmom]

Quote:
I couldn't have said it any better. There are an awful lot of sweetheart roosters out there just looking for a home just like yours. There's no need to put up with an aggressive one. I have 2 little kids and I sure wouldn't tolerate it.

-Cindy in MA

 

[sm0kin]

the day my rooster attacks my wife or one of the kids will be his last day. NO bird of mine will hurt anyone like that and get away with it. If my dog attacks someone i would put her down and she is very useful. The rooster for the most part is pretty useless and he is lucky he hasn't been eaten yet. My father in law is dying to show us how good he is at dressing a chicken.

 

[greathorse]

It is a big mistake (in m opinion) to make a rooster a pet. My best advice is to watch the top rooster in your flock and emulate that behavior. So many people humanize our animals and do them a huge disservice. Ever watch Cesar Milan scold humans for treating dogs like a human.

If that rooster ever chased anyone and it was allowed he is now certain that humans are second in command and will continue to chase. There are many tips about how to mitigate the behavior and many of them work to some degree, but the most important part has to do with your attitude around the rooster and what behavior you allow.

I do not allow my roosters to approach me, ever. They can be within a certain proximity with no threat from me. If they get within my zone I chase them, clap my hands, stomp my feet and make sure they understand it is time to move on.

The Alpha rooster and the Beta rooster get along just fine as long as teh beta does not challenge. If he does there is hell to pay.

Make sure you are the beta rooster and teach the kids how to be that as well.

beleive me whatever promise you made to your chickens was about you and not about the chickens. they didnt hear nor understand that is for sure.

 

[Judy]

Lots of good advice here.

Here is a good thread on rooster management, and Roosterred's website on the subject:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=52537&p=2

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2588-Roo_behavior

Attack roosters go in the stew pot here, too.

If you cannot deal with you or someone eating him, then at least please realize he should not be bred. To a great extent this attack mode is genetic. And you should consider that the industry has altered the genetics extensively to try to produce more eggs, better meat, little or no moulting periods, non-broodiness, etc., with genetic manipulation through breeding.

It is not like we are raising the original chicken species.

 

[Junkmanme]

Question: "What do you do when your roo attacks?"
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Well now, that kinda depends on what/who he be attakin'.

Most generally, I jest watch (mebbe i'll be a-learnin' sumpthin')

But, then agin, if'n he be attakin' ME........NOW thet's a nuther story!

I run like helland git outa thet feller's way!

Hit ain't MY hen-house..it's his'n. I jest rent it to him for the eggs!

He only whupped me onct. That were enuf!

-Junkmanme-

 

[lavacaw]

First thing I tried was pulling off my slipper and slapping him upside the head with it...for the next week every time I came into the pen, he disappeared to the other side of it. He refused to look me in the eye for a long time. When he went after my 10 year old grandson, I took the tin snips to his spurs and put a little styptic powder on the cuts to stop the bleeding. I only cut off about half an inch or so to get rid of the sharp ends. That seemed to work pretty well. But that was only one rooster...no two seem to be alike.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Nothing wrong with this approach, either. Depends what you want from them.

I do wonder whether attack roos (who attack people) protect their flock better, or is there such a thing as a flock protecting roo who does not attack people. I thought I was on my way to finding this out when the roo was taken by a fox protecting the flock.

Or maybe there is no such thing as a really good roo who won't attack people. I suspect junkmanme might be of this opinion. I do not know.

 

[WriterofWords]

When Popadoodlestupid gets full of himself I pick him up and carry him by his feet for awhile and then like a football for even longer. It lasts about a month then he gets stupid again.

 

[Judy]

Quote:

You are nicer than I am. Freezer for me, even for the one who was my pet... for a while, til he started biting -- not pecking, taking chunks. Also for the hen who got too mean.