What is my Rooster trying to tell me?

[BelovedBirds]

That’s so interesting!
Eagley has done this for me his whole life, so it’s not really a new behaviour. Even as a chick he’d come to me if I called, and followed me everywhere.

I’m always aware things could quickly change and I’d like to think I would see the early signs if he starts to shift towards aggression towards me. While he’s my first roo, I’m very experienced with birds in general - I rescue and handle a lot of wild birds and parrots. Parrots can turn hormonal and aggressive in the space of an hour if you handle them wrong, so I’m ready and armed for Eagley’s teenage strops!

Here’s my tame jackdaw, Bandit

View attachment 3035798

wow!
I love jackdaws

 

[stargirl]

I would absolutely love to take in an aggressive rooster some day, give him a second chance at life, try different methods to train him out of it. If possible. Perhaps it'll work, perhaps often times it won't and the hormones will just be too strong- But I would LOVE to try anyway. There's always something to learn, even if I don't succeed

I’m so with you on this! There’s a few YouTube videos of people who do this and the results are amazing!

One in particular says they’ve never met a rooster they couldn’t tame enough to keep, although some do better just kept with other boys and away from the hormonal temptations of hens, long term. I imagine a small flock of roosters can get pretty noisy though!

 

[stargirl]

wow!
I love jackdaws

He’s amazing! He was a rescue and can’t be released, and now he’s as tame as any cockatiel or budgie. But sooo clever! It’s more like having a monkey than a bird

 

[BelovedBirds]

I’m so with you on this! There’s a few YouTube videos of people who do this and the results are amazing!

One in particular says they’ve never met a rooster they couldn’t tame enough to keep, although some do better just kept with other boys and away from the hormonal temptations of hens, long term. I imagine a small flock of roosters can get pretty noisy though!

Indeed!!! But that's exactly what I picture myself keeping in the distant future, IF I have enough space to keep all the boys happy

 

[BelovedBirds]

He’s amazing! He was a rescue and can’t be released, and now he’s as tame as any cockatiel or budgie. But sooo clever! It’s more like having a monkey than a bird

They're so smart! Where I live we have a lot of magpies, crows, jays and jackdaws, and they're all very very clever birds

 

[BelovedBirds]

I’m so with you on this! There’s a few YouTube videos of people who do this and the results are amazing!

One in particular says they’ve never met a rooster they couldn’t tame enough to keep, although some do better just kept with other boys and away from the hormonal temptations of hens, long term. I imagine a small flock of roosters can get pretty noisy though!

I'm totally prepared for aggressive birds, it's worth mentioning, I used to work with aggressive horses, kicking, biting, lunging, and have scars from them I'm not too worried about getting hurt

 

[jBabychickn]

That’s so interesting!
Eagley has done this for me his whole life, so it’s not really a new behaviour.
I think in his favour is the fact that he’s part of a big, multi-generational flock. Currently the older hens still keep him in line, as well as the little bantam Roo, so he knows he’s not at the top of any pecking order!
The bantam is very dominant but never human aggressive.

I’m always aware things could quickly change and I’d like to think I would see the early signs if he starts to shift towards aggression towards me. While he’s my first roo, I’m very experienced with birds in general - I rescue and handle a lot of wild birds and parrots. Parrots can turn hormonal and aggressive in the space of an hour if you handle them wrong, so I’m ready and armed for Eagley’s teenage strops!

Here’s my tame jackdaw, Bandit

View attachment 3035798

Oh my, did he get you on your cheek?!

 

[stargirl]

Just a little update on Eagley that I thought you guys might appreciate.

It turns out Eagley is showing aggression… just not to me!

Apparently he attacked a man that came to chop wood repeatedly until he left and vowed not to come back! And he has a bit of a go at the man who owns the hen house when he goes in to collect eggs!

I was honestly *astonished* to hear this because he continues to be a total angel around me! And my daughter, and my husband! You could write songs about what a perfect gentleman he is!
Always runs to greet me, does his ‘wing of love’, hops up on my knee for cuddles. He lets me clean his beak and face, warm my hands up under his wings, and doesn’t bat an eye if I pick up any of the hens or get involved with the flock.

It’s like they are describing a totally different bird!!

So now we have a bit of a conundrum. The chicken flock and paddock are not mine - they belong to the egg-collecting man, who agreed to take Eagley on the condition that he behaved himself (and that we help out a bit).

Which, to be fair, Eagley isn’t quite doing.

But tbh, I’d argue that Eagley is doing exactly what a good rooster should do - respecting humans, but protecting his flock from dangerous intruders!

It’s not Eagley’s fault he didn’t know these two men were safe. I think it’s up to us, as the humans, to teach him that.

If you get a new dog and it doesn’t know how to sit, you don’t blame the dog, right?

Obviously he isn’t generically human-aggressive, as he is totally at ease around myself and my husband, and even my daughter and her friends.

So now he needs training to understand that *all* humans are safe, and that he doesn’t need to attack.

But the egg-man laughed when I suggested we get together to train him and said he’s fine, he just kicks him across the coop if he tries it on . And I get it - I’m sure he’s had bad experiences with roosters, and probably has way better things to do with his time… but aggression begets aggression, in my experience. I don’t think it’s going to help things.

So, now I don’t know what to do.
Eagley is happy where he is and the setting is pretty perfect, but if the owner isn’t willing or interested in working to build a relationship with Eagley, I’m not sure what the future holds.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Just a little update on Eagley that I thought you guys might appreciate.

It turns out Eagley is showing aggression… just not to me!

Apparently he attacked a man that came to chop wood repeatedly until he left and vowed not to come back! And he has a bit of a go at the man who owns the hen house when he goes in to collect eggs!

View attachment 3047094

I was honestly *astonished* to hear this because he continues to be a total angel around me! And my daughter, and my husband! You could write songs about what a perfect gentleman he is!
Always runs to greet me, does his ‘wing of love’, hops up on my knee for cuddles. He lets me clean his beak and face, warm my hands up under his wings, and doesn’t bat an eye if I pick up any of the hens or get involved with the flock.

It’s like they are describing a totally different bird!!

So now we have a bit of a conundrum. The chicken flock and paddock are not mine - they belong to the egg-collecting man, who agreed to take Eagley on the condition that he behaved himself (and that we help out a bit).

Which, to be fair, Eagley isn’t quite doing.

But tbh, I’d argue that Eagley is doing exactly what a good rooster should do - respecting humans, but protecting his flock from dangerous intruders!

It’s not Eagley’s fault he didn’t know these two men were safe. I think it’s up to us, as the humans, to teach him that.

If you get a new dog and it doesn’t know how to sit, you don’t blame the dog, right?

Obviously he isn’t generically human-aggressive, as he is totally at ease around myself and my husband, and even my daughter and her friends.

So now he needs training to understand that *all* humans are safe, and that he doesn’t need to attack.

But the egg-man laughed when I suggested we get together to train him and said he’s fine, he just kicks him across the coop if he tries it on . And I get it - I’m sure he’s had bad experiences with roosters, and probably has way better things to do with his time… but aggression begets aggression, in my experience. I don’t think it’s going to help things.

So, now I don’t know what to do.
Eagley is happy where he is and the setting is pretty perfect, but if the owner isn’t willing or interested in working to build a relationship with Eagley, I’m not sure what the future holds.

View attachment 3047087

yikes poor Eagley!!!!!
I would not be happy if someone kicked my birds- though I understand its his land and everything....
But to laugh and decline an invitation to resolve the issue, is quite rude!
You are right, he doesn't know better- and I admire your attitude towards him!
I hope he continues to be sweet around your family, and that he will learn to tolerate other people. I appreciate the update!

 

[McChooky]

You'd be wise to heed the warnings and keep him away from your kids because when his hormones tell him to attack he will .You'll want to kick him across the yard when he does.
Good luck!