What to do about my rooster?

[PorkyPete]

Long story short, I got my blue orp roo when he was 5 weeks old and raised him myself at the start of this year, I thought I was doing everything right, I didn't plan on keeping him but we ended up falling inlove with him so we couldn't let him go, We brought him 3 girlfriends and they all live in a nice roomy coop and free range in my backyard. About 3 weeks ago he randomly attacked me when I was stepping off the deck, I didn't think much of it, He wasn't too rough I just pushed him back with my foot and he got over it. But a few days later he really went for me, I manged to pick him up (Which I read somewhere on here to do) and carried him round until he settled, Since then I've tried my best to handle him more, Even though I handle him a lot already, but he's not getting any better, He's gone at me about 4 more times and went at me just now, He's really starting to scare me. I don't want to cull him, He means the world to me and I know my girls adore him. I LOVE having a roo and I love him, But I don't want to worry about him attacking people all the time

Is this fixable?

 

[Davian]

If you've tried the obvious fixes (humiliate him in front of the girls, hit with a broom, etc) and he's still coming at you, you probably have to cull him...or give him away to someone else so they will graduate him to Freezer Academy.

Roosters shouldn't be attacking people and they can seriously injure a child.

 

[greenegglover]

I have never picked mine up, but I read a post....and tried this method: When roo tries to attack peck your finger at him and hold him down in front of his ladies to show your dominance. Its worked for mine....only had to do it once. The kids have to do it now too...he wont mess with adults but doesnt like kids. My kids are 9 and up so they can be trained on how to train a rooster...lol

 

[Davian]

Quote:
Yeah, you are essentially "mounting" him and forcing him into a submissive position. That is a standard way to let him know you're above him in the pecking order.

 

[bobbi-j]

Your "girls" meaning your hens adore him, or do you have kids? If you have kids I would suggest getting rid of him one way or another. You can get a nice rooster to take his place. A rooster can do some serious damage to a child.

 

[PorkyPete]

Quote:
Yes as in my hens, I don't have kids and thankfully he seems to leave strangers alone but I do worry about family members visiting with their children.
Thanks everyone for the quick replies, I'll try holding him down and if he doesn't improve anytime soon I guess he will have to make a trip to the freezer

 

[cmom]

When a Rooster attacks you you have to stand your ground. I had one that attacked me and I gave him a boot clear across my yard with the side of my foot and he went ass over applecart across the yard. A couple of days later he tried it again so I booted him again. After that he hasn't tried it again. If you chase them with a broom then they will be afraid of the broom and not you so the broom becomes the alpha not you. Also if you can pick the rooster up and take hold his comb and pull his head down until it touches his chest. Do not let his head up until he relaxes then let his head come back up and repeat and as long as he is resistant with his head down in his chest just hold it there until he quits resisting. Do this until you can put his head down without him resisting. This shows him that you are the alpha. I have had a lot of roosters and it works. Also if the Roo does this to another member of the family the process has to be repeated until he recognizes that person too as an alpha.

 

[speckledhen]

The simple truth is that most of the time, they just cannot be fixed once they start that, if they are of mating age. Before that, they are testing boundaries as youngsters. After that, it's something in them, I've found, that stays with them. You may make him afraid of you, but that only seems to make them sneakier. They just bide their time and attack when they think they have the advantage.

IMO, life's too short to put up with an attack rooster. Some disagree, think that's just the way it is, but I don't. Now, if it's a bantam rooster, they are almost comical, so they are more of an irritation. A big Orp rooster can do some real damage to you if he's serious. I have a huge blue Orp who is almost 5 yrs old and he wouldn't dream of biting or being aggressive to me in any way. 99% of his sons are exactly the same. Temperament is heritable, which is why I don't keep an aggressive Large Fowl rooster here, not ever. They are too stupid to be reproduced-to me, the more intelligent ones are the ones who will not bite the hand that feeds them.


I understand what you're feeling. I had a wonderful BR rooster who was awesome for a year and a half, then through a set of circumstances that necessitated me removing him from his hens nightly, he decided I was his enemy. He began begin aggressive toward me and only me. I could never trust him again. He would rush me, sometimes bite me. When it progressed to flogging, I cried my eyes out, but he left here, never to return. It was too dangerous for me to have a rooster who could knock me off my feet here on our uneven, rocky ground.