When would a rooster become aggressive?

[Cbarr00]

Removing this rooster will only result in your next most dominant rooster assuming his brother's crown. Only time will mellow a rooster but the wrong human interaction can set bad behavior forever.

I was a little afraid if we removed the alpha at this point and kept the other 3 until seeing their temperaments our new alpha may become aggressive too. Just since the testosterone is barely coming. 3 out of 4 are crowing at this point. Is that how any of this works tho?
What is the wrong human interaction? I've seen people say not to treat roosters like they're pets. Is that what you mean?

I have learned to never keep the dominate alpha cockerel, because they seem to be the one that you won't be able to trust. I have nice roo's by doing it this way.

At what age did you get rid of your alpha?

Also we will be culling whoever we don't keep. We can't tolerate an aggressive roo with our kids around. It's not a risk we are willing to take so retraining is not an option. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but our pecking order goes like this:
Buff Orpington
Production red
Production red
Speckled Sussex

 

[aart]

I would just pick one, get rid of the rest, and 'train' up the remaining one.
It's pretty darn hard to assess true demeanor at the age and having multiple males makes them all act at their worst.

Do you even need any males?
If you are new to keeping chickens, it will be much sweeter not to have to deal with a cock/erel at all. Wait a year then maybe get one.

 

[Cbarr00]

I would just pick one, get rid of the rest, and 'train' up the remaining one.
It's pretty darn hard to assess true demeanor at the age and having multiple males makes them all act at their worst.

Do you even need any males?
If you are new to keeping chickens, it will be much sweeter not to have to deal with a cock/erel at all. Wait a year then maybe get one.

We free range in the evenings out here in rural Texas. We have our backyard fenced in on three sides but it opens up into our garage area and have dogs and cats running loose in the neighborhood. Also foxes raccoons hawks and owls. Actually yesterday one of our cockerels was giving a warning call and when I went to go check there was a dog nosing around the backyard. The chickens were in their run at the time. We have 4 SS pullets and 2 PR pullets. We were hoping to keep our SS cockerel to breed.

 

[aart]

We were hoping to keep our SS cockerel to breed.

There ya go then, easy decision which one to keep.

 

[BlueBaby]

I was a little afraid if we removed the alpha at this point and kept the other 3 until seeing their temperaments our new alpha may become aggressive too. Just since the testosterone is barely coming. 3 out of 4 are crowing at this point. Is that how any of this works tho?
What is the wrong human interaction? I've seen people say not to treat roosters like they're pets. Is that what you mean?


At what age did you get rid of your alpha?

Also we will be culling whoever we don't keep. We can't tolerate an aggressive roo with our kids around. It's not a risk we are willing to take so retraining is not an option. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but our pecking order goes like this:
Buff Orpington
Production red
Production red
Speckled Sussex

I only handle mine like a pet until they are fully feathered and can go out into the grow out pen to start being introduced to the rest of the flock. After I release them into the rest of the flock, I start watching them to see how they inter-react with both the flock and me. I don't keep any roo that will give me that "stick-eye" look. Those one's go in the freezer.

I had been doing the Australorp's, but this year I am working with other breed's.