Why and what do you do when a cockerel turns agressive?

[Shadrach]

I would love to see a picture of this poor chap before he dies.

 

[EggWalrus]

Many cockerels tend to get testy about the time they're getting ready to breed. Teenage male hormones. At this stage, they may have more hormones, than good sense. Most of the time when you catch this behavior early, it can be corrected, but it begins with your behavior. First off, I'm going to suggest a "rooster stick". The purpose of this is NOT to beat the stew out of the cockerel. It extends your reach, and can be used to gently, but firmly pop him on the butt when needed. It can be anything from a plastic kid's bat, to a yardstick, or the equivalent.

The next time you walk into your pen/coop have your rooster stick handy. Walk straight up to the offending cockerel/rooster. Going straight to the coop chores, without addressing him first, tells him he is in charge. If he stands there, gently pop his butt, and get him moving out of your way. Keep him moving away from you for a minute or two. Stop and look at his posture. Is all his weight on one leg? Is he giving you stink eye? Get him moving again for another minute or two. Now put fresh water, then feed. When you put in the feed, allow all the females to eat, but tamp the rooster stick, or gently pop his butt to get him away from the food. At first the females may be startled, or scoff, but they will get over it quickly. After the females have eaten a little, and he's staying away, back up a little, and let him have a little food. After a couple bites of food, approach him. If he doesn't move, tap his butt. Make him move. Now, turn to leave the coop. Watch out of the corner of your eye that he doesn't come towards you, but don't actually back out, or turn your head to watch your back as you leave. If he starts after you, turn and approach him, popping him on the butt, until he moves out of your way.

Repeat this every day for at least a week. It sounds like a lot, but in practice, it will only take a couple more minutes of your time. By the end of the week, you should be able to enter the run/coop area, and he will automatically begin moving out of your way. When he gets out of your way, and comes to a stop, his posture should be standing on both legs, and him engaging in normal activities, like looking for food on the ground. This is what you want. You should be able to move freely about the coop, around the females, and him keep some distance. When he's at this stage, every few days, reach down, grab him, pick him up, and check him over. Then put him back down, and he should put some distance between you, then resume normal chicken activities. Usually with young ones, within a week to 10 days, you can get them under control. At that point, I don't even use the rooster stick, but I never enter any of my run/coops without heading straight to the alpha rooster, and get him moving out of my way, then head over to do coop chores.

This is good advise. Lots of Roos get testy when therest hormones start raging. You gotta let them know that you are the boss. The chicken stick is a good training tool. Something else that will help him know who the boss is, is carrying him around. To catch him, just throw down some feed and grab him up while he's eating. If he hasn't been handled much, he may struggle for a bit but he'll calm down. Carry him like you would any chicken for about 5-10 minutes everyday for a few weeks. It let's him know you're the boss and helps him get over the feeling of having to defend his hens from you. Luckily, I've never had grown man fighters, but I've had lots of young man biters. If they bite me when I try to feed or scratch their bellies, they get their beak pinned to the ground for about a min. After a few days of that, they usually stop the biting.
Bottom line, your birds behavior can be changed as young as he is. Some of my best roosters started out as rambunctious and vicious little squirts. I'd give him a while longer. It'd be sad to cull him before giving him a chance to act right by training him. But if you aren't able to train him, you could always cull later when he's actually big enough to eat. 8 weeks seems too young to eat unless it's a Cornish X.

 

[Shadrach]

It's just at two months old I find it hard to beleive a cockerel has become too aggressive to handle. At two months old here the cockerels are only a couple of weeks away from being cared for by their mothers.
All the cockerels I've had here at two months old are still babies essentially. The hormone boost that can make them seem aggressive doesn't usually kick in until 5 to 6 months old.
At 8 months old they are then large enough and confident enough to have a go at taking on a human. If I had aggressive 2 month old cockerels and they grew up in that vein I would have man eating monsters by 8 months.

 

[getaclue]

Buff, are you saying this is an 8 week old little one? He may not really be attacking you. He could be trying to fly up to your shoulder, or trying to get to your hands to get a treat, or food. When you go in, go up to him, and pick him up for a minute. Sheesh!

 

[Shadrach]

I just want to drive this point home before anyone else starts singing the kill the rooster song.
This is a six and a half week old cockerel....scary isn't he.

The one on the right is a seven week old cockerel, he's kinda cute and silly.

This one on the other hand is a battle tested mean mutha.

Come on people, get a grip.

 

[1cock2hens]

just have to remember the little ones grow up.. that said he is young and i would give him time

 

[Shadrach]

just have to remember the little ones grow up.. that said he is young and i would give him time

The one in the top picture didn't. A weasel got him.
The one in this thread doesn't look like he's going to get the chance to grow up though does he.

 

[1cock2hens]

your point?.. the advice to cull was given before it was known that it was still a chick... when it was made clear that it was a chick still you will notice the same people said to give it time or work on it

 

[Shadrach]

It reads 2 months old in the first post.
My point is obvious.

 

[aart]

It reads 2 months old in the first post.
My point is obvious.

First post said he had had it for 2 months.....was later it was determined that it actually was only 2 months...tho even that had not been absolutely confirmed.