why is my rooster so mean HELP!

[7L Farm]

I'm on roo # 2. My first roo went south & kept trying to attack me & others. I sell eggs & veggies on my farm. So, customers come here often. I let my birds free range alot so there's no way I can have a roo that will attack me or others. So roo # 1 was killed by me. I need more eggs so that means more chickens.I got roo # 2 for more fertile eggs if he starts attacking me or others I have no choice but to get rid of him.I cannot afford a law suit over some big over grown chicken attacking someone here at 7L.

 

[Time-Out]

If I had an aggressive roo, I'd make him someone else's problem. I had an aggressive male chick who quickly found himself a new home as he was attacking the other chicks. I have a roo that attacks my OH's legs. He a Sebright, so tiny, and does no harm. It' actually quite funny, because he doesn't attack me, only my OH and only when he's not looking. As soon as he turns around to see what hit him in the leg, the Sebright pecks at the ground, acting as if he hadn't done anything.

I sent this to my OH: It made me giggle.

I accept that making an aggressive animal someone else's problem is not very ethical/neighbourly/etc, but I'm a vegan and my OH refuses point blank to even consider eating one of our chickens. He may as well become someone else's problem/dinner.

 

[Daisy8s]

I think it is hard to picture this method unless you have witnessed it. This isn't touchy-feely, this isn't the same way you'd treat dogs or horses, this isn't making a pet of your rooster, and this isn't a guarantee that would work with every single rooster every single time.

So, here is what it is.

1. When the rooster is an adolescent and first making his exploratory pecks to see who he can rule, the person does nothing. No correction, but also absolutely no retreat. I made myself as still and uninteresting as the wall of the coop--just let him peck my boots or coat or gloves (this would only work for me in winter when I'm well covered). After a few pecks he would lose interest. This was repeated every day for several weeks, until he lost interest. No session lasted more than 5 minutes. I never put him in a position where he felt he had to defend himself, I just allowed it to happen if he came over to me.

2. From then on the rooster saw humans as outside his domain. They aren't chickens to place within a pecking order. And, provided we don't rush or crowd him to make him feel he needs to defend himself, then we aren't predators either.

There is no way I'd use this method on my dogs--sure wouldn't let them bite me till they lost interest--because I understand that a rooster has a different role than my dogs. He is in breed & defend mode all the time whereas my dogs are not.

I think that many people here on BYC probably have animals that are pets before they have chickens. They have dogs or horses, which have been developed to work and live very closely with us. I see chickens as livestock--they aren't wild but they sure aren't pets either. I think that it is really hard to go from seeing an animal as a pet to seeing it as livestock and furthermore, some people may not want to make that transition.

But, if you can see that rooster as livestock it will help to understand his actions better which will then lead to working with him instead of fighting against him.

 

[ClareScifi]

So true, Daisy B. Did you see the post from the person who referred to not wanting to dress to please a "stupid rooste?." Maybe she hasn't yet had the joy of raising any "smart roosters" because of the techniques she uses? But at least she can try to learn new, more effective ways of raising her roosters, from this forum and your helpful techniques. It would be so sad to have a "stupid rooster" when you can so easily have a smart one, with a little effort on your part. Highly rewarded effort, I might add.

I love dressing for my rooster. I don't much like to dress up, whereas I do love to wear my comfy clothes, and that is what he likes to see me in. So that works well for both of us. I have a great excuse not to have to put on hose and dresses every day. The people around here wear dresses all the time, and I can't stand that. As a gardener/farmer it just isn't practical. The dresses catch on things and are dangerous. Heels are also popular. Can you see me working in the garden in high heels? No fun.

So now I have a great excuse for not doing so. I just explain to the prissy types that my roo doesn't like it! I love him!!! What a cutie.

 

[ClareScifi]

I wanted to mention another technique that I have found works we;;. If you think your roo might be going into a bit of an aggressive mode, mistaking you for a monster, always keep a distractor in your pocket that you can easily toss at a distance. A set of car keys works great.

Just like with a human baby, roosters are easily distracted with shiny things that clank. Just toss it on the ground at a distance, and he'll immediately lose interest in "the monster" and investigate the keys. I have tried this, and it works like a charm.

Even if you are wrong, and your rooster wasn't getting aggressive, he will still enjoy the diversion of the keys. It is probably a good idea to have a collection of lots of interesting "toys" for him up your sleeve, so to speak, to stimulate his brain and provide fun for him.

 

[Hyline]

See, personally I only keep chickens as pets. I don't eat eggs or chicken, and I have them purely as companion animals, which suits my girls down to the ground as they love being around me and having loves and cuddles. The rooster, not at all. He never got tired of pecking either - or spurring - or leaping and flapping whilst spurring and biting.

 

[TonySorrento]

I love dressing for my rooster.  I don't much like to dress up, whereas I do love to wear my comfy clothes, and that is what he likes to see me in.

I can't even begin to tell you how strange.that sounds to me .... but to each their own ..... I guess

 

[Daisy8s]

Quote:

See, personally I only keep chickens as pets. I don't eat eggs or chicken, and I have them purely as companion animals, which suits my girls down to the ground as they love being around me and having loves and cuddles. The rooster, not at all. He never got tired of pecking either - or spurring - or leaping and flapping whilst spurring and biting.

Yes, this is a very different perspective. If you want your chickens to be as much a pet as a dog would be then you'd definitely have a different way of interacting with them. Someone like you probably shouldn't have any roosters, unless you'd be lucky to find the odd rooster that didn't behave like one!

I'm curious...what do you do with the eggs? Or, maybe you have chosen breeds that don't lay much so eggs aren't a problem?

 

[ClareScifi]

I don't eat eggs, either. I was given the two initial little chicks when my kitten died, as a sympathy gift. The person who gave me the chicks didn't realize I don't eat eggs.

However, I teach Sunday School and find fun uses for the eggs. The kids love to dye them at Easter, and I will cook up a batch for a church potluck or take them to other group potlucks, such as the Rose Society's.

I am going to have the kids make deviled eggs which look like Lady Bugs to pass out to church members on April Fool's Day, on my new Ladybug shaped deviled eggs tray.

I give most of my eggs away to friends.

I have started to experiment with coconut, rum, almond, and cherry flavored angel food cakes, making them with the egg whites.

So, for me, my chickens are more for fun than for practical reasons. And I did raise my Roo from a tiny newly hatched chick. When I rescued him shortly after he was hatched, from being almost pecked to death by his StepMama and brother, I kept him on my bare tummy for at least an hour, trying to keep him warm enough until someone got home and could help me set up a brooder box for him. I think that is why we have bonded like we have. I am his Mama. He had no real interaction with anyone other than me for several months. I would take him out in a cage to be near his StepMama and siblings, but they were still in attack mode, until he outgrew them all, and then they accepted him. But I think he may still realize, on some level, that I am his Best Friend.

He is a cutie! I know it sounds strange that I dress for him, but he has good taste in clothing, so why not? He is intelligent and values comfort over looks!

 

[Hyline]

I have hybrid layers so they lay every day - I feed the eggs back to the hens! They love them and it makes their feathers beautiful No I won't have another rooster, unless it is an exceptional rooster. I only ended up with that one because I saved him from the pot as a cockeral, but he was particularly bad, I haven't come across a roo as mean as him before.