Worried my Roo is too comfortable 😬

[Lonewolfgirl]

Yeah, I had a necropsy done on another roo, but that was before my Sebright started with MG symptoms. The roo died from sepsis but had some “mononuclear” invaders or something like that, that the examiner noted “may be” associated with Marek’s. But was never given a definitive positive on that, so I decided to close my flock just in case. My hen just recently developed the MG symptoms and has lived in a totally separate coop so I’m not sure if MG would even show up on Phoenix if he’s not showing any symptoms.

Red doesn’t have a any problems he is just protective we got new hens so

 

[3KillerBs]

It is my rooster won’t come at me unless I have a certain color on

No, that is just you rationalizing his aggression.

I can't claim the many years' and hundreds of chickens' worth of experience that some people here have, but I have had about 20 cockerels so far and not one of them has in any way altered his behavior toward me or anyone else in response to clothing or colors.

 

[Lonewolfgirl]

No, that is just you rationalizing his aggression.

I can't claim the many years' and hundreds of chickens' worth of experience that some people here have, but I have had about 20 cockerels so far and not one of them has in any way altered his behavior toward me or anyone else in response to clothing or colors.

Well you say that but colors for my rooster who is around two he will come at you

 

[3KillerBs]

Well you say that but colors for my rooster who is around two he will come at you

There is no excuse for that bad behavior.

 

[TX Chick Noob]

Well you say that but colors for my rooster who is around two he will come at you

I think the point is your Roo may be “more likely” to come at you if you wear certain colors and “less likely” to come at you if you don’t. But if a Roo will come at you in some circumstances you can never really guarantee that they won’t do it at other times.

In other words avoiding the colors you know he hates is no guarantee of your safety.

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

Okay. Sooooo. My top roo, Phoenix, is a big beautiful RIR, a little over 6 months old.

I’m honestly starting to get nervous around him, and I don’t know what to do about it. Up until yesterday he hadn’t shown even the slightest hint of aggression. He always comes into the coop whenever I go in, unless they are free-ranging at the time and then it’s 50/50 whether he cares enough to keep an eye on me or not. He does get within a couple feet of me, but usually is just pecking at the ground the whole time, just kinda watching me as I collect the eggs. He isn’t afraid of me, even if I stomp my feet near him he doesn’t move away, just keeps pecking the ground where he is.

Well yesterday I went in to collect eggs, without thinking about it I was wearing a hot pink T-shirt. He came into coop as usual, but seemed to be eyeing me a lot more than normal. As soon as I squatted down to pick up eggs, he ran towards me with a quickness. I immediately stood back up and he stopped in his tracks but was giving me the stink eye. He didn’t flog or bite or try to get me with his spurs, but I feel like he would have, if I hadn’t seen him coming. I just stood there over him until he went back to pecking the ground, and then I exited the coop, without turning my back.

Now today when I went to collect, (NOT wearing any shade of red), when he came to keep watch over me, I just felt nervous the whole time. He keeps getting closer and closer, looking curious, but it makes me nervous and I know he can sense that. I’m afraid to even bend over enough to (gently) shove him out of the way. I know this is BAD. I know he can sense my unease. I love him so much but now I’m starting to become outright afraid of him, and he hasn’t even hurt me! I don’t like this feeling at all. My girls (9 & 12) like to check for eggs when they get home from school, but after the way he ran at me yesterday now I’m feeling uneasy about them going in there if he’s in the coop.

What do I do? Do I just keep doing what I’m doing for now, and wait until he tries something again and then react? How can I be more proactive about this? I do NOT want to end up in a situation where I need to cull, he so far has been a great roo, treats me girls well, calls them over when he finds a treat, tries to drop food at their feet, is gentle when he mates, etc. Plus I really do love him. But I don’t want to put myself, and *especially* not my kids in a position to get ambushed by him. I have suspected Marek’s and highly suspect one of my hens has MG as well, so rehoming is not an option whatsoever. The only way out now is culling and I don’t think I can bring myself to do that, at least not yet. It would have to be a very last resort. But idk. I’m scared

I have a white leghorn mix roo that has come at me several times. I carry a 5 foot walking stick into the run with me. I’m not afraid of him but I don’t turn my back to him. On the days when he feels froggy I give him a good whack with the stick. He’s not afraid of me but is my stick.

 

[bobbi-j]

How important is your girls’ safety? Their enjoyment of having chickens? Do you seriously want to risk either of those because you’re attached to a chicken that wants to hurt you? He’s given you a warning. The next time will likely be a full-fledged attack. Or not. But you won’t know until it happens. Even if you get him to respect you and your space, that doesn’t guarantee that he will do so for other people. Roosters are a dime a dozen. There are good ones out there. You may have to try a few times, but you’ll eventually find one, and then you’ll wonder why you ever put up with a bad one.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

A hen of mine attacks when I wear red crocs. She doesn't associate them with ME, even though they're on my feet. She just pecks the shoes. I can reach out and stroke her back and she has no reaction. She just hates those shoes.
If I wear blue ones she doesn't care.

But a cockerel being hormonal and aggressive is likely just going to get worse as he ages.

 

[bobbi-j]

There is no excuse for that bad behavior.

Exactly! I wear all kinds of colors, fabrics and shoes out to the chickens. Never once in almost 40 years of chicken raising have I had one go after me because of the color of my clothes or shoes.

 

[Vicker]

When I accidentally get a rooster, I give it the benefit of the doubt until it starts that aggressive stuff. I've had to wave a long stick behind me as I walked to stop them from running up against me. It's just not worth it to me. They go to the stock pot. Another reason I don't like to keep roosters is how they stress the hens. They over mate them and tear their feathers out. Now that I have a juvenile that I suspect may be a rooster, I've thought about putting him in a separate pen and allowing the occasional conjugal visit.