He started a couple of weeks ago...kinda sneaking up behind me wing flapping and crowing and taking short runs at me..no contact yet but I sure would like how to put him in his place before that happens! any hints please?
Here are some great articles that can help you! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/roosters-everything-you-need-to-know https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/dealing-with-roosters-roo-behavior
I have had quite a few roosters and have not had a human aggressive one yet, I don't pay any attention to the roosters, I just go about my business around the yard and coop as they are not even there. I think people fussing over them like they are babies and people acting differently around them out of fear of the rooster causes a rooster to turn mean because the people who are afraid of it's presence are mistakenly and unknowingly sending it the wrong signals, for example if you kick the rooster away when it comes near you or immediately feed it when it comes around to distract it away from you or run away when it approaches I feel you give him the impression that he as able to effect an outcome with his presence and that eventually develops into attacks. I think ignoring a rooster is the best policy, I also think ignoring a attacking rooster will eventually make him realize he is wasting his energy and he will stop doing it to you, but he will still do it to others who act scared. I have a friend who as a brown leghorn rooster, it doesn't bother him at all because he, like me just ignores the fact that the rooster is even in the yard, but his girlfriend and her daughter and pretty much everyone else who comes around get mauled, they are also afraid of him and always have been and I think that is 90% of the problem
Here is another recent thread. The uploaded movie is a GREAT tool showing the behavior and some potential reasons why. Attitude is everything with cockerels/roosters. Move predictably (no sudden movements) and with purpose, treat the cockerel like he's not even there (ignore his posturing), walk through him (versus around without giving chase), etc. To use a Star Trek analogy, chickens are the Klingons of our domesticated animals. They are keenly observant of body language and will seize ANY opportunity of weakness (either actual or perceived) to show their dominance of you. The worst thing one can do is always be nervously looking over a shoulder in fearful anticipation of what the rooster might do next. Best to put on an extra layer of clothing (protection) and walk into the flock of Klingons putting on an air that you are master of your domain and all that lies within. If you believe it so too will the roosters. The occasional peck or flogging may come but when he sees that you don't react in the way he understands (flinch/startle/scream or chase/confront) he'll likely lose interest in you straight away. You then fall into a neutral category of neither fish nor fowl but nothing worth trifling with. He'll still keep his eye on you (that's just being a good rooster) but when you are confident in your being and don't provide him the reaction his little chicken brain is conditioned to recognize, he pretty much just ignores you much as he ignores the breeze that blows through the pasture. He can't explain it, he can't stop it and it really has no bearing on the safety of his flock...it just is. Be the breeze.
Thank You everyone for the quick replies! I appreciate it. I did know not to treat him like a pet so that was good and I am not afraid of him but we were chasing after him (after he started this) flapping our arms and making chicken noises LOL in an attempt to make us seem more dominant. So we will just ignore him now and walk right through him as suggested. Really don't want to get rid of him as I let the hens free range in our yard and he is good at protecting them with warnings of crows in the trees or a hawk flying over. They have lots of cover as we are surrounded by grandaddy oak trees. Also he makes them go to bed on time and I like his coloring.
You have some extremely good advice from these responders. You won't go wrong by following it. In a nutshell, your behavior is far more important than the rooster's in forming his attitude.