young rooster - testing us

[glowworm]

Our rooster is about 20 weeks old, and starting to test the waters. It's been a couple weeks since he started challenging the dogs. Today, when I let them out of the run, he came really close to me and was acting very dominant. He was staring at my shoes (I was wearing Crocs, I swear I read on here that roosters don't like cros, LOL), and acting like he was getting the courage to attack my feet. My pullets ended up distracting him so nothing happened.

he did peck my boyfriend a couple days ago when he was petting one of the pullets. There was a white mark, no blood drawn.

he has been a very good rooster till now, and only crows for 5-10 minutes when I let them out of the coop in the morning- otherwise there would be no way we could have kept him with having very close neighbors.

Is there anything I can do so he remains a nice rooster? He's been a lot of fun till now, and definitely our favorite chicken.

 

[gritsar]

You need to make him understand loud and clear that you are the alpha "roo" and he is to give you a wide berth and a whole lot of respect.
Do an author search and find rooster-red's page on dealing with roos. Check out the one in my signature too.
Good luck!

 

[Salt and Light]

I swear that holding them upside down works wonders. I held mine upside down and talked to him in my deepest man voice. ...

 

[swtangel321]

There have been MANY post on here about mean roosters, Do a search at the top of the page !! They say YOU need to be top rooster, One thing that worked for my hubby was... We have a real nasty BR rooster well we dusted a few weeks back before winter came and hubby had to tackle him so he didnt get hurt, After he got him he held him for a min or so and then we dusted. Since then he doesnt bother hubby !! I tell him its b/c when he picked him up he (hubby) became top rooster, and thats what he should be. So now every once and a while when he starts to get nasty hubby picks him up and we all have a nice chat. Keeps him in line for a little while !! I would NOT pick him up and hold him upside down for any amout of time... There was a post on this also not to long ago and were many reasons why you shouldn't !! So in till you read about it dont do it !! Good luck and hope someone else has some ideas for you also !!

 

[gritsar]

I agree that holding them upside down is not a good idea and should only be done as a last resort. Chickens lungs are more to their back and you can cause them to suffocate. Also they can choke.
Edited again, because I just can't seem to spell tonight!

 

[Attack Chicken]

just pick him up and carry him around awhile. Thats what I do sometimes.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

My DH plays "Rooster-Ball"; when Einstein, my SLW cockerel, starts in flying at him when he's working on the coop (a work in progress), DH gets the broom and whacks him like a softball, right out of the air. Einstein stumbles around a bit, then goes and hides for a while. Every couple of weeks he forgets, though, and it's Rooster-Ball time again.

 

[swtangel321]

Rte.66_chicks :

My DH plays "Rooster-Ball"; when Einstein, my SLW cockerel, starts in flying at him when he's working on the coop (a work in progress), DH gets the broom and whacks him like a softball, right out of the air. Einstein stumbles around a bit, then goes and hides for a while. Every couple of weeks he forgets, though, and it's Rooster-Ball time again.

Not sure if that will fix the problem or make it worse !! My hubby has had to use his boot on ours for his protection (which I don't like at all and wouldn't recommend doing) I think it might just make them meaner to you in the end. Plus hitting any animal is abusive and shouldn't be done (there are always exceptions to the rule, don't get me wrong)​

 

[Portia]

I had a rooster that seemed to think my red crocs were a continual threat...just the crocs. If I left them alone by the back door he would be all over them, and was even more alarmed when they were moving around on my feet. Yet he had no problem with me coming right up to him and picking him up when he was roosting at a level above my waist. Sometimes I really wonder about the workings of the chicken mind

Anyhow, I tried the upside down in my lap and carrying him, but what really seemed to work was a spray of water in the face; he really disliked that and would fall back in line. I kept a spray bottle near the door going out to the coop. By the way, he only attacked my red crocs and would run from my husband when he entered the yard. My little beagle mix was another story & we finally traded him up because she was afraid to go out into the yard with the rooster there.

 

[spatcher]

Quote:
That rooster would have gone long before my beagle!