Little Help Here Please!

[7L Farm]

I've never raised cockerels. I usually hatch & get rid of them. If I need a roo I buy one fully grown. Well, I hatched & have 17 pullets & 4 cockerels their 17 weeks old. I got rid of 13 cockerels but want to keep some cockerels for this flock & another flock. Anyway naturally the one I like the most has already got the big head & wants to show me that he's the man. How should I handle him? Give him more time or what? He trys pecking me & I'm bad about reacting I want to fight him back its just the way I am. I react. I need some suggestion. Here he is. I named him hansome but think I'm gonna change his name to the devil.

 

[HEChicken]

Wow, I can't believe you actually hatched 50/50 pullets/cockerels!

I have a 6-month-old who was sweet as can be until a couple of weeks ago when he flogged me for the first time. I didn't see it coming but I was used to turning my back on him and he'd never done anything before. Fortunately he doesn't have spurs so didn't hurt me - just gave me a shock. I turned around and sparred with him. He kept coming at me and I used my hands to reach out and make contact with him before he contacted me. As I did, I kept moving towards him, making him back away from me. That first day, a few rounds of this and he decided enough was enough and walked away.

Two days later he came at me again. Once again, I sparred with him only this time we went MANY rounds before he quit. Once he quit, I grabbed him, tucked him under my arm and carried him around for awhile in full view of all his hens.

He hasn't tried anything again since. I come and go in and out of the pen and don't let him intimidate me, but I will randomly walk towards him and make him move away from me. The idea is that he understands I am alpha over him. He may be the head chicken but he MUST submit to me. Its been about 10 days since we last sparred and he hasn't tried it again, respectfully moving away from me when I approach him. Since he is only 6 months old, hormones are raging. I figure if he is at least acting respectful under those conditions, he'll probably mature into a great roo.