Rooster troubles!

[n8ivetxn]

I don't think free-ranging did anything to reduce the urge in my roos.....Mine are out quite a bit, running the acreage. The SF roo, the meanest one, stays near the coop, never ventures more than 10 - 15 yards from it. I've often wondered if the coop is the root of the problem - he seems most confrontational when I go in it or the run area, he's never come after me just out in the pasture.

Now, I force him to leave the coop before I go in. If he's in the run, I make him leave when I go in. Otherwise, I can't get anything done because I'm too busy watching for him.....


Thanks to everyone for your input, good info

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Sounds like it's all about the DNA. Have to wait and see about my little guy. Hard to imagine him being mean!

Now, about potentially re-homing my EE cockerel. My husband's co-worker's mother-in-law has 12+ hens and wants a rooster. (Don't know any more than that.) Everything I've read says to wait until he's older, but how old? Maybe a better question is, what signs should I look for to know that he might be ready to hold his own against a bunch of unknown hens?

The pullets he's with now never challenge him. In fact, the top pullet is the one who does the most pecking to keep order. Funny though, that of all my large dual purpose birds, it's the lighter White Leghorn who reigns. (She's a changeling - was supposed to be a Delaware - brooder mix up at the feed store!) This Leghorn even chases away jays and other birds, while the cockerel kicks back and chills. Do you think a dominant pullet can act in the place of a dominant rooster and make the cockerel a more submissive guy?

Sorry if I seem obsessive, but this chicken psychology really interests me! I appreciate everyone sharing their experience.

SpeckledHen, what type of rooster is in your avatar? He's beautiful. Saw your posted video of Isaac (?) your Delaware roo. What a Romeo! He's awesome!

 

[speckledhen]

My avatar is my Blue Orpington, Suede, in his younger days. He's going on 6 years old now, a big old blue teddy bear.

Look for actual aggression anywhere from 16-24 weeks of age. I culled one cockerel at 24 weeks, two at 16 weeks. Some start early, some work up to it. Before around 15-16 weeks, I give them some aversion therapy and hope it was just boundary testing. If it progresses to actual flogging, they get one try and no more.

 

[lablover]

So I guess I should stop letting my 9-10 week old cockerel lay in my lap and eat.

If he's free ranging, I can't just reach down and pick him up. So he is a tad skittish. (Just a tad though) I have to have the food cup, or he has to be sitting on the arm of my lawn chair before I can pick him up. Once I have him, he's totally relaxed. Doesn't scream or struggle, and I can do just about anything with him.

If he's sitting on the chair with me, he will peck my shirt and end up pinching me. Is the answer to that to just not let him up there? Since the flock decreased from 9 to 5 when I got rid of the other cockerels, he has not been so interested in me. When there were 9, they all swarmed around and he was the first to get on the chair. Now, he just hangs with his girls.

I want to raise him right. Is there anything I can do now?

 

[Cetawin]

I am going to interject in this GrandmaChickie....

Making them a pet is not always a bad thing. I have a large Orp Roo and a large younger Orp Cross roo....by large I mean my Blue is 13 lbs and the cross is 11 lbs at a year old.

Lancelot is my love...all 13 lbs of him, my pet. He brings me gifts all the time...leaves, little rocks, goodies he finds and such and has taught Hector to do so...Hector brought me a twist tie the other day, very sueful rooster gift. hahahaha Neither of these boys has ever shown any aggression. Lancelot will dance up beside me and walk with me around the yard but would never think of attacking me no matter what I do. Aggression is very individual...I have seen roos babied that turned mean and roos that were not babied turn mean.

I think it is best to raise them with love and respect, allow them to be roosters but be manageable....able to be handled, able to let you do whatever you need with them and their girls. If they show affection to you great and if not but they respect your position as boss...great too.

My point, babying them is not always the cause of the roo going bad...hormones and individuality decide his aggression abilities and level. Your boy sounds like he was low man on the totem pole and now there is no male competition so he is being the little man. I would still insist on him being handled and being picked up every now and then...also, handle his feet and legs while you are holding him, teach him that it is okay for you to to examine him and check him over. But make sure you handle the girls in front of him as well....roosters tend to not like being picked up once they get bigger....but he should not fight you when you do, that is all you can ask from him. My Lancelot does not allow anyone but me to pick him up, it is a trust issue but he does not want to be held and coddled...petting him, checking him over or medicating a wound he is okay but not too much lap time anymore.

 

[Reeses Peepers]

my 13 year old cradles our roosters like a baby and even puts them to sleep by massaging their crowns...lol. It's funny to see the blustery little fellow with his head flopped back and eyes closed. We handle our chickens...every day. That's really the best way we have found to keep them docile. (one hen who was picked on has a pen inside the house, on the porch...she follows the kids around during the day while they do outside things, then she comes up to the door when she's ready to come in) much better than a dog! haha

 

[Cetawin]

my 13 year old cradles our roosters like a baby and even puts them to sleep by massaging their crowns...lol. It's funny to see the blustery little fellow with his head flopped back and eyes closed. We handle our chickens...every day. That's really the best way we have found to keep them docile. (one hen who was picked on has a pen inside the house, on the porch...she follows the kids around during the day while they do outside things, then she comes up to the door when she's ready to come in) much better than a dog! haha

My birds will come inside the house if you hold the door open too long. I have had to rescue a hen more than once who was stuck between the front door and the storm door...trying to sneak in and got caught between them. hahahahaha

 

[speckledhen]

What Cetawin was saying is right, petting them doesn't change their inherent temperament-it only brings it to the surface when the hormones start kicking in. If they're too familiar with you and they are prone to aggression, you will be flogged by your "baby".

When they have a job to do and are mating the hens, though, you need to give them the space to do it, not be your buddy all the time. My Isaac was never babied as a youngster, even bit me a couple of times as a "teenager", about 14 weeks old, pre-mating age, and two aversion therapy sessions fixed that because it was not in his nature to be human-aggressive anyway. He is now Mr. King of Love with me, wanting his chest rubs, and even calm around other people, just the best tempered rooster. His line of Delawares was culled for temperament and I will continue to do so.

Flighty, spastic teen roosters usually turn aggressive later as well, in my personal experience. Nothing is 100% true for all males, but *usually*.