Aggressive behavior or normal pecking order shenanigans (cockerel)?

[wildgreen]

My 7-week old Faverolles cockerel, Dale, already seems aggressive to me, but I’m not sure if it’s just rooster behavior and establishing his dominance in the flock. Never had roosters before.

There are six pullets (all 7 weeks as well). He seems to pick on every single one of the girls. Just now, he charged one, they had a little stand off/pecking fight, and he turned and charged a different one. He repeated this with four of the pullets all within minutes. He has been doing this for a good couple of weeks now. None of the girls do this to each other!

He doesn’t mess with me or any other humans, including my 21 month old son who will sometimes chase, and only would peck me when I’d try to pick him up if I was wearing rings. I don’t wear rings if I’m trying to pet or pick him up now and he’s fine. Is his attitude towards the girls normal, or do I have an aggressive cockerel on my hands, and will his behavior escalate as he ages?

PS he is smaller than all of them except one, my Brabanter.

 

[FrostRanger]

This is normal chick behavior. Ik you said your girls don't do it, but females will do that too, my girls do (well, the stand off part, mine don't really peck each other during these "fights", it's just posturing) . As long as no blood is being drawn it's nothing to worry about, just them working out the pecking order. Him pecking your rings is also just normal chick curiosity. Please don't let your son chase him or any of the other birds though, that can lead to aggression issues down the road and can lead to him or your birds getting injured

 

[wildgreen]

This is normal chick behavior. Ik you said your girls don't do it, but females will do that too, my girls do (well, the stand off part, mine don't really peck each other during these "fights", it's just posturing) . As long as no blood is being drawn it's nothing to worry about, just them working out the pecking order. Him pecking your rings is also just normal chick curiosity. Please don't let your son chase him or any of the other birds though, that can lead to aggression issues down the road and can lead to him or your birds getting injured

Thank you! That makes me feel better! Yeah, the girls do have little stand offs occasionally but not like this. My son just started chasing them this week, and I’ve been stopping him immediately and teaching him not to. I definitely do not tolerate it, I just wanted to put it out there that the cockerel doesn’t charge my son even when he’s doing something threatening thanks again!

 

[FrostRanger]

NP! I'd still keep an eye on him especially around your son though as you won't know a cockerel's true temperment until at least a year of age and he'll be entering puberty soon which can bring out aggression in some bird. His behavior isn't particularly concerning now but just be aware

 

[Mrs. K]

With a 21 month old child, I would not keep the rooster. Kids make mistakes, children are who cockerels tend to attack first, children under the age of five, tend to take the attack in the face.

Maybe a kid will make a mistake, maybe he will be completely innocent, but no child deserves to be attacked and possibly seriously injured in his own back yard.

You have years to do this hobby. No need to do it all at once, add a rooster later on, when your son is bigger, and you both have more experience.

Mrs K

 

[wildgreen]

With a 21 month old child, I would not keep the rooster. Kids make mistakes, children are who cockerels tend to attack first, children under the age of five, tend to take the attack in the face.

Maybe a kid will make a mistake, maybe he will be completely innocent, but no child deserves to be attacked and possibly seriously injured in his own back yard.

You have years to do this hobby. No need to do it all at once, add a rooster later on, when your son is bigger, and you both have more experience.

Mrs K

Thanks! I don’t plan on keeping him for this very reason, but my two options are either give him away and be honest if I think he’s aggressive, or wait until he’s big enough for freezer camp, in which case I still have to wait a little while. I haven’t decided for sure which option I’m going to choose.

 

[wildgreen]

NP! I'd still keep an eye on him especially around your son though as you won't know a cockerel's true temperment until at least a year of age and he'll be entering puberty soon which can bring out aggression in some bird. His behavior isn't particularly concerning now but just be aware

Yes, unfortunately Dale will either go to a new home or into the freezer at some point as I can’t risk anything happening to my little one. i’d like to have a rooster later down the line though!

 

[Caseyluvschickens1]

NP! I'd still keep an eye on him especially around your son though as you won't know a cockerel's true temperment until at least a year of age and he'll be entering puberty soon which can bring out aggression in some bird. His behavior isn't particularly concerning now but just be aware

I'm having the same issue. Mine are almost 4 mos old. Roo is a butthole to them for no reason. Just like the op said, They will just be really pecking around and out of nowhere and we'll just charge at one of them and then go to the next and then the next. He took a chunk of feathers out of one. Seems to be getting worse. Zeus just got his Crow a few days ago. For the last 3 days The girls won't come out of the coop in the am for at least an hr or until I put Zeus in a kennel.

 

[Mrs. K]

IMO Waiting is not a good idea with cockerels and children. There are countless posts on here where the attack came out of nowhere on this forum. It is not like they are going to say, "I will give you to next Tuesday, and then I am attacking." Roosters have ruined the whole chicken hobby for a lot of children.