Aggressive Rooster? Or Not 🐓?

[Chicken Heel]

Sorry to hear that happened. Roosters can indeed do a lot more damage than one would think if they get a good hit in as you found out. Hopefully your wound heals smoothly and that will be the last time that rooster attacks you or anyone else. Mean roosters make good soup fortunately

I’ve been more than patient with him and another Shetland rooster that I have… they definitely have the devil in them. My Shetland hens are real sweethearts but I am not letting them near these two rascals.

 

[RcoM]

I just wanted to share a story and give maybe a little advice that might help you in a similar situation. This is currently happening in my own flocks.
Everyone knows I been raising chickens and dealing with situations in my flocks for a very long time. (40+years) I have had several so called "aggressive" roosters. Pictured below is a rooster that is wearing my wife out almost daily. It is kind of comical, but my wife doesn't think it is very funny.
The rooster is a Showgirl Turkin/Silkie. He is a beautiful splash color and my wife calls him Cinnamon. Anyway she will come out of the house and start the walk to gather eggs in the runs anout 30 yards behind the house. Almost immediately Cinnamon will see her come out of the house and he will get into position. He looks like a track star getting into the starting block. He will crouch down, spread his wings a liitle, duck his head with his eyes fixed on the finish line. Then the starting gun goes off in his head when she opens the door to the run and he is on her. Just flogging. spurring, and even biting like an Anaconda or Snapping turtle, he grabs ahold with his beak and won't let go or he will start to twist ripping or tearing with his beak. Kinda of a new trick I haven't seen before. My wife doesn't like it too much and I get in alot of trouble because I am laughing so hard that I am crying. No bigger than he is, he really can't do too much damage except with the beak manuever. (I KNOW, I KNOW, BAD HUSBAND FOR LAUGHING).
What can she do? What did she do? This may help you too. Most people think it is Stew Pot Time. Could be, maybe, Not. Explanation time. Why is the rooster doing this all of a sudden?and why to her and not me?
1. Spring time-- every spring the temps rise, sunlight is longer and therefore the roosters Testosterone rises.
2. The hens start laying after the molt they just went through in winter, so the rooster needs and wants to breed and also wants to protect his ladies.
3. Do you have Multiple roosters? he is showing off his protection skills to the others. Or is he being bullied? He is showing the others he is tough and can and will fight if necessary.

So what to do? What did my wife and I do?
1. Be aware and understand what is going on SPRING IS HERE.
2. Wear long pants, good boots and gloves.
3. NEVER turn your back to a rooster in spring if you can help it or be sure you keep an eye on him.
4. Carry a bucket or a stick with you. The bucket is for keeping something between you and him if he attacks. The stick is used just to guide him in a direction you would like him to go, so you can gather eggs or feed them safely.
5. Another trick my wife learned and I didn't think of, which she points out, she will carry a spray bottle of water into the coop with her. If he charges she squirts him at his head. Apparently he don't like it and he stays away. Now she just carries the spray bottle in the coop and he doesn't attempt his attack at all now.
6. Relocation or isolation if necessary, but this should be a last resort Really not necessary. Very low chance this will happen
7. Stew Pot- yes this is an option, just not for me. I know some folks will eat the chickens they raise and it is no problem for them. But the only time I euthanize a chicken is do to disease or injury. Not for something that is normal behavior.

I hope this helps someone, maybe a little. This is my opinion and suggestions and zi know there will be people who may disagree or who have more options but this is what we do.









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Additional tricks.
1. Distraction w food
2. Plan approach times carefully
3. Let them out for a run first
4. Give them more space
5. Sing a weird song
6. Play music or make sound
7. Bring odd object in

My 2 boys want to show off but many others things are also fun; paddock play, food piles (placed down before I open the door to them)
Food thrown in a certain direction.
Ie. distraction

Deterrents:
Picking them up and holding still makes them less likely to want to get close. It's embarrassing for them.

Wire fence between you.
Stick between you.

Consider your approach

 

[Love Donkeys]

My third daughter was sitting on the grass playing with her toy horses. She was attacked from behind by a rooster. She is now 54 years old and she still has the rooster attack scars on the back of her neck, her back and her legs...

Life is to short to put up with miserable roosters!

PS: We have 57 free-range Speckled Sussex, 4 of them are roosters.

 

[Lexie27]

He’s home now for almost a week, he’s living in the run (with a small shelter available but he prefers to roost on top of it).
He’s not used to being handled or having a lot of human interaction, hes mostly scared with new things.
I spend hours a day outside his run (hopefully we’ll have his coop done next weekend weather permitting) doing as many as my outside chores right next to him. I talk to him constantly and feed him treats through the wire because that’s what he’s used to. I’m trying to get him used to hands, and offer him treats in my hand under the enclosure door. Not gonna lie, that makes me a bit sad, but that’s me.
Overall health wise he’s good, stress hasn’t stopped the systems, and he took a wee nap (like 5 seconds) with me in the enclosure today which I’m taking as progress.
His name is Chesty Puller, Chesty never quit and neither has this little bird. He’s survived a predator attack and what must feel like an alien abduction and he’s still a good boy.

He’s an Easter Egger, he’s so quiet and kind. Not at my house, yet. :/
His family calls him scratchy or scrappy, but my dog’s nickname is scrappy do.
I think he’s very handsome.