Aggressive rooster

[ArtJuice]

Rooster was just fine until the hens started sharing the same coop with them roughly 2 or 3 years ago. Now he's a menace, and I thought it was just mating season at first but he's a menace every season of the year.
He will always attack my shoes any time they get near.
80% time my hands get too close to him because he's near food or water and I'm just, you know, KEEPING THEM FROM DYING, he will BITE. I am not willing to get rid of this roo OR kill him, but I'm so tired of all the scars I keep getting. I've tried ignoring the problem, I've tried being nice to him, I've tried holding him down until he calms down (NEVER enough time for that), and at the very worst I've gotten angry enough to throw this bantam roo across the yard like a football.
(No. I'm not proud of that. But it may play into the issues here that I'm having. I keep thinking he doesn't trust me or something because I've gotten so angry and tired of it in the moment that I've taken a little bit of anger out on him. I do not intend to abuse this chicken.)

Anything that I do is only effective until the next time I go out there. Can anyone please help?


If you need any more info he is now the only bantam in his flock and has 6 standard size hens to himself. He is a red frizzle cochin named Digger.

We tried something today (holding him down and whatever head-under-body technique my mom did) which kept him looking- well, surprised- which took roughly 30-45 minutes. He was stressing out by the time I put him back up but he closed his mouth when I kissed his head (surprised I could even do that) and looked a little calmer. I don't know if that means anything either but I just hope he isn't just putting on a show for the hens. What he does leaves scars and bruises and marks on my hands and arms and I don't want that anymore.

 

[nuthatched]

Aggressive animals forfeit the right to life.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

Sorry, but if this has been ongoing and drawing blood, he is too dangerous to keep around. Aggression can be genetic and it is almost impossible to stop them. Especially since he is older than a year, this is a huge no-no behavior.

 

[ArtJuice]

I will add that he doesn't constantly target me. Sometimes when I'm just sitting down and being still in the coop he acts just fine. It's when I'm moving around and my hands and arms get 'too close' to him while I'm taking care of my chickens and he isn't focused on food or water.

 

[nuthatched]

I will add that he doesn't constantly target me. Sometimes when I'm just sitting down and being still in the coop he acts just fine. It's when I'm moving around and my hands and arms get 'too close' to him while I'm taking care of my chickens and he isn't focused on food or water.

Blood, scars, stress and tears. You and those around you don't deserve it. He's a huge liability.
He needs chopped, asap.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I think he is ruining your good time with the birds. This is a hobby with benefits. No one deserves to be punished like what you are describing.

You could wear gloves, shoes and thick jeans - but that gets to be a pain. Or carry a large lid to keep him away. But then what is going on, is you are trained, and you haven't changed him at all. You could set up a trap - so that you could coax him into the trap - shut the door, then do your chicken chores and then let him out when you have exited the coop/run, but I think he would quickly catch on to that and it would not work in the long run.

All roosters are not the same. Some are fabulous, a lot are good, some are fair, and some are just rotten. You have a rotten rooster. I really don't believe there is a training that works. They have a very small brain, and large gonads and largely are controlled by hormones.

The thing is, the longer you keep a rotten rooster, the longer it keeps you from getting a good rooster.

Mrs K

 

[horselover1999]

I would cull him from the flock. There are too many good roosters out there to justify keeping a mean one. Bad roosters can be trained to a degree, but hormones almost always take over.
I hatched 2 cockerels from some eggs I bought that I could tell were cockerels from day 1. One was watchful and protective of the other chicks, but wasn't mean to me. The other was constantly challenging my hand and trying to bite me when he was a day old. I rehomed the mean one as soon as I had confirmation that he was in fact a cockerel. The good rooster is great at calling his girls over for food or treats, and amazing at alerting them to potential predators like a plane flying in the distance (not even over our property) or wind.

In addition, temperament is genetic. A mean rooster produces mean cockerels for the most part, and a good rooster will usually produce good cockerels. The possible sires for those chicks was some amazing Marans roosters or an Olive Egger rooster that she had to rehome because he attacked her kid, so I am guessing that those two cockerels had different sires.

 

[atomic]

If you can’t bring yourself to dispatch this rooster, I imagine it wouldn’t be difficult to find someone who will. Many folks don’t have an issue and would enjoy a fresh farm raised roast.

 

[NaeNae3]

Rooster was just fine until the hens started sharing the same coop with them roughly 2 or 3 years ago. Now he's a menace, and I thought it was just mating season at first but he's a menace every season of the year.
He will always attack my shoes any time they get near.
80% time my hands get too close to him because he's near food or water and I'm just, you know, KEEPING THEM FROM DYING, he will BITE. I am not willing to get rid of this roo OR kill him, but I'm so tired of all the scars I keep getting. I've tried ignoring the problem, I've tried being nice to him, I've tried holding him down until he calms down (NEVER enough time for that), and at the very worst I've gotten angry enough to throw this bantam roo across the yard like a football.
(No. I'm not proud of that. But it may play into the issues here that I'm having. I keep thinking he doesn't trust me or something because I've gotten so angry and tired of it in the moment that I've taken a little bit of anger out on him. I do not intend to abuse this chicken.)

Anything that I do is only effective until the next time I go out there. Can anyone please help?


If you need any more info he is now the only bantam in his flock and has 6 standard size hens to himself. He is a red frizzle cochin named Digger.

We tried something today (holding him down and whatever head-under-body technique my mom did) which kept him looking- well, surprised- which took roughly 30-45 minutes. He was stressing out by the time I put him back up but he closed his mouth when I kissed his head (surprised I could even do that) and looked a little calmer. I don't know if that means anything either but I just hope he isn't just putting on a show for the hens. What he does leaves scars and bruises and marks on my hands and arms and I don't want that anymore.

Ok, so, my husband and boys always were fighter material, yep, they sense your male and he’s a male. I and the girls had less of an issue. Also, challenging him and getting closer is an acceptance of a fight. Give him a wide birth, if he comes closer, give him an even wider birth ,and always back down, or he learns YOU are a fighter and must always be challenged. Your mom was putting him to sleep. Yes very calming. But for you to do it would probably be upsetting and a challenge or dual right there. I used to have to go to my sister‘s house and collect their eggs so that she wouldn’t get attacked. Cute.
If you can consistently LET him be the winner, then he will learn you are accepting him as the “top dog” lol.
I later learned my husband did all kinds of things to try and win the fight, but it never ended well.
I wish you better luck!

 

[alwaystj9]

Total separation and a pen where you can feed and water him without entering the pen. It will be a sad and lonely life but he will always act this way. Please read through some of the many Aggressive Roo posts on this website. There are many tactics and interventions you can try but most are limited in effectiveness. This is not just your roo's issue and you are not causing it. It is literally the nature of the beast. PLease don't let him hurt you anymore and protect any children from him.