chookcomplex
Chirping
- Oct 1, 2022
- 43
- 47
- 71
Main Objective: Minimise my rooster becoming antagonistic to me
Flock data:
2 Cream Legbar hens 42 weeks old Boss everyone around but not to the point of injury
1 Cream Legbar rooster 15 weeks old Has been docile but just yesterday has he been able to usurp the top hens and are about even in mettle. He tolerates me touching him but mostly if I have food and he can only stand about 10 seconds of behind held or 5 seconds being lifted before he protests. I have handraised him from hatch and touch him every time I feed him via hand.
Deceased:
1 Cream Legbar rooster 22 weeks old Father of my current rooster, died before my younger chickens were born. I raised him from 8 weeks to full grown. When he hit puberty, he became very territorial and every morning he would peck viciously at you until I held him in submission position then he would try the next day. His pecking aggression started around the time he started crowing and I put a no-crow collar on him. I tried changing my behaviour like not looking into his eye, not approaching quickly , letting him come to me but after 5 or 6 weeks, his aggression only got as good as 60% of the time he would want to fight you in the morning. I don't know if the aggression was his personality or my behaviour towards him were a major factor.
Right now, the pecking order is still in flux, the younger hens have yet to grow to full size and my roo has only started to succeed at challenging the top hens. I expect he will be on top soon.
Concern 1#: I'm worried if I start handling him which he doesn't really like that he will think I'm an enemy to be pecked.
Tensions are high because of the upset of the power balance so should I not do anything until this settles? His hormones are also starting to rage and he wants to mate now so should I leave him alone until this settles if it ever does? I have noticed even before the collar, he watches me very carefully, I have errantly moved my hand quickly near him but so far it has not triggerd an attack.
Concern 2#: If I let him crow unabated and don't start training with the no crow collar now, he will resent the use of it and turn me into an enemy.
His father started seeing me as a threat when I started putting the collar on him, as far as i know our relationship was strained severely. But I only have a limited time to control the crowing before I get concerned the neighbours will complain.
Ideally I would like to regularly daily take off the collar in the morning, then put it back on him at dusk
Flock data:
2 Cream Legbar hens 42 weeks old Boss everyone around but not to the point of injury
1 Cream Legbar rooster 15 weeks old Has been docile but just yesterday has he been able to usurp the top hens and are about even in mettle. He tolerates me touching him but mostly if I have food and he can only stand about 10 seconds of behind held or 5 seconds being lifted before he protests. I have handraised him from hatch and touch him every time I feed him via hand.
Deceased:
1 Cream Legbar rooster 22 weeks old Father of my current rooster, died before my younger chickens were born. I raised him from 8 weeks to full grown. When he hit puberty, he became very territorial and every morning he would peck viciously at you until I held him in submission position then he would try the next day. His pecking aggression started around the time he started crowing and I put a no-crow collar on him. I tried changing my behaviour like not looking into his eye, not approaching quickly , letting him come to me but after 5 or 6 weeks, his aggression only got as good as 60% of the time he would want to fight you in the morning. I don't know if the aggression was his personality or my behaviour towards him were a major factor.
Right now, the pecking order is still in flux, the younger hens have yet to grow to full size and my roo has only started to succeed at challenging the top hens. I expect he will be on top soon.
Concern 1#: I'm worried if I start handling him which he doesn't really like that he will think I'm an enemy to be pecked.
Tensions are high because of the upset of the power balance so should I not do anything until this settles? His hormones are also starting to rage and he wants to mate now so should I leave him alone until this settles if it ever does? I have noticed even before the collar, he watches me very carefully, I have errantly moved my hand quickly near him but so far it has not triggerd an attack.
Concern 2#: If I let him crow unabated and don't start training with the no crow collar now, he will resent the use of it and turn me into an enemy.
His father started seeing me as a threat when I started putting the collar on him, as far as i know our relationship was strained severely. But I only have a limited time to control the crowing before I get concerned the neighbours will complain.
Ideally I would like to regularly daily take off the collar in the morning, then put it back on him at dusk
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