How do I manage a rooster just hitting puberty : A Confluence

[nuthatched]

Every time I fed him and the others, I kept stroking their back. Talking to them softly. Picking them up every now and then for 5 seconds then setting him back down, he didn't even complain half of the time.

Next time I may try that just for males but the whole premise of my hand rearing and physical content is constant acclimation with positive reinforcement.

That doest work for birds due to their hierarchy.
You want to be hands off, no petting or hand feeding. No touchy besides getting him used to health checks.
Pretty much ignore him unless you need to make him submit

 

[Mrs. K]

Actually, there are many ways to get a rooster. Ask at the county extension agent, ask at 4-H clubs, ask at the feed store. What would be ideal, is a rooster that is approaching a year old, been raised in a multi-generational flock and has been so nice that he has not been culled. Many people are terrified of strange birds to their flock, and it is a risk, but unless the bird has been to an auction or is a show bird, the risk in not that great.

The problem with trying to train a cockerel, is people don't start training until there is a problem, and then IMO that is too late. There is very little brain to work with, and the testicals are huge. The training you have been doing with the petting, and slow movements - are the actions of a lower or submissive bird.

You describe that he is working up over the older girls, and he is trying to work up over you too. If you want pets - an all hen flock is best. You can train them to jump up on you, to not squawk when you pick them up. If you want a rooster, well that is less pet like, and more flock like. They will look to the rooster, not to you, even if they did before he became mature. If he is a good rooster, he will move the girls away from you, and keep between you and them.

I think that despite what you do, the behavior and aggression will become much worse. They are opportunist, and will attack when you are doing or paying attention to something else. Personally, I am not a big fan of controlling my behavior and clothing to suit a rooster that belongs in a soup pot.

I would try again. The best way of getting a good rooster is not to keep a bad one.

Mrs K

 

[D from Quincy]

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

Hi, wondering how you and your flock are doing since what I thought was my favorite hen Margaret has evolved into my first Rooster Max. He revealed himself with the first crow three days ago. I have raised him since he was 2 weeks old and now he is about 3 months old. He come to my house with two other chicks as of now they appear to be hens. The joined my single Hen Peggy. She is about 5 years old. We lost her hen pal in April, very sad, which is why this predicament has presented itself in my back yard. They are putting the house next door on the market 7/15 so I need to either quiet him down or get rid of him. He is loved here and everyone seems very happy. He and the 3 hens are Barre Rocks. According to the sizing chart he would be a medium. Sorry for lengthy reply. I'm beside myself. I'm hoping the no crow collar keeps everyone happy. Thank you for post and if you have any words to help guide me I would Sincerely Appreciate.

 

[LaFleche]

They are putting the house next door on the market 7/15 so I need to either quiet him down or get rid of him. He is loved here and everyone seems very happy. He and the 3 hens are Barre Rocks. According to the sizing chart he would be a medium. Sorry for lengthy reply. I'm beside myself. I'm hoping the no crow collar keeps everyone happy. T

Please, don't constantly strangle the cockerel just because you are not allowed to keep a rooster in your area.

The use of so-called no crow collars is life threatening for the bird and often leads to his death as he will still be crowing regardless and people then tend to tighten the collar even more until the crowing stops - but then the bird will be dead.

Find him a new home where he and his crowing will be appreciated.

 

[chookcomplex]

Hi, wondering how you and your flock are doing since what I thought was my favorite hen Margaret has evolved into my first Rooster Max. He revealed himself with the first crow three days ago. I have raised him since he was 2 weeks old and now he is about 3 months old. He come to my house with two other chicks as of now they appear to be hens. The joined my single Hen Peggy. She is about 5 years old. We lost her hen pal in April, very sad, which is why this predicament has presented itself in my back yard. They are putting the house next door on the market 7/15 so I need to either quiet him down or get rid of him. He is loved here and everyone seems very happy. He and the 3 hens are Barre Rocks. According to the sizing chart he would be a medium. Sorry for lengthy reply. I'm beside myself. I'm hoping the no crow collar keeps everyone happy. Thank you for post and if you have any words to help guide me I would Sincerely Appreciate.View attachment 3561952

He looks so dashing! Okay so he is well behaved around me but I give him space and respect his boundaries in a way that I can afford. That means I try not to walk a path through him and I just stand there until he moves away. Try not to eyeball him or show that I'm watching him unless he's eating out of my hand. He's only attacked me once since my last post. He doesn't express any aggression with how popular I am with the hens.

But with regularity I pick up a shovel which he absolutely does not want to mess with and gives wide berth. I go and do something like shovel poop as I do with some inherent commotion that triggers his curiosity and territorialness but once he sees the shovel he stays away. Then once I walk back and out he tends to cede ground to me.

I would never give him treats if he attacks me. When I first enter the run, he will walk up to me but I don't move until he gets out of the way , it also gives me time to assess if he's attracted to my treats or being territorial. Then my routine is and to go sit on my usual seat and hand feed all the chickens and my rooster will usually come and partake. Gone are the days where I could stroke his back while he eats. He usually leaves if I do that. I somewhat expect all of them will do that eventually... Which is sad but even with hand rearing, it seems their instincts are hard to break.

 

[Yah]

I just hold my rooster every day whether he likes it or not !

 

[Folly's place]

Chickens are not dogs and just don't think that way! Walking around a cockerel, especially, is not good. you are the giant who brings food, not a flockmate or a best buddy. Roosters have work to do, watching out for actual dangers, and wooing their ladies. This doesn't include you either!
I like cockerels who get out of my path, and pay attention to their flockmates, and learn polite behaviors from the mature birds in the flock. It's much easier to raise them in a mixed age flock!
Make pets of your hens, if that's what you want to do, and at least until you've had more experience out there, don't play buddy with those cockerels! The boys who follow you around and get close are often the ones who get obnoxious as they mature.
Mary

 

[aart]

That means I try not to walk a path through him and I just stand there until he moves away.

No, walk through him.....walk straight towards him so he will get out of your way

Walking around a cockerel, especially, is not good.

Ditto Dat.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Chickens are not dogs and just don't think that way! Walking around a cockerel, especially, is not good. you are the giant who brings food, not a flockmate or a best buddy. Roosters have work to do, watching out for actual dangers, and wooing their ladies. This doesn't include you either!
I like cockerels who get out of my path, and pay attention to their flockmates, and learn polite behaviors from the mature birds in the flock. It's much easier to raise them in a mixed age flock!
Make pets of your hens, if that's what you want to do, and at least until you've had more experience out there, don't play buddy with those cockerels! The boys who follow you around and get close are often the ones who get obnoxious as they mature.
Mary

I have been following this advice since my little guy showed he is a cockerel at a month old. Now at a bit over 16 weeks and so far so good.

I have high hopes for mine. I only had bantam roosters before so definitely appreciate this thread and all the sage advice within it.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Are you allowed to have crowers in your area?
Crow collars rarely work well, and they can be fatally dangerous.

I am not one to 'handle' male birds unless absolutely necessary for health checks and then I do it off the roost after dark. I've found in my flock and from much reading here at BYC, it's best to leave hands off.

I absolutely second this. The amounts of injuries that my roosters have had due to this is crazy! One even choked while attempting to eat. I refuse to use crow collars anymore. They’re trash and are hazardous.


(I’m editing this because i just wanted to clarify that none died but did get very hurt and almost died)