Need Rooster Advice

[shelabobby]

Alright y'all.... I am a new chicken owner. We are at about 8 months into our first flock of 6. We have 2 unintentional Cockerels from Tractor Supply, Lord Kluck and Cluck Norris. The boys are in a separate pen because we don't have enough girls to prevent over breeding.

I want to preface this by saying that my chickens are pets for me. If you don't consider yours pets, thats cool but think of it like I am talking about a dog or cat here.

Lord Kluck has always been a stand off, protective, but never mean. A gentle giant as he is a big bird. He is excited to get hand fed and loves to see what I bring him each day. He has protected me on occasion and I think he would follow me around the yard like a cat if we were able to free range.

Cluck Norris, well.....he's not any of that. He is the smaller of the 2 and makes up for it in aggression. He is always picking a fight with Lord Kluck (and always loses). On Thanksgiving day I was in the run cleaning their water bowl and he began attempting to spur my shins and pecking really hard. I got bigger boots but now he has learned he can reach above the boot (just at my knee) and get me. So every time I go in there hes doing the "dance" and pecking and jumping up at me claws out.

So my question is, is there ANY chance he will calm down?

I know, I know, freezer/crockpot but remember this is like a cat to me so I wouldn't eat my pet cat. But I also wouldn't keep an aggressive pet cat that bit and scratched me at every chance it had.

I do have a backup plan for him to go "live" on my friends homestead but before I make that hard, no way back, decision I just want to know if I am giving up too soon.

 

[shelabobby]

I also want to add I have tried many many many techniques to break him of it over the months. No effect. I think it makes him more eager to fight.

OH they are Rhode Island Reds also

 

[nuthatched]

Rehome with full disclosure, if you can live with the fact that if he hurts a child or another person, that will be on you.
Aggression is also a genetic trait, so any sons can be little terrors too.

Just a thought, since they're on parr with a dog or cat: aggressive dogs are put down after the second attack in most places.

 

[Yardmom]

You are not giving up to soon. Please make sure friend is fully aware of the behavior when rehoming. I think you have a handle on this from your comments, but remember once rehomed it is up to the new owner to decide how to handle his behavior.

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me, them being RIR's is just clutter. They could be any breed. You have mentioned how different they are.

So my question is, is there ANY chance he will calm down?

He is a living animal. You do not get guarantees one way or the other. Anything can happen. I think it is extremely unlikely that he will change for the better, just like I'd not expect a dangerous dog to change.

Can you neuter him? At his age that is dangerous to him but possible. You can find techniques online or try to find a vet that will attempt it. Even if surgery is successful I can't guarantee that his behaviors will change that much but I can't think of anything else.

 

[NorthernHomestead]

Alright y'all.... I am a new chicken owner. We are at about 8 months into our first flock of 6. We have 2 unintentional Cockerels from Tractor Supply, Lord Kluck and Cluck Norris. The boys are in a separate pen because we don't have enough girls to prevent over breeding.

I want to preface this by saying that my chickens are pets for me. If you don't consider yours pets, thats cool but think of it like I am talking about a dog or cat here.

Lord Kluck has always been a stand off, protective, but never mean. A gentle giant as he is a big bird. He is excited to get hand fed and loves to see what I bring him each day. He has protected me on occasion and I think he would follow me around the yard like a cat if we were able to free range.

Cluck Norris, well.....he's not any of that. He is the smaller of the 2 and makes up for it in aggression. He is always picking a fight with Lord Kluck (and always loses). On Thanksgiving day I was in the run cleaning their water bowl and he began attempting to spur my shins and pecking really hard. I got bigger boots but now he has learned he can reach above the boot (just at my knee) and get me. So every time I go in there hes doing the "dance" and pecking and jumping up at me claws out.

So my question is, is there ANY chance he will calm down?

I know, I know, freezer/crockpot but remember this is like a cat to me so I wouldn't eat my pet cat. But I also wouldn't keep an aggressive pet cat that bit and scratched me at every chance it had.

I do have a backup plan for him to go "live" on my friends homestead but before I make that hard, no way back, decision I just want to know if I am giving up too soon.

Sounds like the two boys I kept from my straight run. Crazy Comb (the larger, nice one) and King Cock (my college sophomore named him). I wanted to keep two because I was losing chickens left and right to (probably) sh*tty neighbors who can't drive the speed limit on my (very) country backroad. I wanted chicks this year.

Do you have anyone that wouldn't mind sparring with him to get his energy out? KC used to come up to me and do double roundhouse kicks. It was entertaining until I almost dropped some eggs I was collecting. Had my husband and one of my sons spar it out with him. Crazy Comb will usually come happily to assist. He's calmed down quite a bit now. The boys are BOs, which are (supposed to be) a pretty calm breed. If that doesn't work, I don't know. Rehome him? :-/

Funny story, he snuck up on one of my husband's friends with a double roundhouse. That guy has had chickens and was just like, "WTF? " Husband grabbed KC by the feet and threw him on the ground. Look, in the animal kingdom, hostility gets met with hostility. At the end of the day we aren't talking about children, they are animals with animal instincts. He wasn't killed, he was humbled.

I have these two signs from Amazon around my front door in case he gets a wild feather up his butt and decides to say hello to a UPS driver, Instacart, or a Jehovah's Witness.

 

[sourland]

Our flocks are supposed to provide pleasure. He is taking away from that. Sending him to the friend with a homestead flock sounds like a great idea to me. I'd do so with full disclosure before he causes serious injury.

 

[shelabobby]

Rehome with full disclosure, if you can live with the fact that if he hurts a child or another person, that will be on you.
Aggression is also a genetic trait, so any sons can be little terrors too.

You are not giving up to soon. Please make sure friend is fully aware of the behavior when rehoming. I think you have a handle on this from your comments, but remember once rehomed it is up to the new owner to decide how to handle his behavior.

The friend is 100% aware of his behavior. He would likely not be there to stay. Which is why I have a hard time with the decision. Its like sending him to death row (but with actual death). But I know you don't want to have chicks from him because it can carry to them.

Do you have anyone that wouldn't mind sparring with him to get his energy out?

I won't lie I have sparred with him, ignored him, clapped, yelled, puffed up, tried treat training, etc. You name it I probably tried it.

 

[shelabobby]

Our flocks are supposed to provide pleasure. He is taking away from that. Sending him to the friend with a homestead flock sounds like a great idea to me. I'd do so with full disclosure before he causes serious injury.

She's been my sounding board since it started. He would likely not stay long there.

I agree. I really want to spend more time with Lord Kluck but can't with Norris in the pen.

 

[shelabobby]

He is a living animal. You do not get guarantees one way or the other. Anything can happen. I think it is extremely unlikely that he will change for the better, just like I'd not expect a dangerous dog to change.

Can you neuter him? At his age that is dangerous to him but possible. You can find techniques online or try to find a vet that will attempt it. Even if surgery is successful I can't guarantee that his behaviors will change that much but I can't think of anything else.

We don't have any local vets that see chickens and the ones that do are only open for larger flocks and farms.

I'm not sure I could get a hold of him to even give meds/care so I don't think its in the cards for me to preform it.