# My cockerel keeps attacking me



## chickensandquail

I let our birds out every morning so they can free range about the house during the day.
The last couple of weeks our cockerel has developed a rather mean habit of attacking me when i let the out in the mornings. I have no idea what I'm doing to upset him. All the other hens and happy and follow me about when I out in the garden in hope of food. He's doing it more and more, and actually came at me 3 times this morning. It's not that it hurts I'd just rather he didn't. any suggestions?


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## amandahalterman

I'd take a broom with, or a stick, I had some Roos do that to me, and it only got worse, I had 4 since July that had to be shot, well 2 went to a farm, 2 got shot..hope it gets better


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## cogburn

Chicken and dumplins, chicken pot pie, homemade chicken soup, and don't forget to keep the chicken stock you make.


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## 7chicks

He sees you as competition for his "women." I'd try a squirt bottle and give him a good shot in the face every time he got sassy. See if that helps calm him down a bit. Shot in the dark but it works with my hens when they get to being sassy mean. They learn they are not the boss.


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## Energyvet

Of he understands that you pose no threat to his ladies, he will not attack.


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## chickensandquail

Thank you for you're replies. I'll be sure to keep my wits about me tomorrow morning and give him a good whack is he tries anything...


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## DansChickens

Leave him in one morning and all the others out if he does not listen that carry a small twig with you to teach em a lesson haha


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## kg_cg_good

I always stuck my foot up when one of my roosters would try to charge me...he always stopped....but he went a little to far one day and he was punted like a football..and I must say ..he never came at me again...LOL


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## Energyvet

I used to do the foot thing too. Never kicked. Never needed any more than that either.


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## BootedBantam

I am going through the same thing with my rooster. He is so fiesty in the mornings and comes out of the coop ready to attack. I make him wait in the coop, seeing me move around in the yard and I put the food out before I let him out. I also placed sticks strategically around the yard, so he can't catch me without the stick. Just in case I need to back him off. Even the hens don't want to be near him in the morning. lol

Do you hold him? I had to net mine (too fast to catch) then hold him. I also had to hit him with the stick and stand tall. Just enough to get his attention, not enough to hurt him. I earned some respect and he has left me alone for like a week, then he tried again, but he didn't get me, I had to kick over a small table and scare him. 

I think he watches me and waits for me to be occupied, then he moves in, ninga like and pecks me. The forum is very cull the rooster, but I am trying to rehabiliatate him by spending some time with just him everyday. Although if he ends up hurting me or my family, the decision will have to be made. Good luck!!


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## Willy

The problem with keeping an aggressive rooster is that you're passing those genes on down the line.


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## kg_cg_good

I have Friends who had a RIR rooster...and you couldn't even get out of the car...he would chase the mower wheels and just was as nasty as I ever saw a rooster could be....you NEVER turned your back to him..if you were brave enough to be around him at all..LOL...nothing worked....well they had no choice ... as many people that would come to the house...it was a good watch cock...as we would say...who needs a dog...LOL ...but he was getting worse and worse...and they finally had to butcher him... (sheeeew...LOL..thank goodness) not saying that to be mean..but there wasn't anything that was helping.


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## Roslyn

A broom. One of those big handmade corn brooms. That way you can really "sweep" him good without hurting him.

Do NOT back down or he is YOUR boss.


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## sandra

I know this may same too simple to work. When Blackie (my roo') started to get a little persnickety, I challenged him to a game of chicken. I got the idea from watching my chicks grow up and how they established their pecking order. One day Blackie nipped me just because, so I squatted down and tapped his beak and pointed my finger at him and held it there until HE backed down. We did this process a couple more times over a course of two maybe three days and he has never nipped me since. Now he follows me around like puppy, sits in my lap. I can't say this will work for you but for some reason when you give a chicken "The Finger" they stop what ever their doing and stare back at the finger.


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## Sundancers

An aggressive rooster can and will hurt someone given half a chance ... take care of him now. (IMHO) Chicken Pie sounds good. 

Here is some more reading for you ...

http://www.chickenforum.com/f13/aggressive-roosters-3/


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## sandra

Yeah if all else ails, the chicken pot pie is the best option.


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## rob

if it was mine it would have to go im affraid.


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## mcderry1967

Energyvet said:


> I used to do the foot thing too. Never kicked. Never needed any more than that either.


The other day while lined up to enter the coop to roost for the night my favorite cockeral attacked my hand when I bent it down to shoo him in through the door quicker. *I was shocked!!!!* He eats from my hand and follows me around the yard.??( He is 2nd cockeral in the flock.) So I lifted my foot to give him a shove and he attacked my shoe!!! Needless to say, fuming I mentioned it to my son who quickly volunteered to make him into CHICKEN & dumplings. I said "No" but what's was Gaylord's problem????


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## Marthab53

I have one that is just now trying to get me, I expected him to start by the way he was watching me and coming close everytime I entered the pen lately. So this morning I grabbed him and held him tight while i did the feeding and watering in his pen. Boy did he scream for a while, I just talked to him telling him I will keep on picking him up and holding him as long as he continues to come at me thinking he is boss.


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## sandra

Marthab53, yep that works real good. I hold them till they are calm and only then do I let them go. I had to do that when everybody was young too. I don't have to do that anymore. Pecking orders have been established. Also, another thing that works when a rooster is in the challenge mode, I give him the finger! Yep the finger, what that entails is you squat down face to face and stare at him and point a very stiff finger at his beak. Don't move until he backs down first. If he is still agro then grab his cute little butt and hold him. I have a white Jersey Giant and he is Avery big boy, he stands 23" tall right now and is weighing in around 8 pounds! His feet are the size of my hands and I don't have small hands.


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## Marthab53

sandra I like that Idea also, need to give it a try sometime.


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## Homegirl

You have to establish yourself as Alpha. Broom or stick works. Carrying them around is very effective. That said, there are some roos who will NEVER stop... and then it's time for chicken soup. Sad but true...And there are a thousand nice roos out there so why hang on to a meanie???


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## jrallison

hold him and feed him a honey bun


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## chickensandquail

Thanks for your words of wisdom everyone.
I went down the broom road with him, he was always attacking when i let the out first thing and gave them food, so one morning I took a broom with me. When he went to attack me a took a good swing at him, he dodged and I missed. I then swang again and missed again. He was standing his ground but not coming any closer. 
At that point my black labrador "scoop" thought we were playing a really fun game and lunged towards him tail wagging, he then backed off a little. Scoop turned to look at me as if to say "can I?" (she has NEVER been allowed to chase the hens before - and hasn't really wanted to since she got attacked by a broody in the spring) I gave her the nod and we both chased Mr cockerel, (who is actually very fast) around the garden about 4 times. on the final lap I threw the broom at him (missing). 
And I am pleased to say he has not even shown the slightest sign of agression towards me since then. 
My boyfriend is very dissapointed.... He was looking forward to chicken pie....


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## sandra

That is too funny! I am gals that worked! You have to be top cock! Lol!


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## OlyChickenGuy

This is a classic dominance behaviour. I'll assume that your chicken is under one year of age since you used the word "cockerel", and since you mentioned being inside the house, I can also surmise that they're perhaps juvenile at best. When a rooster reaches 5-7 months is when testosterone production suddenly jumps ( it's been there from the start, which is what makes the comb and wattles grow larger and redder faster than pullets ), and at about 2-3 years is when testosterone peaks before SLOWLY dwindling for the rest of their lives, though they tend to plateau around 8-10 years ( with a 15 year life expectancy - hens are only 8 years because their reproductive system is pushed so far to the limit that it wears their bodies out much quicker than a rooster ). As testosterone levels rise, the cockerel becomes alert of his social surroundings and also looks for flaws in the "leader" ( that's you! ).

Animals only understand one of two states: dominant or submissive; leader or follower. They do not understand such abstract concepts as "equality" or "freedom", and when we humans try to force those things on them, they get very upset and confused, leading to a downward spiral of neurosis. Neurotic behaviour in animals is generally caused by massive mixed signals sent by us, such as trying to be leaders and yet letting the animal "get away" with being leaders, themselves. In the animal world, it doesn't work like that, and just because we want it to doesn't mean the animal will ever understand that and go along with it. You CAN get lucky with temperaments, but that's sheer luck, it means nothing of your skills regarding raising and working with animals nor does the argument, "I've done it this way for 50 years so I know it works!" It could just be that in those entire 50 years you were just really damn lucky with the animals you got ( not saying YOU'RE 50, but my dad has pulled this on me MANY times with dogs since he grew up with dogs and "knows" them, and yet his dogs now are neurotic and aggressive and he doesn't know why - yet won't listen when I tell him he's sending his dogs confusing signals ).

Chickens disagree with each other and correct each other via pecking behaviours. A peck on the head or flat of the back above the tail, between the hips, is generally where chickens will peck at one another. It's a sharp and short peck, and the one being pecked often times clucks or chatters, ducks away, or even squats down ( squating down with wings out is not necessarily total submission - it simply means the chicken is submitting to being mated, it is a sexual behaviour ). If your chicken does something you don't want it to, you can correct it by scooping it up and giving it a "peck" ( one or two fingers, depending on the size of the bird, and bop it above the eye or behind the comb - DO NOT EVER HIT YOUR BIRD OR USE MORE FORCE THAN A SIMPLE POKE, remember that you are appealing to the bird's INSTINCTS which means you need not use extra force to "get the point across" ), and then carry it around for a short while ( or long if you want ). The first few times you do this, especially if the bird is older and not used to such handling, it will wriggle and writhe, but just wait for the bird to calm down ( a "calm" bird is one who is relaxed, no tense muscles, not making noise or moving around trying to get away - exception of sounds is a soft "purring" noise means the bird is extremely happy and content ) before letting it go.

Unlike dogs, who cannot rationalise or understand cause and effects such as "time outs", chickens can understand time outs, albeit they still have short attention spans so long time outs as punishments can be lost on them. If I'm not happy with a chicken's behaviour, I will generally pick him up so that his head is behind me and tail and legs are in front of me, and I DO NOT talk to or pet them. Once they calm down I'll turn them around ( again, wait for them to calm ), then pet them and scratch their ears and cheeks as a reward for being calm and submissive. I highly discourage using sticks, brooms, or any sort of barrier or weapon because people who use tools tend to use them because they're AFRAID of their birds, and that just compounds the aggression that the bird is showing because it is aggressive because YOU are not behaving appropriately. You're not being a leader by being afraid or angry ( many psychologists today agree that anger is derived from fear ), so the bird MUST correct YOUR behaviour! Stand tall, be calm, move slowly, DON'T talk to them or pet them when you initially enter the chicken area, and DO NOT crouch down especially if you've JUST brought food or treats with you - this will make you a target to the aggressive birds. Wait until the birds are no longer behaving like vacuum cleaners, but rather pecking contently at their food and more or less NOT paying attention to you, THEN crouch down and start talking to and petting them. This way you're rewarding a calm state of mind, instead of the initial frenzy and potential aggression in the initial excitement. I go one step further by not even feeding my birds until they're calm and patiently waiting at a distance from the feeders. They are NOT allowed to approach the feeders until I'm done filling them up and I give a release command ( I say "Okay", click twice or pat my hand against my leg twice, or I'll pat one of the chickens on the rump twice while saying "Okay" to "release" them ). To keep the birds from the feeders I'll "peck" them when they get too close, or shove them away with my foot ( DO NOT EVER KICK YOUR BIRDS ).

If a bird is particularly obnoxious, the chicken equivalent to forcing a dog on its back is to put one hand on the chicken's back to push it down into lying on the ground, your other hand holding the skin on the back of the neck to hold the head down. Fighting chickens will attempt to dominate the other chicken by gripping the back of their head and shoving it into the ground, so the human equivalent is to gently pinch that skin ( it's similar to the scruff of a cat, in all honesty ) and use that to push the chicken's head down, but they WILL struggle and they CAN hurt or even kill themselves when struggling, hence the other hand on their back to keep them from hurting themselves. Sometimes I'll use my knee if I need my other hand for any reason, but I DO NOT squeeze the bird or put unnecessary amounts of weight on it. Birds DO NOT have diaphragms like we do, so they need to expand and contract their entire rib cage to breathe, which means if you squeeze their chest you could risk suffocating your bird!

Undue pain / aggression from you can cause neurotic birds or even kill them ( chickens, like other birds, can die from stress ). I've found that imitating the "chicken dance" can help curb unwanted behaviour, too. I stand stiff-legged and shuffle around a problem bird, facing him the whole time, and will continue to shuffle around him to block his path from going towards a bird he wants to beat up or doing something else that would otherwise get him in trouble. This tends to discourage MOST trouble-makers.

If you'd like, you may peruse my blog, "Study of Chicken Psychology", a blog about How to Train Your Chicken, and if you have further questions after that, please feel free to contact me! Best of luck with your boy.


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## mcderry1967

Great info. on the pecking order between man & chickens!!!


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## sandra

That is fantastic info. I was on the right track when I suggested picking them up and what I term. "giving them the finger". I just point at then till they back down. If he's being overly anrwy I very gently tap his beak at give him the finger. So far so good. I do hold my chickens till their calm. Once calm I will let them calmly walk away. I have never used any brooms or anything. I just watched how my chickens behave with each other and mimic their behavior. It's worked with my other animals so far too. I have dogs, cats, geese, ducks, swans, chickens, and goat.


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## OlyChickenGuy

Thank you, and yes the "finger" way tends to work, too, since you're imitating the chicken's face off behaviour ( think of roosters before really beginning to fight, how they squat and stretch their necks so they're "pointing" at one another ). Essentially, a calm demeanor used with ANY animal's native language ( their body language ) will make for communicating with animals much easier and successful. Almost all animals, and especially all social animals, have language ques that we can learn and mimic to "talk" to them!

I was initially inspired to train my chicken because of the "Dog Whisperer", Cesar Millan, who's entire formula for "training" dogs is "calm assertive energy + dog psychology".


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## My3Cats

Thats what they call flogging here in WV. My rooster started it. Its a guess but I think when roosters first get up they are ready for a good time with the ladies and if they arent around the hens(our black one wouldnt let him near any hens) they are pretty ornery. I chased him with a stick. Never did connect but let him know I wasnt afraid.


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## Homegirl

It's a crap shoot, sometimes you can change their behavior and sometimes, you just cannot. Always worth a try, or several tries... I have two roos, both hand raised by me and both are sweet as pie to me. Neighbor had a nasty RIR who became stew. Another neighbor has a psychotic one-eyed RIR who loves the husband, follows him around like a dog but attacks everyone else and does not stop..


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## fuzziebutt

Homegirl said:


> It's a crap shoot, sometimes you can change their behavior and sometimes, you just cannot. Always worth a try, or several tries... I have two roos, both hand raised by me and both are sweet as pie to me. Neighbor had a nasty RIR who became stew. Another neighbor has a psychotic one-eyed RIR who loves the husband, follows him around like a dog but attacks everyone else and does not stop..


Rooster Cogburn??? 

Sorry, I just had to!


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## Energyvet

I so miss Cogburn. :-(


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## sandra

I'm pretty lucky so far. My Blackie (White Jersey Giant Roo) is a massive chicken but he is so sweet. He snuggles and everything. But then again, he is picked up and handled several times a day. All my chickens are. You can walk out in the chicken yard and just bend over with no effort at all and pick up a chicken. The whole family at one time or the other is out there playing with animals. Every now and then, Blackie will decide he doesn't want to be picked up and he will nip but he gets picked up anyway! LOL! I haven't had any experience so far with nasty roo's yet. Mr grandmother in-law did and they became stew.


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## Araconas

I had a rooster a few years ago that did that to me too. I finally took a 2x4 and smacked him in the head. He would fall down on the ground and kick like he was dying, but then he would get up and be ok for a while. But then he would do it again and whack again. Finally He wound up in the soup pot. Some of them are just mean and you don't want them to do that to a child.


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## haley4217

I've got a story to tell about Rooster attacks. I had a small flock of about 12 hens with two roosters. The alpha rooster ignored me and generally didn't have any problem with me, but not so with the other rooster. He was subjected to constant attacks from the alpha male any time he tried to get near the hens. As a result he was looking for anything to take his frustration out on. Now, I stand 6'2" and about 270 so a small 6 pound rooster is not something that really creates a problem for me, but he just continued to piss me off. Every time I turned my back on him he'd try to attack and I'd have to back him off. I was more concerned that my wife, who's much small than me would get attacked when she was caring for the flock and get hurt. 

So I researched and tried the various things that I read about dealing with an agressive rooster. We had our bonding time when I caught him and held him to try and get him not to attack. He was very gentle while being held and didn't try to peck or attack me. But, put him down and turn your back and the fight was on.

Anyway, one day I'm down in the garden and was a little tired after being on a long trip and turned my back on the rooster. He did his normal thing and my short temper kicked in. I picked up a stick and was going to beat him within an inch of his life and started to chase him. He zigged, I zagged, he kept running, I got my feet tangled and fell to the ground at a fairly fast gallop breaking my right shoulder. Score Rooster 1 Me 0

While recovering from the rooster battle I again started reading and learned that he (the rooster) was simply doing what roosters do. Looking for someone that he could pick a fight with to establish his dominance. He couldn't do this with the other rooster as this one had already established his dominance in the flock. So this person said, (wish I had read this about two weeks earlier), ignor the agressive rooster. His running at you to attack you is intended to get a response out of you and see if you are willing to fight with him for dominance. So, the sticks got put up and I didn't pay attention to him. I quit looking over my shoulder to see if he was feigning an attack. If he did I simply stood my ground, didn't approach him and ignored him.

It worked.

Unfortunatley about three months later a racoon evened the score. Rooster 0 Racoon 1.

But I've learned my lesson and let the chickens and roosters be themselves and I don't try to deal with them from a chickens level. I'm not part of the flock, go establish your dominance with one of the flock members.


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## ReTIRED

*Interesting Philosophy - I disagree.*



OlyChickenGuy said:


> This is a classic dominance behaviour. I'll assume that your chicken is under one year of age since you used the word "cockerel", and since you mentioned being inside the house, I can also surmise that they're perhaps juvenile at best. When a rooster reaches 5-7 months is when testosterone production suddenly jumps ( it's been there from the start, which is what makes the comb and wattles grow larger and redder faster than pullets ), and at about 2-3 years is when testosterone peaks before SLOWLY dwindling for the rest of their lives, though they tend to plateau around 8-10 years ( with a 15 year life expectancy - hens are only 8 years because their reproductive system is pushed so far to the limit that it wears their bodies out much quicker than a rooster ). As testosterone levels rise, the cockerel becomes alert of his social surroundings and also looks for flaws in the "leader" ( that's you! ).
> 
> Animals only understand one of two states: dominant or submissive; leader or follower. They do not understand such abstract concepts as "equality" or "freedom", and when we humans try to force those things on them, they get very upset and confused, leading to a downward spiral of neurosis. Neurotic behaviour in animals is generally caused by massive mixed signals sent by us, such as trying to be leaders and yet letting the animal "get away" with being leaders, themselves. In the animal world, it doesn't work like that, and just because we want it to doesn't mean the animal will ever understand that and go along with it. You CAN get lucky with temperaments, but that's sheer luck, it means nothing of your skills regarding raising and working with animals nor does the argument, "I've done it this way for 50 years so I know it works!" It could just be that in those entire 50 years you were just really damn lucky with the animals you got ( not saying YOU'RE 50, but my dad has pulled this on me MANY times with dogs since he grew up with dogs and "knows" them, and yet his dogs now are neurotic and aggressive and he doesn't know why - yet won't listen when I tell him he's sending his dogs confusing signals ).
> 
> Chickens disagree with each other and correct each other via pecking behaviours. A peck on the head or flat of the back above the tail, between the hips, is generally where chickens will peck at one another. It's a sharp and short peck, and the one being pecked often times clucks or chatters, ducks away, or even squats down ( squating down with wings out is not necessarily total submission - it simply means the chicken is submitting to being mated, it is a sexual behaviour ). If your chicken does something you don't want it to, you can correct it by scooping it up and giving it a "peck" ( one or two fingers, depending on the size of the bird, and bop it above the eye or behind the comb - DO NOT EVER HIT YOUR BIRD OR USE MORE FORCE THAN A SIMPLE POKE, remember that you are appealing to the bird's INSTINCTS which means you need not use extra force to "get the point across" ), and then carry it around for a short while ( or long if you want ). The first few times you do this, especially if the bird is older and not used to such handling, it will wriggle and writhe, but just wait for the bird to calm down ( a "calm" bird is one who is relaxed, no tense muscles, not making noise or moving around trying to get away - exception of sounds is a soft "purring" noise means the bird is extremely happy and content ) before letting it go.
> 
> Unlike dogs, who cannot rationalise or understand cause and effects such as "time outs", chickens can understand time outs, albeit they still have short attention spans so long time outs as punishments can be lost on them. If I'm not happy with a chicken's behaviour, I will generally pick him up so that his head is behind me and tail and legs are in front of me, and I DO NOT talk to or pet them. Once they calm down I'll turn them around ( again, wait for them to calm ), then pet them and scratch their ears and cheeks as a reward for being calm and submissive. I highly discourage using sticks, brooms, or any sort of barrier or weapon because people who use tools tend to use them because they're AFRAID of their birds, and that just compounds the aggression that the bird is showing because it is aggressive because YOU are not behaving appropriately. You're not being a leader by being afraid or angry ( many psychologists today agree that anger is derived from fear ), so the bird MUST correct YOUR behaviour! Stand tall, be calm, move slowly, DON'T talk to them or pet them when you initially enter the chicken area, and DO NOT crouch down especially if you've JUST brought food or treats with you - this will make you a target to the aggressive birds. Wait until the birds are no longer behaving like vacuum cleaners, but rather pecking contently at their food and more or less NOT paying attention to you, THEN crouch down and start talking to and petting them. This way you're rewarding a calm state of mind, instead of the initial frenzy and potential aggression in the initial excitement. I go one step further by not even feeding my birds until they're calm and patiently waiting at a distance from the feeders. They are NOT allowed to approach the feeders until I'm done filling them up and I give a release command ( I say "Okay", click twice or pat my hand against my leg twice, or I'll pat one of the chickens on the rump twice while saying "Okay" to "release" them ). To keep the birds from the feeders I'll "peck" them when they get too close, or shove them away with my foot ( DO NOT EVER KICK YOUR BIRDS ).
> 
> If a bird is particularly obnoxious, the chicken equivalent to forcing a dog on its back is to put one hand on the chicken's back to push it down into lying on the ground, your other hand holding the skin on the back of the neck to hold the head down. Fighting chickens will attempt to dominate the other chicken by gripping the back of their head and shoving it into the ground, so the human equivalent is to gently pinch that skin ( it's similar to the scruff of a cat, in all honesty ) and use that to push the chicken's head down, but they WILL struggle and they CAN hurt or even kill themselves when struggling, hence the other hand on their back to keep them from hurting themselves. Sometimes I'll use my knee if I need my other hand for any reason, but I DO NOT squeeze the bird or put unnecessary amounts of weight on it. Birds DO NOT have diaphragms like we do, so they need to expand and contract their entire rib cage to breathe, which means if you squeeze their chest you could risk suffocating your bird!
> 
> Undue pain / aggression from you can cause neurotic birds or even kill them ( chickens, like other birds, can die from stress ). I've found that imitating the "chicken dance" can help curb unwanted behaviour, too. I stand stiff-legged and shuffle around a problem bird, facing him the whole time, and will continue to shuffle around him to block his path from going towards a bird he wants to beat up or doing something else that would otherwise get him in trouble. This tends to discourage MOST trouble-makers.
> 
> If you'd like, you may peruse my blog, "Study of Chicken Psychology", a blog about How to Train Your Chicken, and if you have further questions after that, please feel free to contact me! Best of luck with your boy.


There are MANY _inaccuracies_ in your "Philosophy"....I believe.
(BUT...I won't _belabor _my point ....unless asked to be "specific". I CAN...but PREFER *NOT *to promote a HUGE disagreement.)  
-ReTIRED-


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## ReTIRED

From a different posting of mine on a different "thread" here on Chicken Forum:

 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: near Gallup, New Mexico
Posts: 104 
Liked 8 Times on 8 Posts
Likes Given: 25









*Schicksowner,

*Did you ever see that Peter Seller's movie (one of that series of Inspector Clouseau movies like "The Pink Panther" )....the one in which he had an Oriental "House-Boy" that he had _instructed _to attack him at ANY TIME *?* ....( His "theory" being...that it would "keep him aware" of any threats and also boost his "hand-to-hand" Combat techniques.) The movie was hilarious *!

Well....I had a Rooster *that had the same ideas as that Oriental House-Boy. Sneaky, Stealthy, Ferocious, ARROGANT and MEAN as a Hungry BUZZARD *!* His name was "Oro Blanco de Gallo". *I liked him ! *He was a "Half-Breed" Rooster....a "Golden Comet", I think. 
He was extremely protective of his Flock AND his Territory....as a GOOD Rooster _should _be.

Picture: 









The PROBLEM became...that Ole "Oro Blanco de Gallo" decided to challenge ME when I went into HIS Territory to feed or water or collect eggs or do any clean-up, etc. Now..._understand...._that THIS sort of action of his _wouldn't work with me_....because THAT area is also where my outside lounge table is...with the parasol......AND I enjoy sitting there on a warm Summer's day with a *COLD *can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and watching the chickens make _fools _of themselves*! Besides....*I DO (_sometimes_) try to get a little bit of Work done out in that area.....fencing.....building another Coop, etc.

*So....*my Rooster and I had a serious problem. _Actually _*He *had a problem....because I wouldn't RUN any farther than where I could call my Boxer-Dog*! Ha-Ha !!! *( Fortunately, I never had to call him.)

That Rooster, "Oro Blanco de Gallo", came at me HARD one day....when I happened to have a hammer in my hand. I hit him upside the head and "knocked-him-out". ( I thought I had killed him *! *) A couple of minutes later.....that _TOUGH _Ole Rooster _st-rug-gled - struggled.... to his feet and drunkenly stumbled around_ for a few minutes....regaining his senses. 
He didn't bother me for a day or two after that *!!!

* THEN...he did it again.....and I "knocked-him-out" again *! *( same story...more-or-less )
He did it a couple more times and _FINALLY _realized (apparently)...that IF he "messed-with-me" ...he was going to take a nap and wake up dizzy *!
He quit messing with me. 
*In fact...he would 'step-back" away from me when I came into that part of the yard. BUT...he NEVER took his eys off of me. (and I _always _kept one eye on HIM ! )
He was surely a GOOD ROOSTER......._unfortunately....._He was the FIRST chicken to die....when a **** invaded that area. I didn't see it....but you could TELL that he went FIRST by where the bodies lay after the ****'s _SLAUGHTER. _He tried his BEST to protect his flock *!!!
BUT....*even a TOUGH Ole Rooster is NO-MATCH for a BIG ole **** *! *My Boxer-Dog would have his hands full with a BIG **** *!*
_
I miss that "_*TOUGH Ole Bird".
*Did I say he was a GOOD ROOSTER ? We were "_friends"....._sorta-like. At least we _respected _each other.

That's my story for your "thread". 
*WATCH-OUT !!! *( There's a MEAN "GHOST-ROOSTER" here *! *)

*Ha-Ha !!!

*Best Regards,








ReTIRED
*P.S. *My neighbor trapped that **** a few days later....to _protect his cats. _It was a BIG **** *! *-No **** problems since then----yet. 
 
__________________


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## chirpy

We have recently sold some of our roosters. And yes we did tell them which roo's were mean. One rooster ended up being called Psycho he was super aggressive and yes that one I was afraid of. Then Buff (buff Orpington) started to get mean and I thought I'm gonna stop this before it starts! So I started reading posts on aggressive roo's and made my choices. I figured I was gonna be the dominate roo or he would think I was crazy! Went in one day and he started eyeballing me and it was on. I started yelling and making strange noises, I was chasing him pulling at his neck feathers and trying to catch him-kinda holding him down for a few seconds. This seemed to work pretty well, he went under his coop and was peeking at me from behind his hens. After I had finished I thought, gee I'm glad no one was out to see me cause I know I had to look completely looney! Oh well they would have had a good laugh. As far as Buff goes he was pretty straight after that anytime he started staring at me all I would have to do is yell a little and fling my arms around and he would take off running under the coop. And Psycho was getting better but it was taking longer, for him I would take any improvement !


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## Energyvet

I'm having similar issues at the moment. I think I'm going to think real hard about camp.


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## ReTIRED

DECIDE whether the Rooster is RIGHT or wrong....
THEN proceed.
BUT...Don't expect a CHICKEN to think like a "Sheeple".
Eat him...Knock him out....or Watch him closely....or whatever suits your situation.
BUT DON'T BLAME HIM for being a Chicken.

_-just MY 2 pesos worth....,
_-ReTIRED-


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## Apyl

I dont remember if I already posted here, but I have a zero tolerance policy with my flock. A rooster get to mean or aggressive it becomes dinner and I let a different rooster be in charge. I do not tolerate aggressive roosters, I have to many kids that hang out in our yard with my kids and I am not about to let a rooster go after a kid.


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## ellis36

I had a White Leghorn rooster that was very aggressive. I drop kicked him down the aisle twice and he learned to leave me alone, but he would not let my wife out of the house. No matter where he was, if she went outside he came running…and would attempt to spur her. It dawned on me one day how ridiculous it was that she had to carry a stick everywhere she went. I trapped him in a Hav-A-Heart cage and dispatched him with a .22. 
Good riddance!


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## InnKeeper

ellis36 said:


> I trapped him in a Hav-A-Heart cage and dispatched him with a .22.
> Good riddance!


I don't blame you one bit. He would have to go in my opinion too, but do you see the irony of using a hav-a-heart cage combined with a .22 ?
That trap needs a different name.


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## Energyvet

I missed the irony until you pointed it out. Yeah, I just have to get tough and take care of the problem. All these animals were other people's chickens. I'm learning raising my own makes a huge difference.


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