# Need Rooster Advice..



## ciwheeles

My 5 mo Barred Rock old rooster had been fine the last few months, but lately he's started to change. 

He always used to just stay near his hens and mind his business, but now he's constantly threatening and being a menace. I know roosters are suppose to protect their hens, and I respect that he has his instincts but it's getting to the point where its hard to just sit out on our porch. I'm not easy to intimidate, but he makes me nervous sometimes now. Which is sad because I raised him, and he used to be such a calm easy going guy. 

Is there any kind of correction I can give him so he'll back off? A spray of water maybe? Or, is this as good of behavior I can expect from a rooster? I really want to keep him, but not if this will continue or even escalate..


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## Scottyhorse

Try the water.


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## nancy d

Tell you what, Ive never had a nice Bard Rock roo. If you can find a way to prevent attacks I'd sure like to know.


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## sbhministry

I would try the water. Hopefully it will work. We have had various barred rock roosters with no problem. The one that was aggressive was a Red and we rehomed him to a family with hens and no rooster. They had no problem with his behavior because their two boys are energetic and gave it right back to him.


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## happybleats

we had three Barred Rooster..all three ended up in the stew pot..they got meaner as they got older..they would chase my kids..I had enough when one frightened my daughter and she fell..it jumped on her and spurred her calve of her leg...he was the first to go..hope the water bottle works ...


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## ciwheeles

Wow, thanks for the advice everybody, I will try the water. I hope he doesn't get worse but I'm prepared to send him on down the river if I have to.


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## NyGoatMom

Sometimes if you raise a rooster like a pet, it will see you as an equal and forever challenge you.Roosters do better if you don't coddle them while maturing.The reason for this is, they will see you as an equal when handled too much and will forever try to gain top position.
A lot depends on lines, not just breed. I have had a LOT of breeds of chickens and seen nice in every one.I truly believe 9/10's of the problem is when you raise them with TOO much contact......

When I get a rooster who flogs, I fry him and serve him with taters 

So sorry he is not working out for you.......


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## ciwheeles

Huh that's really interesting and makes sense. This prob sounds stupid but we just tried to acclimate him to people as much as possible and treat him like his hens. We have treated him and the girls as more pets, so I guess from here on out that needs to stop.


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## happybleats

we have several rooster...some black giants, RR, Game rooster, a few mutts, none have ever attacked or challenged us....We never made pets out of any of them...but those barred roosters were just mean lol..but all from the same hatch so who knows..could have been bad blood lol


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## Trickyroo

I have a Buff Roo and he is a jerk ! I have tried the water , sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I did find if I walked around with a rake , one of the huge plastic leaf litter rakes , and gave him heck with it if he even looked my way . It did make a difference , I must say.
I have no problem cooking that hump , but my husband doesnt want to.
He rather rehome to someone who doesnt mind his behaviour.
But I would wack him with it to push him backwards , not hurting him , but just to let him know IM not backing down , he is !
Once he would get up on his feet , I wouldnt let him catch his breathe , I would be right back on him like glue. I looked like a freak chasing a roo around with a rake , but let me tell you , I made him run around away from , back towards his pen . He hasnt even threatened me since.
So , how long that will last , I dont know. Maybe he got the hint .
But seriously , if it so happened he "landed the wrong way" I would be on him plucking him and shoving him in a pot before hubby knew it , lol
Looky what I got on sale at the market honey !! 
Good luck .


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## NyGoatMom

ciwheeles said:


> Huh that's really interesting and makes sense. This prob sounds stupid but we just tried to acclimate him to people as much as possible and treat him like his hens. We have treated him and the girls as more pets, so I guess from here on out that needs to stop.


It's a common mistake  I hope it works out for you!


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## OakHollowRanch

We sadly lost our pure BR roo to a coyote about 2 years ago. He was respectful to people and very good with his hens. Luckily, we got one gorgeous son out of him right before he passed, who is 1/2 EE. He is huge and beautiful, with a lot of the same traits as his dad. Definitely my favorite rooster so far.  We have also had a lot of old english game/BTW Japanese bantam mix roosters over the years. Those broodies keep hatching chicks left and right! Not one of those chicks have EVER grown into a mean rooster. Some are raised by broodies, others we have had to raise due to bad mothering skills. They come to us for food, but are not over friendly.

I will say though, that the only two mean rooster we have had were raised to be very friendly towards people. Our first rooster was a bantam cochin. We held him constantly when he was a chick. Once he got to breeding age, he became very agressive. The day he pecked my sister about 3 centimeters from her eye, he was disbatched. Our origninal OEG bantam roo was raised much the same way. 5 years later, he chases and attacks everyone in my family but me. My sister has finally decided he will have to go next time we take a trip to the auction.... The lesson for us, feed your roosters and change their waters. Babied roosters turn into monsters.


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## Trickyroo

Yeah , I can belive that ^^ ! Ours chicks werent held or coddled or anything. When we had gotten them , I didnt have the time to baby them. But this roo grew up nasty anyways . He even rips out the poor hens feathers when he mates them. I keep telling my husband I want to get those saddles for them . I hate to see such beautiful hens with red raw backs  I rather see my roo nice and crispy on the outside , juicy on the inside  His time is limited . He may meet an untimely death ( quick , humane ) when hubs isnt home , idk.


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## ciwheeles

Mine isn't all that crazy yet, but he did peck my mom the other day and it drew blood. That was a week ago and since then his behavior has slowly gone downhill. I mainly would like to keep him to protect our hens and get a few eggs to hatch in the spring, but not if he's dangerous. If I have to I will just take him somewhere to be butchered.. I would rehome him but I don't want him to end up somewhere bad or hurt anyone.


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## NyGoatMom

I definitely think he should NOT be rehomed for sure. The stew pot/frying pan/freezer camp is the best alternative.
Even if you gave him to someone who was willing to deal with it, he may continue producing mean offspring and so on and so on. I truly believe in slaughtering mean roos....there are WAY too many nice ones out there to bother with a mean one!

ETA: I knew someone with a mean roo...they thought they could deal with it....until he flogged a three year old and took a piece of her lip off 

FREEZER CAMP.


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## GoatieGranny

We've not had a mean roo yet, but my sister did. There was no calming that critter down! They had to do him in, which broke her heart, but everyone is better off and safer with him buried on the back 40! (She said she couldn't eat him.) I forgot what he kind he was. Possibly an Easter Egger.

Our roosters are Rhode Island Red mixes, the only roos we've ever had. Very protective of their girls, but none have ever shown aggression toward us. If they do, they are finished. It's not worth one of the kids getting an eye poked. No way.


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## ciwheeles

NyGoatmom that is scary!! And I never thought about him producing mean offspring, but you bring up a good point. I did want to eventually keep some of the fertile eggs to hatch, but you I think you may be onto something.


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## partimecountryboy

We had a Dominiquer ( hope I spelled that right) roo and he was mean!!! We never really cuddled him much. He was marked as a rooster when we got him so we always left him alone and he'd mind his buissness.( when we first our chicks we dipped their beaks in sugar water I accidentally dunked his whole head in so the joke was he was traumatized by that and hated me) but I guess around five months or so as well he got mean. He chased everyone. U couldn't even walk outside!!! We eventually took a stick to him but it only made him meaner so I wouldn't suggest the water bottle, cuz we had to always carry a stick! We had a bantee rooster that was mean from the start and after attacking all of us we got rid of him. With the Dominiquer the dog got him. But unless your REALLLLLLLY wantin chicks I'd say your best bet is to relocate stew or get rid off him


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## ciwheeles

He's still bothering me but now I just give him a smack of the broom and he runs off back to his hens. He has gotten better, since I started that and he doesn't seem as interested in challenging us.


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## Smallfarmer

When my dad was little he had a mean rooster that would always attack him. One day after school the rooster attack and he had enough. He grabbed it and broke its neck. He felt so bad about it and thought he'd get in trouble but when he told his dad the guy just laughed. Gramps said it was about time. He wondered how long it would take before my dad got tired of being attacked and did something about it. They then had chicken for dinner.

Try sticking with nice breeds like cochins. I've never had a problem with them being mean.


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## mjs500doo

I try to raise everybody together but there are some breeds I HAVE to raise the Roos separate. In particular RIR or NHR, BO (no problems with black, blue, or splash yet), BR, and Cuckoo Maran. The less these breeds see of you the better. They learn more respect for your personal space. Once you teach a roo of these breeds he's an equal and he matures he'll constantly be putting you in check. Stew pot, there are always others out there!


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## OwnedByTheGoats

That's not a roo trying to protect, that is a downright mean roo. I have an awesome Barred Rock roo, he is about 4 years old and has never turned on anyone. He lets you pick him up. But he protects against predators. I had a barred rock roo EXACTLY like yours. His head got chopped off... by us. And if that was my rooster, he would be eaten by now!


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## Trickyroo

I havent had a run in with my roo since I gave him the business with the rake. I can walk by him now and he doesnt give me the stink eye or run after me trying to strike me. So I think he got the message.
I hope it sticks ! But I will never trust him if I have any visitors over or baby goats walking around. He would meet his maker in a heartbeat if he ever attacked anybody else !


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## ciwheeles

OwnedByTheGoats said:


> That's not a roo trying to protect, that is a downright mean roo. I have an awesome Barred Rock roo, he is about 4 years old and has never turned on anyone. He lets you pick him up. But he protects against predators. I had a barred rock roo EXACTLY like yours. His head got chopped off... by us. And if that was my rooster, he would be eaten by now!


My roo as of two weeks would have never turned on anyone, and he used to always let us pick him up. He prob still would now, I just don't want his beak that close to my face anymore! Lol he was even friendlier than my hens, but yet here we are now..


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## OwnedByTheGoats

How young was he when he turned mean?


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## ciwheeles

OwnedByTheGoats said:


> How young was he when he turned mean?


He had just turned 5 months


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## Lezerz

I'd really just suggest culling him and replacing him with a roo of a different breed. I have Cochin hens and they are sweet and then a Silkie roo who doesn't crow but he pecks but never goes after me.


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## christinajh

Once they start getting mean, it will continue to get worse I promise. Even if you have him in check for the moment, but he'll forget and be worse. Put him in the pot sooner rather than later.


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## ciwheeles

Yea, I think I'm going to start looking for a butcher in case I need it.. Hopefully his hens won't be in too much danger on their own without him. :/


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## boyd59

Trickyroo said:


> I have a Buff Roo and he is a jerk ! I have tried the water , sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I did find if I walked around with a rake , one of the huge plastic leaf litter rakes , and gave him heck with it if he even looked my way . It did make a difference , I must say.
> I have no problem cooking that hump , but my husband doesnt want to.
> He rather rehome to someone who doesnt mind his behaviour.
> But I would wack him with it to push him backwards , not hurting him , but just to let him know IM not backing down , he is !
> Once he would get up on his feet , I wouldnt let him catch his breathe , I would be right back on him like glue. I looked like a freak chasing a roo around with a rake , but let me tell you , I made him run around away from , back towards his pen . He hasnt even threatened me since.
> So , how long that will last , I dont know. Maybe he got the hint .
> But seriously , if it so happened he "landed the wrong way" I would be on him plucking him and shoving him in a pot before hubby knew it , lol
> Looky what I got on sale at the market honey !!
> Good luck .


This is cracking me up!! Ha


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## littlegoatgirl

Not really... We had a couple silkies that went bad, one in particular. His name WAS Braveheart. Then it changed.....


To Killer. 

It was when I was little, and we were scared to go outside because he would attack us! He was our guard chicken, he scared the mailman away from our porch when he brought a package and he almost attacked the mailman. 

Then the day came that he attacked my mom, who had a shattered wrist. She slipped trying to get him away and fell, almost hurting her arm furthermore. Needless to say, Killer was never seen alive again after dad got home.


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## littlegoatgirl

happybleats said:


> we had three Barred Rooster..all three ended up in the stew pot..they got meaner as they got older..they would chase my kids..I had enough when one frightened my daughter and she fell..it jumped on her and spurred her calve of her leg...he was the first to go..hope the water bottle works ...


Mine did the same thing!!!! He was more of a barnyard mix, but was prominently barred rock. It's the weirdest thing how mean they are, I have some barred rock hens and they are the sweetest things, I love them!


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## littlelo

We have three roosters at my place. One bantam and two road island reds. Mighty Mouse (our banny) never got mean. George and King did start to. My boyfriend has made sure to assure dominance over then. He sprayed them with the hose once or twice and when they are in the coop he makes sure they know he is boss. I think the water really did it. They did not like that.


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## ciwheeles

Ever since we started threatening my guy he's calmed down. He keeps to himself now but we try always let him know who's boss now. I did just find out though that my "girl" Mille Fluer is in fact a cockerel. :/. Not sure how that's going to go over with my rooster..


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## Springbett Farm

My black bantam cochin roo is a sweaty. We handled him as a chick thinking he was a she and at three years old we can still pick him up. I also have two black tail Japanese roos that steer clear of people, which is fine. However, a few years back I got a couple Polish Crested chicks that turned into really horrid roos. I let my hubby take care of them. I'm betting which breed they are has a lot to do with temperament.


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## nchen7

we have a feral roo that's been coming to our house for years. he's the best roo ever. LOVES his girls. he even helps them make their nest and keeps watch while they lay their eggs. 

I would be sad if I had a mean roo. he'd be in the stew pot for sure!


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## lovinglife

We have a no tolerance rule at our house. If a chicken gets aggresive he gets a boot to whatever part of his body we can make contact with. Sometimes two boots depending on if he gives up or not. Usually we only have to do this once or twice and they learn to leave people alone. If it continues the stew pot is his destiny....


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## ciwheeles

nchen7 said:


> we have a feral roo that's been coming to our house for years. he's the best roo ever. LOVES his girls. he even helps them make their nest and keeps watch while they lay their eggs.


Aww that's so nice! What a great roo! Mine at least did seem to help one of his girls today. Him and a hen went missing and when we found them they were in the coop, and the hen had laid her first egg. He seemed to just be looking out for her.


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## littlegoatgirl

lovinglife said:


> We have a no tolerance rule at our house. If a chicken gets aggresive he gets a boot to whatever part of his body we can make contact with. Sometimes two boots depending on if he gives up or not. Usually we only have to do this once or twice and they learn to leave people alone. If it continues the stew pot is his destiny....


Same here!


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## nchen7

ciwheeles said:


> Aww that's so nice! What a great roo! Mine at least did seem to help one of his girls today. Him and a hen went missing and when we found them they were in the coop, and the hen had laid her first egg. He seemed to just be looking out for her.


isn't it so cute when they do that?!?


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