Here is my new poultry predicament!
My Beautiful BCM rooster named Pippin has become really aggressive. He is mostly nice and eats right from my hand. But what I did not expect was when I have to pick up one of my girls he becomes aggressive and goes after me. One of the hens in his coop has some blood on her and I want to check it out. Boy, I was amazed how fast he got mad.
We have been deciding if we would like to keep him or not, but now, I feel that if one of my girls needs medical attention and I can't get to her, then I need to re-home him.
The question of the day is......How do you catch a rooster? He is in a pen, but do I need a net? a box?
Thanks!
My Roo is attacking me!
I kinda get em in a corner, Crouch down, and when he comes close grab one of his feet.. flip him upside down so quick he won't know what hit him. You won't break his leg.. he will probably only fight for a second..
That's how I do it..
After I've got him, I hold him by both wings across his top.. and put him on the ground.. I push his head down to the dirt holding it there and keep talking.. in a firm voice, telling him who is boss.. if he struggles, I do it again.. if he really struggles, I'll grab him by both feet and flip him again... and start over.
Sooner or later, he will give in.. and more than likely, won't attack you again, and if he does, run after him with that same strong tone of voice you used..
This is my adaptation to a method Haystack posted a long time ago.. I will not tolerate a roo that scares me.
Thanks!
I have gone up against mad dogs that didn't scare me that bad!
Hi Images, I have three different size nets that I keep handy to deal with hard to catch chickens. Dealing with an aggressive rooster can be a daunting task but I do believe it can be successful. Here is a pic of a BCM that beat up my neighbors wife. Notice the position of the head of the rooster. That is a position of submission and a procedure of domination. I have used it successfully many times. If you have any questions let me know...Hay
One more pic of the same rooster:
Haystack's rooster - taming technique works. I used it on my two (accidental) Minorca roosters as soon as I realized that they weren't growing up to be pullets. They are submissive to me and gentle with the hens. I give them reminders from time to time just for good measure.
Is there a need for the roosters to keep their spurs? Do they need them to breed (hang on to the hen)? Does anyone ever remove them? Quite a while ago I heard someone saying they were going to remove the spurs from their rooster using a hot potato, just figured it was an old wives tale.
Like your boots Hay. :)
Annie, it's not a problem to remove the spur's of a rooster. Some just take pliers grip tight and twist. Some also use side cutters and just snip them off. I would use a septic stick and make sure the blood if any is stopped before letting them go though. I have removed a couple and there were just a couple drops of blood and that was it. I put antseptic powder on them and let them go...That worked well with one of my BCM roosters...Hay
Ouch, that turned my stomach! I can see the need for a valuable rooster to have his spurs removed if he's cranky and uses them on people. I'm guessing they can do as much damage with their beaks?
Thanks for all your ideas. Although, I don't think that I will ever get my roo to hang his head that well!
About the spurs, my roo came after me with his body and beak. Put a dent in my finger, blood too. (I never thought of gloves!)
OK, I am going back out there............
Go get him!
A rooster has three power points. Wings, Beak, and Spurs. When you hold your rooster that deals with his wings, and spurs, at that point he only has his beak. That is why you make him hang his head. Hanging his head is a submission of his last power point. Sometimes we forget our children are taught hands off when shopping. Their hands are how they explore things. A chicken uses it's beak to explore, that is why you never want to allow a chicken to look right into your eye, while exploring he may just take your eye out, never intending any harm. When dealing with roosters we should remember, an attack may be out of a threat to his girls or domain. An attack may also come as a result of the rooster thinking your a challenge to him personally. The proper clothing is important until dominance is established by the owner of the flock. If you watch dominant roosters you will see that they only allow less dominant roosters so close before they go after them. That should teach is that we do not allow them only so close to us even after dominating them...I always carry a small tree whip when entering into the pen with standard roosters, and if they try to get close it give them a strike to remind them of who's in charge...Hay
Very good words Haystack.
I don't carry anything, but I will stomp my foot and say "GET OUT" in a firm voice... then I giggle at how fast he can move! LOL
Well darling even I scat when you say it like that...Hay
LOL Haystack! You are too funny!
You should post your method for taming them again.. or put it in the sticky.. cause I'm a big girl, and even though I still get scared, I am not little... if I were, I'd be terrified... I modified it only cause I am strong enough and intimidating by my size and experience with animals.. I can bluff pretty good!
I vote for the Sticky, with the pics too.
I have no idea how to even find it, much less post it...Hay
Oh okay.. I'll go fetch.. LOL
Just for your reference Haystack.. You can go to Home (your home) here on DG.. or "my Info" and click on "View Threads Haystack has Started" there will be a list of all the threads you started since day one. :)
I did that, and bumped up the Roo thread for our current use.
You are a genius darling, I knew that but forgot about it. Thank you so much, seriously...Hay
I might need to learn that trick if the Monster Size Sussex roo's decide they want a piece of me. I would be afraid. They seem very gentl though so far. Oh I got my first eggs today yee haw!!! Boy was I disappointed in how small it was. It was about medium size. I just have to give them some time to make me some jumbo eggs
Give your Sussex Roosters the gentling procedure before they need it.
given their size I don't handle them. They all come to greet me when I come in and have had no problems not even a hint. Being on coumadin I really don't want to risk injury handling them without purpose
I did it to a bantam lavender roo that was scratching the dickens out of me today trying to get away. Sure calms them down fast!