Aggressive Cockrel(s)

[bealers]

Hi,

We've had a dozen ex-battery hens shared between two families for around 6 months now with no real problems except whenever we've got a cockrel in with a view to growing some more hens for meat.

The two occasions we've done so, quite soon - say - a couple of weeks, they've gotten aggressive and have started going for the kids and women; from the two men they get a taste of our steel toecaps and then leave us alone.

It's a real problem. On one occasion the second cockrel had my youngest (2yo) on the floor trying to peck at her face; luckily no lasting side effects though she is scared to go feed the chooks on her own now.

Needless to say they both ended up in the pot but we really would like to try again.

I've no idea what breeds each one was but I know our first one was quite young.

Is it something we're doing wrong? Any tips?

Thanks

db

[Odsox]

I can only relate my experiences with Rhode Island reds and Cobbs, and both of those were very vicious to me but strangely not to any female. I always had to wear wellies when I went into the run as they like to jump up and dig their spurs into my legs, each side of my calf muscle. Very painful even through heavy duty wellies.
They are after all only doing their job, which is to protect their ladies at all costs.

[bonniethomas06]

Bealers...could you try a bantam? I hear buff orpingtons make good table birds and perhaps given their size, less frightening when they are angry.

We ordered some fertilized Sasso and Cobb eggs online and stuck them under a broody hen - no cockerel involved at all (we have neighbours).

[Odsox]

We ordered some fertilized Sasso and Cobb eggs online and stuck them under a broody hen - no cockerel involved at all

Oh I'm sure there was ... just not within earshot of your neighbours.

[boboff]

I have found that it's best to have the same person feeding them.
If a Cockeral gets agressive, simply pick it up and hold it with its head down for a minute or so, this will stop it being agressive (honest)
Now this might be tosh, but I would have no problem stroking the chickens, picking them up etc, but wife and 10 year old girl they get funny with.
When I took the cockerals away when they were at point of lay, within 10 days the were displaying "sexual" behaviours towards me, they definately get the point that the big person is the top "cock", and if you had ever met me, I think you could probably see why!

Hope it works out.

[bonniethomas06]

We ordered some fertilized Sasso and Cobb eggs online and stuck them under a broody hen - no cockerel involved at all

Oh I'm sure there was ... just not within earshot of your neighbours.

Oops... You are probably right there.

[boboff]

Boasting again Boboff

See I meant that in a completely diferent way!

Sorry!

[Tippychooks]

I used to walk home from school, down the lane to our cottage lived an evil cock named Satan (by me anyway). I kept my hockey stick at the end of the lane and whacked him when he went for me but he kept coming. It's no joke when they really mean it

I have had two cockerels as keepers (the rest eaten before this became an issue). One was a large bantam and a perfect gentleman to all, including the hens. The other was a massive game cock who was bullied by his own hens he as so soft. I have heard that bantams are easier, the only other option is to take a cockerel from somewhere you can meet it beforehand and see it at work and play . Or breed yourself a clutch of eggs, half are bound to be boys and you can keep the nicest.

I really shouldn't think it's anything you've done.....

[Millymollymandy]

My new cockered seems rather woosy and now he's moulting so he's even quieter (I don't mean noisewise quiet though!).

Do they still do the 'biz' when they are moulting as I haven't noticed, but then I don't spend all day watching what he is up to.

[Stonehead]

We have Scots Greys and breed for temperament, among other things. Two out of three cockerels that we hatch are good with people, the remainder are eaten as soon as they display anti-human tendencies.

Even so, we keep breeding cockerels in separate cockerel pens—with three or four hens each. When I check birds over, I do it in the morning before they're let out so I can remove hens without the cockerel having space to get wound up. When I clean their pens, I do it with the cockerel shut in the housing. I do the same when I have to do anything that might stress the birds or be interpreted by the cockerels as a threat.

The OH and the boys never do anything that might stress them—they only feed them, give them treats, refresh their water, and stroke the friendlier hens.

The overall aim is for the cockerels to accept that I'm in charge, that the OH and boys are deliverers of good things and are not threats, and that bad behaviour results in vanishing cockerel syndrome.

As for bantams, we tried Scots Grey bantams some years ago but found every single cockerel had a bad case of "small man" syndrome. They were far more aggressive, high strung and, well, cocky than large Scots Greys. Memorably, one known as Mr Angry went for a fox and won.

[bealers]

Thanks all, really great and useful answers.

I think getting a few in and keeping the nicest one sounds like a winner.

Cheers

db

[The Neighbour]

Er, hello neighbour. A bit late in the thread, but the first bad cock was a Rhode Island Red. The second I'm not sure which breed.

Some useful comments - although I may not be volunteering to be head of cock husbandry if we are having several in!