Howdy, our rooster, Stelios, has been with us for about a year now. He has 6 hens in his flock, and is a very good protector.
However, he has become highly aggressive, to the point that he'll try to attack me thru the screen of their coop, and has started giving chase to some, including my elderly parents.
Nobody in the family is willing to go near the coop anymore. The hens have been with us a little longer, and most of them are comfortable with me being around, but the roo is making it very difficult to get anything done.
Even clearing my throat nearby seems to agitate him, and he lets out the buh-BAWK-buk-buk you mentioned in the book. This indicates to me that he's very high-strung.
I can and do let them out each day. If he approaches the only thing I do is stand still until he moves on. Since the hens all trust me they come running when I arrive, but that also includes the roo, who flaps irritably and - if I turn my back - will take the opportunity.
I bring treats in the afternoon which seems to chill him out for a little bit, but then it's right back to being cranky.
At this point I don't feel like anything is working. One step forward, two steps back most days.
The only thing that comes to mind as a large issue is the distance from the house to their coop, which is a couple minute walk from the house to my barn. I go there twice a day (sometimes more) and have been trying to spend 20 minutes with them each day, wearing proper clothing and being as consistent as possible.
I'm just trying to figure out how to make some - any - progress so that he can stay with us.
Is there a means to "start over" with him?
Thanks in advance for any ideas.
Hi Grisle, I'm so glad you reached out and would love to help with Stelios. You mentioned that he's been with you for a year. Did you get him as a chick? If not, what age was he when he came to you? Because we're in the height of spring, it's expected for behavior to deteriorate as a result of that hormone flood they go through. This is compounded for younger boys who are still dealing with the tail end of puberty. It's possible that this is all that's driving the behavior, but knowing his age will help confirm how much of a factor that is. From there we can chat a bit more on the attacks themselves (and the timeline) to pinpoint what exactly it might be that he's responding to. We'll want to tailor a gameplan that addresses his specific anxieties so he can get back on a peaceful track.
Why don't you toss me an email at jointheroovolution@gmail.com with his age and any details about the first sign of defensiveness that you can recall. For instance, was there a particular day that you noticed a shift in his response and what was going on at that time? The email notifications just tend to be more reliable and I want to be sure I don't miss any replies as we brainstorm.