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heth1986

Any chicken whisperers out there?!

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Hi everyone, after some naughty rooster advice if anyone can help?!

We decided to get a rooster at the end of bird flu lock down, I’ve always wanted one, I love the noise, they’re beautiful, and thought it would be handy to keep my 7 girls together whilst they’re free ranging on my farm as they tend to go awol at times.

After much research, I decided on an Australorp as a relatively calm and gently breed. We were lucky enough to find one, he’s beautiful, the ladies love him and he keeps them all together as I’d intended.

Up until last week he was also super friendly, followed me and my girls around, took treats from our hands etc. (he’s about 12 months old)

I have literally no idea what’s happened but he has now turned really quite mean, he’s booted both of my girls (3+6) from behind, attacked me twice and this morning decided to take on my OH. Each time he has done this I / OH have picked him up and held him until he has calmed down, no one has ‘retaliated’ / shouted (other than the girls crying when he got them).

I’m gutted, is there anything else I can try to tame his behaviour or do I just have a mean rooster that I will have to try and rehome? Even my girls still want to keep him and make him friendly but I dont want to be fighting a losing battle and risk one of them getting hurt.

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He has now matured and is defending his flock. Just stay away from him. The only way to have a tame cockerel is to pick them up EVERY day from a CHICK and you haven't done that.

You can't tame his behaviour and don't even try to re-home him because you will give someone no option but to despatch him. He's your problem so don't pass it on.

Just keep your distance and never get between him and his hens and never touch him on the back. A water pistol will keep him at bay. Eventually he will calm down if you don't threaten him. Especially when his hens start to moult and are not laying. But he is doing his natural job and defending his flock so don't fault him for that; he's just being a cockerel. DO NOT let your children anywhere near him. He's not a cuddly hen and perhaps you should have left the girls to it, accepting that there will be fights but at least they won't be seriously damaged.

We have the same problem, but we stay well away and let him do his thing and protect his girls. Believe me when I tell you that our cockerel is at least twice the size of yours and is extremely dangerous and I have the scars to prove it.

So there is no such thing as a cockerel whisperer, but a hen whisperer perhaps? In the meantime Portia is happy in her cage in the bathroom. She came out this morning and tried to crow for the first time in 9 ½ years: happy hen.

Just to add we rescued Frankie (an exceptional Gold laced Wyandotte) from the cockerel pen because he was so beaten up that he had his head through the chicken wire to survive. He was eternally grateful. If anyone came anywhere near us he went for them. So we were his flock.

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