By Kelly Rutowski, Adopt A Bird Network

One of the most common complaints I hear from people about their rooster is that he is “mean,” aggressive, and/or attacks them or other members of their family. When I ask what they do when he attacks, the usual responses are “I run” and “I kick him back." Both of these actions are the worst things you could do. Running away only makes the rooster think he has “won." Kicking him back not only could seriously injure him but also almost inevitably increases his aggression.

You need to remember that a rooster’s instinct is to guard his territory, look after his flock, and protect himself. Roosters, (and chickens in general) communicate through aggressive behavior, including threat displays (raised hackles, lowered head) and physical attacks. This is how they maintain order within their flock. If you spend time observing your hens interacting together, you’ll see what I mean.

So you may be asking yourself, what SHOULD I do to stop my rooster from coming at me? Well what I propose is that you simply get ahead of him. Instead of waiting until AFTER he attacks you to react, you need to start paying more attention to him so that you can preempt an attack. Know where he is at all times and what he is doing so you can anticipate when he will attack. Most roosters will have their eyes glued to you from the moment you walk into their yard. Likewise, your eyes need to be on him always, so that the minute he comes at you, you're prepared.

When you see him running towards you, instead of running away or kicking at him, you’re going to simply:

  • Bend down and pick him up.*

  • Hold him until he calms down.

  • Walk with him a few steps away from his flock.

  • Set him back down on the ground.

Then just repeat the process, always staying aware of where he is and what he is doing. When he comes at you again after you've set him down, just pick him up again and hold him until he calms down. Then walk with him a little farther from his flock before setting him back down.

Continue to repeat these steps, each time moving farther from his flock of lady friends. Eventually, he will stop coming at you and will instead run back to his flock. Then you will have won that round.

However, the battle is far from over. He will repeatedly continue to test you -- probably that same day, and most definitely the next. But just continue the same process and the same steps as before. Each time, you're spending progressively less time working with him.

Just remember to be consistent and not to underestimate him. Continue to keep an eye on where he is in relation to you, and what he is doing. The key to getting ahead of him is to anticipate and be prepared. If you do this, I promise you, your rooster will eventually learn to respect you and he WILL stop attacking. 

Something else to keep in mind is that young roosters who just hit sexual maturity have higher testosterone levels, which will decrease as they age. Until they reach the age of 3, they're just like hormonally charged teenage boys — full of energy and excitement and testing their boundaries. By their third year, your rooster will be drastically more sedate, pleasant, and mature.

Another trigger for aggression in roosters (and all chickens really) is stress. So reducing environmental stressors means your rooster will be less likely to displace his frustration onto you. Reducing your flocks stress levels includes:

* If you’re nervous about picking him up because you’re afraid of him, simply dress for the occasion. Wear knee pads, gloves, long pants, whatever you need to make you feel more comfortable and less afraid of getting hurt. Most of these guys aren’t capable of doing any significant damage to you. Pecking doesn’t cause much injury. It’s the spurring that can be painful. I’ve had my fair share of those. This is where knee pads and protective gear is most useful. Also, trimming back their spurs with large-dog nail trimmers can be really helpful.