Cockerel attacking me- help please!

[Spottyappy]

This is a problem I have not encountered before, so any help tips or hints before he meets the stew pot would be appreciated! Have had cockerels for years but never had this experience!
He is an 11 month old cream leg bar cockerel,hatched by ourselves. Have never had a problem until the past week, when he will run up to me and literally launch himself at my leg. Drawing blood quite often. Luckily, his spurs are not too big yet, but his claws and beak are.
I have been unable to get to visit prior to this,for two weeks due to major surgery, so started to go back last week, and have been attacked daily since!
He has 5 big ladies, and I also have a Pekin cockerel, hatched with the legbar, who has 4 small ladies. The cockerels are fine together and do not fight or anything. I had 5 small ladies but one died before Christmas.
It isn't a Food issue as he attacks whether I go in with or without food. They have an enclosure which is approx 50' x 40' but we let them free range when we can. He attacks me whether in the enclosure or out free ranging!
Daughter wonders if he senses I am " injured" and so could be considered weaker, I am 4 weeks into an approx 3 month stint of largely rest.
Anyone else come across this before, or have any suggestions, would be grateful as I would rather he doesn't to need to meet his maker yet, but if he continues like this, will have no choice.

 

[Alec Swan]

He's 11 months old, you say? Excellent, wring his bloody neck, pluck and dress him, and stick him in the oven, via the freezer, possibly, but none-the-less, "Do 'im in" .

Alec.

 

[lazybee]

This is a problem I have not encountered before, so any help tips or hints before he meets the stew pot would be appreciated! Have had cockerels for years but never had this experience!
He is an 11 month old cream leg bar cockerel,hatched by ourselves. Have never had a problem until the past week, when he will run up to me and literally launch himself at my leg. Drawing blood quite often. Luckily, his spurs are not too big yet, but his claws and beak are.
I have been unable to get to visit prior to this,for two weeks due to major surgery, so started to go back last week, and have been attacked daily since!
He has 5 big ladies, and I also have a Pekin cockerel, hatched with the legbar, who has 4 small ladies. The cockerels are fine together and do not fight or anything. I had 5 small ladies but one died before Christmas.
It isn't a Food issue as he attacks whether I go in with or without food. They have an enclosure which is approx 50' x 40' but we let them free range when we can. He attacks me whether in the enclosure or out free ranging!
Daughter wonders if he senses I am " injured" and so could be considered weaker, I am 4 weeks into an approx 3 month stint of largely rest.
Anyone else come across this before, or have any suggestions, would be grateful as I would rather he doesn't to need to meet his maker yet, but if he continues like this, will have no choice.

This is quite common. My Dad used to keep loads of poultry when I was young and there'd often be one that would attack. One of my own ducks used to attack me. I used to go in armed with a plastic bin lid and push him away and chase him off. They get 'fruity' this time of the year with testosterone coursing through their veins. He wants you away from his bitches .

 

[MotherOfChickens]

sometimes putting them in their place does it-dustbin lid or pick him up and carry him around under your arm for a bit. Personally I won't tolerate it and neck them straight away. I have three and they are all fine atm but am aware spring is approaching!

 

[Funkyfilly024]

I'm afraid if any of ours start doing this they end up in the freezer...
It seems rather random, some get like that, some don't, unless of exceptional quality, you dont have kids around and your willing to put up with it then its end of the line for him.
Let it continue and they get bolder and will try and dig spurs in.
You could alway give it a week of being 'broomed' every time it comes too close and it may stop it with you but you will never be able to let children in and given your need for rest I would dispatch him.

 

[Enfys]

As the other say, it is probably his time, unless you want to keep him caged all the time. Is this one tame? Those are the worst as they aren't scared of you

Chickens are worse than ducks, they have pointy bits that jolly well hurt. I don't like chickens at all for just that reason, they are also faster and lighter on their feet than ducks.

I hand raised a duckling and he's a full grown drake now, every now and then he has a go at us, I generally end up pinning him to the ground, he hates that and runs off and sulks. He also spends his nights in with Senior Drake who puts him in his place by standing on him, pecking his neck and pulling his feathers out.

I know that he should go in the pot, but he's Ducky and I just can't bring myself to do it, he's an ugly begger, but I like him - so I do appreciate that you might be reluctant to do away with your troublemaker. I have no trouble telling OH "I'll have that one for tomorrow" with any of the others.

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks. I can't really defend myself at the minute,as not allowed to stretch or lift. In another two weeks I should be able to. If am prepared to wait that long to see if self defence helps! He is a big bird,up to my knee and solid!
No,he isn't friendly,inspite of being hatched by us. So far,not bothered by anyone else that goes in either,just me.
Wanted to get some legbar chicks from him, hence my hesitance in despatching him. It would also then be harder to introduce another cockerel because of the Pekin one,who doesn't have a nasty bone in his body so would be at risk of attack even if we put a young bird in.

 

[Luci07]

OK. Will put my hands up as no expert. I have not had chooks since I was a child and our cockerel was exceptionally lovely (until the b**ody fox took him). But how about a plant spray or water gun? that way you don't to bend, its not heavy and the shock of getting a face full of water each time he goes for you might make him think twice?

 

[jrp204]

If he was mine he would be in a sack in the bin! Last year I hatched some lovely little Pekin x legbars, very pretty and lay blue eggs.

 

[ralph and maverick]

I had a silkie cockerel that use to charge at the fence, could not go in the run un-armed usually a stick, broom, etc, he was a real ********r, drew blood on OH, I kept him for 3 years and was always like it from about 8 months old,. Only kept him for that long as he was Soooo good with his girls!
Friend of mine wanted a silkie cockerel so I gave him to her along with his temperament warnings, he was never like that with her, she said he was really friendly!! Charming!!!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I punted ours a good few times and he got the hint I tried the broom and various other methods but one day he got me above me wellies with the spurs and I lost the plot, sent him airbourne and chased him the length of the yard. he didnt come near me for a few days after he had sulked, then he must have got his bottle up and tried it again, i met it head on and he made some 'flying trips' around the yard and gave up on the idea.

He was always worse this time of year and every year until he met his end he would charge but never attack. I was quite sad when the theives murdered him and two chooks with the pitch fork

 

[Suelin]

Frankly, Coq au Vin! They are dreadful when they are bolshy. We had a similar Gold Laced Wyandotte. We called him Adolf, he was evil so we did the deed.

 

[*hic*]

I have five young ones at the moment who need to go and as I find it hard to choose which one will be next they are making the decision for me. As each one gets nasty it goes in the pot. I've had a couple go for me, the other deciding factor is whether they are aggressive with other birds.

But as for yours, neck the blighter.

 

[Spottyappy]

Thanks all.
He is not aggressive with the other birds, no. He can be slightly feisty, but not aggressive, and only usually when I let them out. he pursues the girls even if they don't want his attention! Once he has struck luckily, he leaves them alone!
Went into the birds this morning, and he was absolutely fine with me,which didn't expect. So, will see how he goes, and try self defence once I am able if he persists. If not, he will be got rid of as cant be dealing with the attacks, would be nice to get few legbar chicks first in an ideal world,though.
Sorry yours met a grim end Black Beastie. Would be upset if that happened, would rather the fox had them than some miserable apology for a human being.

 

[WelshD]

I normally neck my nasty cockerels, there are plenty of nice ones out there that need homes after all!

I did have one that I wanted to keep so set about calming him down, I did the carrying him around trick for about three weeks (on and off!) he was tucked under my arm while I did garden chores lol I kept picking him up and putting him down again (dusk is a good time for this)

when they know you are the boss they do calm down and stay manageable even when all tanked up on hormones!

Three weeks on my boy is unrecognisable and won a champion rare breed prize at a show last weekend

It can be done but it takes a very special chook to be worth the effort IMHO

This is my lovely boy. No way he would have stood still before!

Pic used with full permission from poultrykeeper.com

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Stunning boy WelshD.

A very good cure for my aggressive boys is a tincture of red wine, shallots and garlic applied as a slow marinade. Sorry, but I have young children and can't risk introducing aggressive lines into my flock. Anything that attacks a human has to go.

 

[fallenangel123]

We have rare breed turkeys and had a Narraganset stag that was a nightmare, so rare tho we had to put up with him. You had to be armed at all times, usually the plastic shovel or broom used to deflect attacks, a bit like a weird game of tennis. We used to live next door to a pub and he once got out of the paddock and was patrolling the car park stopping people from leaving. Not sure of the legalities of dangerous poultry but I was expecting the police to turn up!
They say velociraptors were the same size as turkeys, having survived Oscars attacks I'd say they were directly descended!

 

[Clodagh]

I breed chickens and have about 8 breeding groups, so lots of boys. I operate the two strikes and you are bait for the fox trap rule. THere are loads of nice boys, lose the nasty one.
(And always worth not making cockerels too tame as chicks as they tend to be the aggressive ones when adults).

 

[Nudibranch]

BlackBeastie that's terrible, what horrible people.

My cochin boys went into the pot once they started getting feisty, I've kept the best one and he'll have a peck now and again but it's easy to predict as he does his little shuffle dance first. So I just pick him up and carry him round for a bit while I get on with other jobs. Cochins are big birds but it seems to work well.

My best wyandotte was a real softy, such a gentleman and wouldn't harm a fly but sadly he ate something silly and punctured his gizzard.

 

[1rocky1]

that made me smile alex, way you worded it , but your right . they can be right sods.

 

[Spottyappy]

Welsh d,your by is magnificent!
So far,touch wood, not been attacked again. When I Am fit, again, will try the befriending technique!

 

[Polotash]

I had one like this and he went in the pot. The other thing no one else has suggested is a bucket of water tipped over him, I had one who started getting a bit above his station and this sorted him out after a couple of soakings!

 

[Alexart]

I'd stick an aggressive one in the pot too!! Unless he is a very nice example of the breed then cockrels are 2 a penny and a nice one can be got very easily, it's just not worth the hassle, although having said that I have a tiny 1yr old barbu d'anver cockerel who has taken to sneaking up on me and going for my wellies - because he's so diddy it's just hilarious and we just pick him up - he has little man syndrome!!!
WelshD that is a stunning sumatra - LF or bantam?

 

[*hic*]

We had a tiny cute one that we didn't mind going for our wellies but then a toddler came round and we only just managed to deflect the little beast as he went for the toddler's face, spurs first. We only waited till the child was out of sight before necking the thing.

 

[DragonSlayer]

They get 'fruity' this time of the year with testosterone coursing through their veins. He wants you away from his bitches .

 

[Moggy89]

I normally neck my nasty cockerels, there are plenty of nice ones out there that need homes after all!

I did have one that I wanted to keep so set about calming him down, I did the carrying him around trick for about three weeks (on and off!) he was tucked under my arm while I did garden chores lol I kept picking him up and putting him down again (dusk is a good time for this)

when they know you are the boss they do calm down and stay manageable even when all tanked up on hormones!

Three weeks on my boy is unrecognisable and won a champion rare breed prize at a show last weekend

It can be done but it takes a very special chook to be worth the effort IMHO

This is my lovely boy. No way he would have stood still before!

Pic used with full permission from poultrykeeper.com

I Love him, I really want Black Samtras, but my mum wont let me have more than 4 breeds as they live at her house. But one day....... In my dreams..... they will be one of the first next breed I get!

As for evil cockerals I have never had one, or kept one.... I would jsut boot any off mine if they came for me though! It could be this time of year, spring and all, all mine are feeling rahter high spritted atm. It si most likely horrid to you as he is trying to protect his girlys.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Sorry yours met a grim end Black Beastie. Would be upset if that happened, would rather the fox had them than some miserable apology for a human being.

BlackBeastie that's terrible, what horrible people.

Yeah i was raging, the other one did a bunk and we found him on the next door neighbours farm, the farmer was feeding him with the others and when we went to take him back he asked if he could have him, he was a lovely red peking cross, red and green with irridescent feathers, the one that got killed was a lovely blue peking cross and still have some of his chicks So farmer has him and hes now got about twice the amount of chooks to play with

We have a chocolate frazzle and a choc and tan peking for out girls now They are mostly pekings and frazzles with a few bardu anvers (sp?)in there as well

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

If you're able to connect a hosepipe up and when he comes at you then water-cannon the blighter........???

OR perhaps an old container of Fairy with water in it and use it to squirt 'im with.

But personally I'd not give space to anything which attacks people; as others have said, just not worth it, especially if you ever get kids around the place.

I can never bear to get rid of my stock myself; but have a friend who can be called upon to Do the Deed when required.

 

[WoopsiiD]

Put him in the oven!
I am yet again the walking wounded after having a cock fly in my face without warning!

 

[Harveydales]

My Legbar cockeral also started attacking me when he was about 11 months old. I was also hoping to breed with him but as we live alongside a public footpath with kids often around I decided he had to go. He was the first and only aggressive cockeral I've had in 30 years.