Buff Orpington
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Backyard Chicken Keeping for Happy, Healthy, and Friendly Chickens

Chicken Keeping, Roosters ·

A Kinder Approach to Working with a “Aggressive Rooster”

Are you finding yourself looking for ways to work better with your rooster? Perhaps you’ve read or been told about some of the traditional and old-school methods suggested for dealing with what was referred to as an aggressive rooster. If so, you might have found that these dominating tactics didn’t sit right with you. There are better, more ethical ways out there in which you can work with your roosters, so let’s dive in.

How to befriend a rooster

Roosters are very misunderstood. I really believe they have so much love to give but they also have strong instincts to look for danger and always be on guard to protect their beloved hens. Knowing how to work with your rooster and forming a bond is possible. I hope that by sharing this information, I can help others find better, more humane ways of working with their roosters too.

I hope that one day we can achieve better ethical treatment for all chickens, including roosters. To be part of this positive change for better chicken welfare, start where you are right now with your own rooster. Let’s begin improving rooster treatment by making a difference in our own flocks.

Let’s Talk Chicken Intelligence

Before getting into working with your roosters, it’s essential to grasp just how intelligent and social these birds can be. Chickens, in my experience, exhibit remarkable levels of intelligence. My flock can distinguish between me and other family members. They’re attuned to their routines and notice any deviations from the norm. If they’ve managed to escape from an area before, they’ll undoubtedly remember it as a weak spot. My rooster, Butter, has a keen eye for fashion and can tell if I’m wearing new shoes that don’t meet his approval.

The Deep Social Bonds of Chickens

They’re deeply social creatures and form strong bonds with their chicken friends and their people. ‘ll never forget the day my hens first started laying eggs. I walked out to the chicken coop and saw my entire flock gathered around one hen, offering support as she laid her very first egg. It was a powerful reminder of the strong connections they share.

Empathy and Understanding

I’ve had plenty of moments when one of my chickens comes up to me and gives me a look that clearly says, “There’s something you need to check out.” Take my chicken Viper, for example. Before I even realized she had bumblefoot, she approached me, gave me that look, and then glanced down at her foot, urging me to take a closer look. Sure enough, that’s when I discovered the bumblefoot. Moments like these really highlight the depth of their intelligence and empathy—qualities that are often underestimated in chickens.

Further Reading on Chicken Intelligence

For a deeper dive into the intelligence of chickens, check out the enlightening article by Carolynn “K-lynn” L. Smith and Sarah L. Zielinski titled “The Startling Intelligence of the Common Chicken” in Scientific American and the article “Thinking chickens: a review of cognition, emotion, and behavior in the domestic chicken” by Lori Marino. They both shed light on just how clever chickens can be, challenging preconceived notions and raising important questions about their treatment.

Orpington

The Rooster’s Job | Natural Rooster Behaviours

The Rooster’s Role in Flock Management

When you think of a rooster, what comes to mind? Perhaps you picture him tending to his flock—finding the best treats for his hens, keeping an eye out for predators, and sounding the alarm when it’s time to take cover. You might even imagine him ready to fight to the death to ensure his ladies stay safe.

Born to Protect: The Rooster’s Natural Instincts

Roosters are born with a strong protective nature. As prey animals, they’re always on alert, feeling the need to watch over their flock. Even if we provide them with secure runs where predators are virtually no threat, a rooster will still be vigilant as that is their normal behavior. While some chicken breeds are known to be more laid-back, each chicken has their own unique individual disposition.

Puberty and Hormonal Changes: A Challenging Phase

An important thing to know is that young roosters going through puberty will have a surge of hormones. This is why your super sweet chick is suddenly showing unwanted behavior and what you would typically view as signs of aggression as they reach sexual maturity.

Understanding Rooster Aggression: A Matter of Perspective

Given that roosters act as guardians of their flock, it’s understandable that their behavior might be perceived as aggressive behavior. Their constant vigilance makes them highly sensitive to movements, your behavior, your clothing, how to handle the hens, what you’re carrying, etc. Sometimes, their protective instincts can make them feel the need to guard their flock from you.

Challenging Your Perspective

How you perceive this behavior can make a big difference. You might see a mighty protector, constantly on guard to defend his flock. Or, you might view a rooster as difficult and not understanding why he suddenly attacks you or why he doesn’t trust anything, labeling him as just a mean rooster.

I love the following quote because it helps us remember to challenge our beliefs and to reframe our thinking.

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
– Wayne Dryer
feisty rooster

My Rooster Story

The Unexpected Rooster and the Search for Answers

When I got my very first chickens, all were supposed to be pullets (girls). But one day, to my surprise, Henni(fer) started crowing! I loved having my sweet chicks, but a rooster? That was uncharted territory for me. Up until that point, everything I’d seen or heard about rooster attacks involving them chasing, biting, or kicking someone. Naturally, I was a little nervous.

The moment I heard that first crow, I dove into research, determined to learn everything I could about working with roosters. However, the methods I found just didn’t sit right with me. Almost everything I read was about dominating the rooster—holding him down, picking him up and holding him upside down (which, by the way, is extremely dangerous for chickens!), and other techniques that seemed more about forcing submission than building a relationship. My background in working with horses had taught me that when you force an animal into doing something they don’t feel safe doing, you don’t create trust—you create a more reactive or shut-down animal. In my experience, this approach can make them more dangerous and unpredictable, whereas an animal that feels secure and understood is far more reliable and at ease.

A Difficult Decision

As a first time backyard chicken keeper and without finding success stories of people working with their roosters in a way I felt comfortable with, I reached out to a friend who owned a farm with plenty of space to free range and a large flock of chickens. They were thrilled at the prospect of adding a colored rooster to their farm, which brought me a sense of relief and happiness as he went to his new home. Knowing that he would be going to a place where he would be well cared for and surrounded by other chickens made the decision much easier. It wasn’t easy to let him go, but I felt at peace knowing he was heading to a good home.

A New Approach: Building Trust and Connection

But as fate would have it, when I got more chicks, one of my Buff Orpington pullets started to look very rooster-like as she grew. When I heard that familiar crow again, I knew I had to find a different approach, one that would allow us to live together peacefully without me feeling nervous every time I stepped into the chicken yard like last time. I knew the methods I had found couldn’t be the only way.

Learning from Experience and Seeking New Methods

During this time while looking for ways in which to work with him better, I was reading the book Sacred Spaces: Communion with the horse through science and spirit by Dr. Susan D Fay. Although the book focuses on working with horses, it resonated deeply with me. Dr. Fay’s emphasis on understanding and working with your energy, as well as the power of visualization—sending your rooster images of what you want to happen rather than what you fear—felt like the right path to take. This concept, although new to me in the context of chickens, made perfect sense based on my experiences working with horses. I realized that these principles could apply to any animal, including roosters.

While reading this book, I also discovered a community of fellow chicken keepers at Roovolution who shared a belief in humane treatment and relationship-building with their roosters. Their successes reinforced my decision to try a different approach with my own rooster. This journey completely shifted my perspective on what it means to work with these incredible birds. Now, I continue to practice these techniques, always striving to create a bond based on mutual respect and understanding.

As you can see in the photo below, Butter is happily lounging in my lap—I’m very happy having found better practices to work with him has made all the difference. He’s such a sweet rooster!

Why is my rooster attacking me all of a sudden

A Kinder, More Ethical Way to Work with Roosters

When searching for advice on handling an aggressive rooster, it’s distressing to encounter suggestions involving cruelty—kicking, holding their body upside down, or even worse. It breaks my heart to see anyone advised to harm their animals in the name of improving their behavior.

The good news is there are much kinder and more ethical methods for building a positive relationship with your rooster. So far, we’ve discussed understanding rooster behavior, shifting your perspective from viewing them as aggressors to seeing them as protectors, and shared some of my personal experiences.

After exploring the concepts in Sacred Spaces, where I learned about working with my energy and visualizing positive outcomes, I discovered Roovolution—a rooster resource that perfectly aligned with what I was seeking. The folks at Roovolution emphasize building a relationship with your rooster without using domination or fear tactics, focusing instead on understanding the root causes of what some might call aggressive rooster behavior. You can have a friendly rooster with kinder methods!

Their video and materials provide in-depth guidance on how to work with your rooster compassionately. With extensive experience and a deep understanding of rooster behavior, they teach an approach that emphasizes building trust and mutual respect. They talk about how it’s more about training yourself than your rooster, which resonates with my own experiences and helped tie everything together for me and my rooster.

How I Build a Relationship with My Rooster, Butter

Working with My Energy: I’ve learned that how I show up in the chicken yard matters. If I’m not present, if I’m rushed, or if I don’t take the time to greet Butter and pick him up first, he notices. He’s highly attuned to my energy, so the first thing I do is make an effort to be calm and focused when I’m around him.

Knowing What Stresses Him Out: Butter tends to get anxious when it’s treat time. The excitement of the hens running and flapping from all over the yard stresses him out. To help ease his anxiety, I’ve made treat time a consistent part of our routine. I go down at the same time every day, talking to them as I approach so Butter knows it’s just me, and he can expect the rush.

When I give out the treats, I always show them to Butter first. This gives him the chance to take some and call his ladies over to share his “find.” If I skip this step and toss the treats without acknowledging him, he gets upset and might give me a hard peck on the leg. I’ve learned that this is his way of showing frustration, so I’ve adjusted my approach to make sure he feels included.

Visualization: Butter can get upset if I don’t pick him up quickly enough. Over time, I’ve trained him to approach me when he wants to be picked up. When he does, I point for him to turn around, and once he does, he knows it’s his cue that he’ll be picked up. Since Butter is a big rooster, I don’t lift him from the front like I do with my hens. He tends to mistake hands reaching out to him as something to peck, so this method is the best way for us.

Before I pick him up, I visualize him calmly turning around and waiting patiently. This mental preparation helps both of us stay in sync. If I skip this step, Butter might get frustrated and make a quick turn and give a hard shoe or leg peck, signaling that I wasn’t fast enough for his liking. Visualization has become an important part of our routine, helping us maintain a peaceful and cooperative interaction.

One-on-One Time: I like to bring Butter up to the house or other areas of the yard for some quality time away from the flock. He gets his own special treats—blueberries are his favorite—and we just hang out together. It’s our little bonding time without him having to watch out for his hens.

Evening Routine: In the evenings, my hens love to sit in my lap or gather around my chair for some attention. Before I give them any, I make sure to focus on Butter first. He enjoys being picked up and coming along with me as I do the evening chicken chores. And of course, he loves a good nap in my lap while getting some face pets. Once he’s content, he happily goes off to forage while his ladies get their turn with me.

What to do with an overly aggressive rooster

The team at Roovolution has dedicated significant time and effort to creating valuable materials for working with roosters in a humane way. Their insights have been instrumental in helping me with my Orpington rooster, Butter, and I highly recommend their resources to anyone keeping roosters.

Here are some of the best ways to learn more about working with your roosters:

Takeaways

I hope this has given you a new way to see your rooster and introduced you to resources and techniques that will help you work best with your rooster.

Am I perfect? No. Do I still have moments where Butter and I have misunderstandings? Yes. But I am continuing to work with building our relationship and fostering a safe environment so that he continues to trust me.

I absolutely love my rooster Butter and can’t imagine my life without him. He gives me daily reminders to settle my energy, be present, be mindful of my body language, and enjoy my time with my chickens. He really is a great rooster and I’m so happy to have him.

How to tame an aggressive rooster

This post has focused on working with what some might label as an aggressive rooster. I hope my story and these resources provide you with better ways to foster understanding and respect with your roosters.

Please share this post with your chicken friends, so we can all have better treatment for our roosters!

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