5 Reasons Your Rooster is Aggressive

Roosters can be aggressive, unlike hens which are pretty docile. They perceive themselves as the defenders of the flock, prompting them to be aggressive to prove their dominance. Roosters are aggressive for various reasons.

For instance, your rooster could be aggressive during the mating season or if it is fighting with other roosters in your flock. Hormones can also make roosters aggressive. Knowing the top 5 reasons that make roosters aggressive is vital since you will efficiently address the aggression in your rooster.

1. Defend the Flock

Your rooster will be aggressive as the protector of the flock, especially if there are hens in the flock. Roosters will aggressively defend the flock, especially from predators. They don’t take kindly to anything that poses a threat to the flock members.

Roosters always keep an eye on the flock, and they are always capable of detecting threats. Their aggression kicks in once they notice the presence of predators such as cats or dogs due to their protective instincts.

For the most part, roosters spend most of their time protecting the flock from predators. If your rooster is aggressive, he is most likely playing his protective role.

2. Hormones

Many roosters reach sexual maturity between five and six months, although some rooster breeds reach maturity much earlier. The hormonal rush in their bodies can make these birds aggressive, particularly towards other younger roosters.

The aggression in roosters ends a couple of months after reaching sexual maturing. Some roosters, however, will remain aggressive even after reaching sexual maturity, since they will continue experiencing hormonal changes in their bodies.

If your young rooster has suddenly become aggressive, he is likely reaching sexual maturity, and the hormonal changes in his body are making him aggressive.

3. Fight Other Roosters

Constant fights between roosters can make these birds aggressive. Having many roosters in your flock makes the roosters fight between them as they compete for dominance, mates, and food. If there are fewer hens in the flock, the roosters will fight each other as they compete for hens.

The strongest and oldest roosters are more likely to fight their juniors to establish dominance. Your rooster will become aggressive and fight the new roosters in your flock if you add more roosters to your flock. Older roosters will constantly fight rival roosters to establish dominance over the rival roosters.

Overly, roosters have natural fighting instincts that make them aggressive and hostile towards other roosters. Thus, have fewer roosters in the flock to discourage constant cockfights.

4. Mating Season

Roosters are most aggressive during the mating season since they want to mate with as many hens as possible. While roosters aren’t aggressive toward hens, they are aggressive towards other roosters.

Every rooster wants to have many hens, and thus your rooster will fight other roosters to scare them away for the rooster to have as many hens as he can. Your rooster will be particularly aggressive towards younger roosters to discourage the younger roosters from mating.

5. Breed Behavior

Not all rooster breeds are aggressive, although most of the breeds will exhibit aggression at some point. Nonetheless, some rooster breeds are more aggressive than others. Breeds such as Malay, Asil, and Shamo are the most aggressive rooster breeds. They exhibit aggression at an early age. Their aggression becomes more intense as they grow older and more muscular.

If your rooster is aggressive, it could be due to breed behavior which is prompting the rooster to be aggressive towards other chickens or even humans. Understand the breed of your rooster and check whether the breed is more aggressive.

Can You Tame an Aggressive Rooster?

Yes, you can take your aggressive rooster the same way you can tame a hostile dog to be calm and friendly. Nonetheless, taming an aggressive rooster requires patience, effort, and time. Check these ideas on how you can tame your aggressive rooster before his aggression gets out of hand.

– Understand the Cause of Aggression

Roosters are aggressive for many reasons. What makes one rooster aggressive isn’t necessarily what makes another rooster aggressive. Before taming your aggressive rooster, strive to know what precisely is making the rooster aggressive.

If the rooster is fierce during the mating season, there is ultimately little you can do to stop the aggression in your rooster. In this case, wait for the mating season to come to an end. Your rooster’s aggression will probably go away after the end of the aggressive season.

– Socialize with Your Rooster

Socializing with your rooster can make the rooster less aggressive and docile. Handle the rooster gently and refrain from hitting or using other cruel methods to punish the rooster for being aggressive. You can speak to your rooster gently and softly so that the rooster can get used to you. Avoid chasing away the rooster, but instead, let the bird get accustomed to your presence.

– Keep Your Rooster Happy

A happy rooster is less likely to be aggressive. Roosters usually become aggressive when fighting over food, mates, and space. If your rooster gets everything he wants, he will be happy, and aggression won’t set in your rooster.

You can tame an aggressive rooster by providing him with more living space to keep him happy.  Alternatively, you can let the rooster go outdoors for a while. The things the roster sees outdoors will distract him from getting aggressive.

– Give Your Rooster Treats

Reward your rooster each time he ends his aggression. Rewarding the rooster will help keep his aggression at bay. Some lovely treats to lure your aggressive rooster include sunflower seeds, mealworms, raisins, and oats.

You can encourage the rooster to eat the treats from your hand, which is an excellent way of interacting with your aggressive rooster.

– Keep Monitoring Your Rooster

Keep an eye on your rooster to know when his aggression kicks in. Check how the rooster interacts with other flock members. Also, you can separate the aggressive rooster from other chickens, especially if there are other roosters in the flock.

Install a barrier in the chicken coop using wire mesh to keep the rooster away from other chickens, particularly rival roosters. Alternatively, have a separate cage for the aggressive rooster if his aggression gets out of control.

– Introduce More Hens in Your Flock

Having too many roosters and only a couple of hens in your flock can heighten the aggression in your roosters, since the roosters will engage in fights with each other. To tame your rooster, introduce several hens in your flock.

The presence of hens will distract the rooster from fighting with other younger roosters over hens. Ideally, the best ratio should be four hens for every rooster. The more hens you have, the happier the rooster will be, and the chances of the rooster showing aggression will be pretty minimal.

Which is the Most Aggressive Rooster Breed?

Circumstantial evidence shows that all roosters are aggressive, although some rooster breeds are more aggressive than others. The Asil is probably the most aggressive breed. Native to Asia, this breed is specifically suitable for cockfighting.

It doesn’t get along with other chicken breeds, and it can fight rival cocks to death. Other aggressive rooster breeds include Old English Game and Malay.

Which is the Most Docile Rooster Breed?

While most rooster breeds are aggressive, some breeds are incredibly docile and less likely to exhibit aggression. Some of the least aggressive and docile breeds include Australorp, Welsummer, Bantam, and Brahma. However, there are always occasional bouts of aggression, even among these docile breeds.

Conclusion

Roosters are aggressive and always ready to fight with other chickens and humans. That notwithstanding, roosters are great birds thanks to their ability to protect other members of your chicken flock from predators.

Establish the cause of the aggression in your rooster immediately and deal with the cause before the rooster becomes exceptionally aggressive. Furthermore, avoid factors that can potentially make your rooster aggressive in the long run.

avatar James
Hey, I'm James, a hardworking homesteader for more than 30 years. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from tending my flock. I've raised chickens and ducks for eggs and meat for many years. I also have experience with other poultry too. Learn more

Questions and Answers

Jackie Soto May 5, 2022 Reply

I rescued a rooster someone used for fighting. I’ve had him about 3-4 months. I brought him in every night and kept him in a box in my patio and in the morning take him out in my backyard. When I was in the backyard yesterday he just came after me and became aggressive. This morning when I took him out he pecked at my hand. I don’t know what caused this change.
Any advise?

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