My Rooster Pecker

Saturday morning, I went out to the chicken coop to let the chickens out and check for eggs (most of the chickens are laying eggs now). I was hanging around in the chicken yard, just watching the chickens. At one point I was looking at some chickens off to my left, when suddenly I felt something hit my right leg. It was the rooster! He had attacked me! Not only had he attacked me, he was still right there, facing me a few feet off, bobbing back and forth, itching for a fight. I checked my right leg (fortunately I was wearing pants, although they were pretty thin) – he had left a mark on my leg! (Which is still there, by the way.)

The arrogant cock

My first reaction was shock. My second reaction – since he was still standing there, and especially after I saw my wound (red but not bleeding) – was to kick the rooster. However, he very easily dodged my soft slippered feet, and just stood there, still bobbing around, waiting for his chance to get in close and get me again.

Well, if I couldn’t connect with my feet, I could at least chase him, so chase I did. I didn’t come close to catching him, but I chased him long enough to put some fear back in him and to burn off some of the adrenaline I had surging through me. I also glared at him a bit too. He got the message. He didn’t start crowing again until I went back in the house.

My first thought once I was no longer showing him who was boss was, of course, to get rid of the rooster. Then I reminded myself that I had wanted a rooster in the first place, and – well – our rooster is a handsome fella. So I decided that I was just going to have to make sure he always knew who was boss. From now on, I’d have to chase him around a bit whenever I went into the chicken yard, as well as shoot him the occasional “I’m the boss” glare when I didn’t feel like going in the chicken yard to chase him around.

Just chasing him, though, seemed unsatisfactory as far as maintaining dominance. I don’t know how chickens think about such things, but in my mind, if I couldn’t at least get in a few blows once in awhile, then I wouldn’t be convinced that I was really dominant. So I figured poking him with a stick while I was chasing him would do the trick – “pecking” at him the way another rooster might, if he was being chased by a rooster. (My inspiration for this idea was Cesar Millan and his use of the “hand bite” to assert dominance with dogs.)

An obliging storm swept through just a day later and knocked a perfect rooster pecker down to the ground for my use. It’s about five feet long, giving me a pretty good reach without being too heavy. I’ve chased and “pecked” the rooster a few times since I got it, and it works great. Whenever I let the chickens out (once or twice a week) I lie in wait, rooster pecker in hand, and I poke him once he’s out of the coop and caught sight of me, and I chase after him a bit. Of course I have no desire (any longer) to do any physical harm to him. I just don’t want him attacking me anymore.

The rooster pecker, ready for pecking

And here I am harassing the rooster. I would have preferred more of an action shot, but my camera isn’t that obliging.

Asserting dominance in my territory

Keeping chickens has certainly been an interesting experience so far. My husband and I do like having them, especially since they started laying eggs. They are fun to watch, and as I have demonstrated here, can even help build new skills and self-esteem. I just have to keep an eye on the rooster!

Uncategorized | Angel | August 21, 2009 2:26 pm

5 Comments

By Son of Grok, August 21, 2009 @ 8:57 pm

I am reminded on the rocky movie where Micky makes Rock chase the chicken!
By WonkyGirl, January 12, 2010 @ 5:18 pm

Hey, my rooster started attacking me a month ago. I started carrying a broom into the run and the very next time he attacked my leg I spanked him. Things seemed ok for a week or so and I stopped carrying the broom inside. Then he attacked me again but went for my face (ducked just in time and covered face with hands)! I got the broom and spanked him around again but it did not last. He got my leg this morning while I reached for eggs. Caught me off guard. I did broom spank him but it scares the heck out of my hens and they fear me. Tonight the rooster will get snatched from his sleeping spot and tossed into the coop out back. It will be his bachelor pad. I know he is doing what comes natural but as I read somewhere, life is too short to have a mean rooster.
By Angel, January 12, 2010 @ 11:46 pm

I agree. Fortunately, my husband now has the chickens confined to a small mobile pen, so there’s no need to go anywhere near the rooster. We’re only keeping him around for looks, so if he causes too much trouble we’ll just get rid of him.
By Millie, February 18, 2010 @ 7:37 am

How about a water gun? Harmless and you can attack from a distance.
By Angel, February 18, 2010 @ 3:37 pm

A water gun might be effective, it might not. I don’t have one, though. I’ve got plenty of sticks lying around.

We’ve been keeping the chickens in a small pen for several months now, one that we don’t need to go into, so this mostly hasn’t been an issue. However, when the chickens try hard enough, they can get out, and the rooster is the one most likely to do so. I recently had to beat him up a couple of times when he was out of the pen and posturing at me when I was walking by. The first time it took him awhile to concede, the second time he conceded much faster. I don’t enjoy beating on him with a stick, but I stop as soon as he backs off (runs away).

Any future roosters we get (if we decide to get or keep any) are going to be from breeds that are known for having gentle roosters. I don’t like being put in the position of having to defend myself, or put the rooster in his place by beating him up. As a previous poster noted, life is too short to deal with mean roosters.

Divine Mind

musings by Angel