Aggressive Rooster Therapy

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PHOTO: FOTOLIA/ANNA BABURKINA
A little loving “rooster therapy” can go a long way in preventing hostile birds.

I was inspired by Help! Why Does This Rooster Want to Fight Me? (April/May 2011), on dealing with aggressive roosters, to share my family’s method.

We always keep a rooster with our flock of 20 or so chickens, and occasionally have three or more roosters at a time. We have never had a rooster that was aggressive toward people. As soon as a young chick proves to be a male, we begin what we call “rooster therapy.” The young cocks are picked up and snuggled by our whole family, daily. We scratch the young roosters behind their necks and tell them what good roosters they are.

After a brief period of therapy, the boys only require occasional reminders that we are the biggest chickens in the flock. They receive reminder therapy at the first sign of aggressive behavior.

This technique has worked like a charm. The roosters hate being snuggled and learn to avoid the big, awful, snuggly humans.

Kathryn Urich
North Berwick, Maine

  • Published on Aug 5, 2011
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