[teresa f]

my young silkie cockerel has started to attack me. he doesn't peck but jumps at my leg with both feet. he's still small but it's a bit scarey and I wonder where it will lead as he gets older. any advice please?

[tstainesmoore]

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do. Once they start to attack they will never stop, about 1 in 100 turn out this way, depending on breed. But i have only ever stopped 2 cockerels from attacking and that was to place them in a pen with other cockerels. This worked until he was on his own again. the best thing to do is dispatch the bird, becuase he could obviuosly hurt people and other birds, etc. it is a bit uncommon to find this problem with silkies. even if you keep hitting him whe he attacks you and stuff he will never be put off. an agressive cockerel normally becomes aggressive to protect the other birds becuase he see's himself in charge. My advice cut short is to dispatch the bird and get another. Sorry

[ANHBUC]

Have a read of this as an alternative to culling.

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=90365.msg1010631#msg1010631

Good luck 

[teresa f]

thanks for the advice. particularly bad day yesterday, my leg is black and blue. tried pushing him away with a stick but it seemed to make him worse

[Craigx]

thanks for the advice. particularly bad day yesterday, my leg is black and blue. tried pushing him away with a stick but it seemed to make him worse

if its as bad as you say, u can ethier dispatch or ask someone to take it / buy it?

or buy big whellies


Craig

[teresa f]

I'm afraid it may come to that though I hate to let him go he's gorgeous. I tried giving the food to him instead of the girls as someone suggested but he just kicked it out of my hands. I will try the wellies first, failing that it may have to be shin pads. we had a fox around sometime back and we only  have 3 hens left(ages unknown but at least 2 of them are still laying) I did wonder if that could be the problem?

[joyfull]

dont try to feed him from your hand, instead drop some feed near his feet so he can call his ladies over to show them what he has found for them 

[teresa f]

that's what I was doing but as I bent to drop it on the ground he kicked the bowl out of my hand. put wellies on yesterday and he didn't bother with me, might just be coincidence  but we shall see. thanks for all the advice & I'll let you know the outcome.

[Lewjam]

Only thing with the wellies to protect your legs - that works as long as your the only one who comes in contact with him.

If there is any chance kids or the post man will come near, you need to do something else as you have the same responsibility as you would have with a dog that bites.

[teresa f]

no problems there. they are in the back garden and in a large run most of the time.

[bluecharlie]

Hi i have a gorgeous blue silkie cockerel and he attacked me a few times,and yeh it realy hurts i thought he had broken my hand,i dont have any problem if i behave and dont make him think i am a danger to his girls so when i approach i always talk and coo to him,calling him and giving him his food,he calls the girls and i stay while they eat,i never leave them to it,so he knows i am not threatening him,i never rush around him,always steady movements,i  pick him up and carry him around this confuses him too.so he has been with me now for 3 years and i would hate to part with him.he is a real gent with his girls

[themagicaltoad1]

I had one like that, he was a lovely little thing but boy was he aggressive. It got to the stage where my wife wouldn't go out to the bin unless she could see him at the far end of the garden. But he always spotted her and it was a race to see if he could get to her before she had time to put stuff in the bin and run back inside. Actually, it was really funny to watch, he would even run past me to get to her! Needless to say it couldn't go on and we had to have him culled.

[teresa f]

Definitely been there and in truth he's faster than me. but three days of wellie wearing and he seems to be ignoring me, or at least just watching. I wonder if it's perhaps the colour or perhaps I'm less afraid. Hopefully it has stopped as suddenly as it started.

[Craigx]

glad to see the whellie idea worked..maybe to test, try and go out in wat u used to wear (shoe wize) and see if he bothers ne more


bulls hate red, makes them angry, maybe he hates a colour?

Craig