Basis of Preparation and Nature of Operations Additional Information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2016 $ / shares	Nov. 08, 2015 $ / shares	Jan. 16, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2014	Oct. 01, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 13, 2013 $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of reporting segments					2
Proceeds from Sale of Oil and Gas Property and Equipment		$ 153.4
Deconsolidation, Gain (Loss), Amount					$ 0.0	$ 38.5	$ 0.0
Common Stock, Par or Stated Value Per Share | $ / shares	$ 0.01				$ 0.01
Less: Preferred stock dividends, accretion and loss on conversion							73.6
Long-term debt	$ 5,540.7				$ 5,540.7	$ 6,112.1
Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased	$ 100.0				$ 100.0
Compass Production Partners G.P. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price | $ / shares								$ 145,000,000
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Six Point Seven Five Percentage Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	6.625%				6.625%	6.60%
Spectrum Brands [Member] | 6.375% Senior Notes due 2020 | Secured Debt [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	6.375%				6.375%
Debt Instrument, Unamortized Premium, Current	$ 4.6				$ 4.6
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount	390.3				390.3
Long-term debt	129.7				129.7	$ 520.0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	129.7				129.7
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Four Point Zero Percent Senior Notes [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 425.0				$ 425.0
Spectrum Brands [Member] | Four Point Zero Percent Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	4.00%				4.00%	0.00%
Long-term debt	$ 477.0				$ 477.0	$ 0.0
Salus Capital Partners LLC | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Asset-based loans															$ 331.1	$ 175.5
HGI
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Less: Preferred stock dividends, accretion and loss on conversion					0.0	0.0	$ 73.6
Long-term debt	$ 1,711.2				$ 1,711.2	$ 1,705.1
HGI | 7.875% Senior Secured Notes, due July 15, 2019 | Secured Debt [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	7.875%				7.875%	7.90%
Long-term debt	$ 864.4				$ 864.4
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five						$ 864.4
HGI | Seven Point Seven Five Percent Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt, interest rate	7.75%				7.75%	7.75%
Long-term debt	$ 890.0				$ 890.0	$ 890.0
FOH [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment						16.2
Compass Production Partners [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					118.8
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Compass Credit Agreement
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding	$ 125.2				$ 125.2
FGL [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Shares Offered To Public In Initial Offering | shares														9.8
Sale of Stock, Price Per Share | $ / shares														$ 17.00
Shares Offered To Underwriters In Initial Offering | shares														1.5
CorAmerica [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage Of Ownership Interest	51.00%				51.00%
Goodwill and Intangible Asset Impairment					$ 10.7	28.3
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Consolidated Subsidiaries	$ 0.5
Compass | HGI
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition Percentage Of Equity Interests Acquired	74.40%				74.40%
Ability Re [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net											$ 19.2
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 19.2
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross			17.9
European IAMS and Eukanuba [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net			115.7
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			115.7
Tell Manufacturing [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 30.3
Business combination, assets acquired													$ 30.3
Zap Com Corporation [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage Of Ownership Interest	97.90%				97.90%
Compass Production Partners [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition Percentage Of Equity Interests Acquired												25.50%
Compass Production Partners [Member] | Compass Production Partners [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage Of Ownership Interest	99.80%				99.80%
Salix Animal Health LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net										$ 148.3
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					$ 148.3
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					146.8
AAG Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired, Goodwill, and Liabilities Assumed, Net	$ 929.3				929.3
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					929.3
Euro Member Countries, Euro | Spectrum Brands [Member] | Four Point Zero Percent Senior Notes [Member] | Secured Debt [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 425.0				425.0
Common Stock | Spectrum Brands [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from Issuance of Common Stock						$ 575.0
FGL [Member] | Anbang Insurance Group Co., Ltd. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price | $ / shares									$ 26.80
Severance Cost, one time payments [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Officers' Compensation				$ 3.0
Severance Costs, Contingent Payments [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Officers' Compensation				$ 3.0
Chief Executive Officer [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Officers' Compensation					$ 8.0