What to do with an aggressive rooster?

I might have missed the part that your a vegetarian? If not then don't wast the bird. It will be a very tastey meat. It will have more flavor than a 8 week old broiler bird you get at the market. I really like the flavor and added texture. If brined I roast year old cock birds that people say should go to stew or gumbo. Which I do like gumbo too but my point is they are not tough meat if roasted at a lower heat and covered.

I use a hatchet and block of wood. The two points of stress are capture of bird and after you dispatch it. The nervous system will fritz causing the already dead bird to flop about. Not pretty. Have a garbage can next to you with bag taped to lip so it stays put. The bird will be limp after the deed for about 30 seconds. Toss in the can and walk away. Come back in a few minutes. For me a few drinks, but not so many I'll injure myself with axe and then walk away to have a smoke and tend to the garden.

Plucking can be a bear and skinning not much easier. I've learned how to pluck properly so now it's just a few minutes. Pot of water to 155F. Don't just dunk the bird once and don't hold it under or it scalds the skin. Holding by feet dunk swish and out, dunk swish and out. Keep doing that and then check a wing feather by light pull. If it take more than a small pull dunk and swish some more. When it's ready you can take full handfuls of feather to bare skin with ease. Place them in before mentioned garbage can with liner. The only part that takes time is wing tips. I don't sell the birds so don't waste my time with that, cut off at wing joint, pluck the bicep and toss the forearm with feathers still attached.

To clean bird cut around the neck, get the wind pipe and crop clear of meat. Then cut bottom cavity around anus and up enough to get hand in. Reach in grab hold and pull. If you detached top around neck then everything comes out in one pull. Minus the testies which are huge in a cockerel and attached to lower back but minimal full cleaning of inside bird if you prepare it before gutting. Most comes with one pull if prepared.

Let's face it it's not fun. I don't think anyone ever said they wanted to grow up to be a viserator. But if you get in the mind set and know what to do prior it will go fast and be done with. The longest part will be getting the water hot. Use same pot with cold water from hose for end fine tune cleaning then add fresh cold water, sea salt and put the pot in fridge.

I almost forgot- It will probably take the meat 48 hours to relax (if legs don't move freely then let it rest more) and you only want to brine for 24 hours. Just dump the brine out and put lid back on and back in fridge for another day.

I think if you advertised him as free for the eating, someone would come fetch him.

I'm hoping so. I've put up an ad on a local livestock forum on Facebook and listed him as a free due to his aggression issues. I'm hoping someone will be willing to come and take him away. I don't want the meat to go to waste but I know none of us could stand to eat him since we raised him from a day old chick.

Which I know also makes NO sense since we regularly eat chicken and I actually have some laying out to thaw right now. It's just the fact that I *know* this guy...even though he's a jerk...that I can't eat him!

Deleting duplicate post.

Deleting duplicate post.

Truly, we understand. It is tough. However, you do kind of get over it. and if you put a bunch in the freezer - well who is to say, who is who?

I'm a hypocrite too, I don't kill my chickens for eating, but I buy it in the store, something about knowing them, though I don't mind so much if they are jerks, I don't eat meat, but my husband is always willing.

Having dealt with a meanie, I fully understand. I had a meanie that happened to attack me for the 3rd time the day before processing meat birds. He was a beautiful year old Welsummer. It was mentally taxing but I got through it, and I'm glad I did. Chicken life calmed down quite a bit since then and I made a really awesome pot of soup.

Anyway, I just got a silly idea. If you can't eat your own mean rooster, could you eat someone else's? Hehe... mean rooster swap!

Chanticleer and Steve have left the coop!

I posted again on the local livestock page on Facebook and a young man replied who lives only a couple of miles away. He has four children and they raise chickens to feed their family. He offered to come and take them off my hands. Chanticleer will be gracing their table soon while Steve will likely be joining his flock to add some genetic diversity. He had absolutely zero problems capturing Steve and we were even able to pet him. Chanticleer proved to be a bit more of a challenge but he had him captured in about 3 minutes.

So all's well that ends well. My coop will now settle down without the boys to cause trouble and our new friend will have an improved flock and dinner for his growing family.

Thanks everyone for the advice and the prodding I needed to get this issue dealt with.

I think I would keep his number!