DixxieChick
Chirping
Hi everyone,
Our White Leghorn, Roosty, turned rotten this spring. He goes after all of us, especially my three year old son. He's drawn blood several times on my son, husband and I, and once it was running down my son's hand. He pecked my one year old daughter on the cheek(!). We have almost three acres. That seems like plenty of space but no. He will come from across the yard after any of us (me, hubs, and kids - 9, 7, 3, 1). He sneak attacks me when I have the side door down and am leaning all the way inside the coop to scoop poop on the far side. He runs up from behind and attacks when I am carrying water buckets, poop buckets, food, bedding, etc. He's so dirty about it!
I have tried hitting him with a stick to get him away (eventually very hard because it hurts when he pecks and I am tired of bleeding!) and avoiding him (often he comes from across the yard to get us). Once I hung him upside down with rope in the run door for a bit. Then I put him in solitary in the very small enclosure I use for transitioning chicks before they join the flock. I let him out after a few days but once it got warm a couple days later he was back to pecking. Back to solitary, for about a week. I started feeling sorry for him and let him out. The moment he got out he pecked me, I gave him space and a few minutes later he attacked from behind when I was bringing the full waterer into the big run. I threw him back in solitary and there he remains. Food, water, shelter but alone. I feel sorry for him -- he truly is pathetic.
Some background: we added four chickens that hatched in my daughter's kindergarten class to our rainbow flock last last year, along with 15 pullets from the local feed store. The four turned out to be White Leghorns, three roosters and one pullet. Roosty is the last one standing; the other three succumbed to either disease or predators.
I have 15 four week chicks in the brooder, including two new roosters -- an Americana and Wellington, to go with my 12 grown hens.
Can his behavior be corrected? I honestly think I am done, just wanted to ask if anyone has any other suggestions.
I have friends that have offered to teach me how to slaughter and process him -- I've always wanted to learn and it's a good opportunity. I hate giving up on any creature, even a jerk of a rooster. Have I tried everything? Is it ok to let him go? My kids shouldn't be afraid to go outside and play, and I'm afraid he's going to peck my daughter's eye out.
Our White Leghorn, Roosty, turned rotten this spring. He goes after all of us, especially my three year old son. He's drawn blood several times on my son, husband and I, and once it was running down my son's hand. He pecked my one year old daughter on the cheek(!). We have almost three acres. That seems like plenty of space but no. He will come from across the yard after any of us (me, hubs, and kids - 9, 7, 3, 1). He sneak attacks me when I have the side door down and am leaning all the way inside the coop to scoop poop on the far side. He runs up from behind and attacks when I am carrying water buckets, poop buckets, food, bedding, etc. He's so dirty about it!
I have tried hitting him with a stick to get him away (eventually very hard because it hurts when he pecks and I am tired of bleeding!) and avoiding him (often he comes from across the yard to get us). Once I hung him upside down with rope in the run door for a bit. Then I put him in solitary in the very small enclosure I use for transitioning chicks before they join the flock. I let him out after a few days but once it got warm a couple days later he was back to pecking. Back to solitary, for about a week. I started feeling sorry for him and let him out. The moment he got out he pecked me, I gave him space and a few minutes later he attacked from behind when I was bringing the full waterer into the big run. I threw him back in solitary and there he remains. Food, water, shelter but alone. I feel sorry for him -- he truly is pathetic.
Some background: we added four chickens that hatched in my daughter's kindergarten class to our rainbow flock last last year, along with 15 pullets from the local feed store. The four turned out to be White Leghorns, three roosters and one pullet. Roosty is the last one standing; the other three succumbed to either disease or predators.
I have 15 four week chicks in the brooder, including two new roosters -- an Americana and Wellington, to go with my 12 grown hens.
Can his behavior be corrected? I honestly think I am done, just wanted to ask if anyone has any other suggestions.
I have friends that have offered to teach me how to slaughter and process him -- I've always wanted to learn and it's a good opportunity. I hate giving up on any creature, even a jerk of a rooster. Have I tried everything? Is it ok to let him go? My kids shouldn't be afraid to go outside and play, and I'm afraid he's going to peck my daughter's eye out.
