Ack! A dilemma. I have come across my first aggressive rooster. It is a real surprise as he seemed very easy going up until a week or so ago. He's a splash Ameraucana of excellent type, a big, heavy boy that I really want to breed. He doesn't get along with any of my other roosters...no big deal...he just won't be penned with them. But he pecked myself and my husband both once hard enough to draw blood last week and today when I was heading him back into his pen after letting him out for a few minutes and he attacked my legs. I kicked him reflexively before I even knew what I was doing, and when he came at me again then next second I kicked him again. Later, as I was standing next to his pen doing some cleanup I realized he was throwing himself at the wire trying to get at me...so obviously the kicks did not deter him.
I'm familiar with various rehabilitation techniques (carrying around, etc.) but honestly his aggression is so unexpected (he doesn't give any warning) and has escalated so fast that I'm pretty sure that he's soup in the long run. My question is, can/should I still breed him? I have two White Am hens and a White Am rooster and they are all rather small. I was hoping to use the Splash to split against the Whites and breed some of that size into future Whites. However, will he pass on the aggression too? What has been your experiences with this dilemma? I always thought that I wouldn't breed aggressive roosters until this moment.
Edit: There are two things that may be influencing him today. One is that I'm wearing a coral pink dress that was fluttering around my legs...do roosters attack the color red like bulls? And the other is that his pen is right up against his rivals. Might he calm down if he's out of sight of the other roosters?
I'm familiar with various rehabilitation techniques (carrying around, etc.) but honestly his aggression is so unexpected (he doesn't give any warning) and has escalated so fast that I'm pretty sure that he's soup in the long run. My question is, can/should I still breed him? I have two White Am hens and a White Am rooster and they are all rather small. I was hoping to use the Splash to split against the Whites and breed some of that size into future Whites. However, will he pass on the aggression too? What has been your experiences with this dilemma? I always thought that I wouldn't breed aggressive roosters until this moment.
Edit: There are two things that may be influencing him today. One is that I'm wearing a coral pink dress that was fluttering around my legs...do roosters attack the color red like bulls? And the other is that his pen is right up against his rivals. Might he calm down if he's out of sight of the other roosters?
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