Doing the "right thing".. and other such things I sometimes struggle with

[JacquelineJ]

@JacquelineJ what did you do as the "right thing" ?

I "harvested" him. In fact we ate him a few days after this post and he was tough til the end. lol. But before you think i am being callous, it was probably the hardest thing I've done since I acquired hatching eggs, and I still have moments of crying about it. He was the only one I got attached to.

Icelandic keepers here (and also in America) have a list of traits that we all follow to ensure good practice. One of the cull - able traits is excessive aggression / human aggression. I couldn't "cull" him from the flock by simply giving him away. That would be passing on a problem, and if he'd went to a new home and attacked a child, I'd have 'caused' it in my opinion, and I don't want that on my conscience!

 

[JacquelineJ]

That's a tough decision to make but you did it

To paraphrase something I read the other day...Good flock management includes subtraction as well as addition.

For the good of all, you did the right thing.

that's a great quote for remembering!

 

[igorsMistress]

@JacquelineJ we just had to do the same with my roo a couple days ago. In fact I had just made my decision when I first read your post and I cried. It was tough and I waited and tried just like you. I was mad at him for making me have to do it, and thinking the whole thing was my fault at the same time.
My boy crowed a lot, but it was incessant if I was out in the yard, and he was pretty rough on the girls. His favorite has a little bald spot on her head from when he pulled out feathers as he grabbed her and her saddle feathers are shredded. Yesterday was the most peaceful day in my yard in quite some time.
You tried, not much else you can do.
I hope you feel better soon.

 

[JacquelineJ]

@JacquelineJ we just had to do the same with my roo a couple days ago. In fact I had just made my decision when I first read your post and I cried. It was tough and I waited and tried just like you. I was mad at him for making me have to do it, and thinking the whole thing was my fault at the same time.
My boy crowed a lot, but it was incessant if I was out in the yard, and he was pretty rough on the girls. His favorite has a little bald spot on her head from when he pulled out feathers as he grabbed her and her saddle feathers are shredded. Yesterday was the most peaceful day in my yard in quite some time.
You tried, not much else you can do.
I hope you feel better soon.

you too missus, it's a tough thing to do but I guess it's part of the deal when you decide to have chickens. <3

 

[Morrigan]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. You were very brave and compassionate to do the right thing for your flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

Solving for peace in the flock, once you do it, you recognize the tension next time. But solving for the peace is worth it. You go! You did it right. It is worth it.

But it is hard.

 

[mortorffsquail]

I see where you are coming from, it is life. It is the circle of life

I "harvested" him. In fact we ate him a few days after this post and he was tough til the end. lol. But before you think i am being callous, it was probably the hardest thing I've done since I acquired hatching eggs, and I still have moments of crying about it. He was the only one I got attached to.

Icelandic keepers here (and also in America) have a list of traits that we all follow to ensure good practice. One of the cull - able traits is excessive aggression / human aggression. I couldn't "cull" him from the flock by simply giving him away. That would be passing on a problem, and if he'd went to a new home and attacked a child, I'd have 'caused' it in my opinion, and I don't want that on my conscience!