I am frustrated and sad..... stupid rooster.

[Aapomp831]

All these sexist comments are disturbing.

Oh please.... don’t stir shit where there isn’t any.

 

[Moonchicken77]

I think you are done with roosters, and I understand. A hen only flock is pretty enjoyable.

One of the questions I would like to propose, is what does your run look like? If it is an open rectangle, that might be part of the problem. I am a big believer in a cluttered run. Where birds can get out of sight of each other. In my own run, I have roosts, pallets up on blocks where a bird can get under or on top. I have mini walls, pallets leaned against a wall, all so that a bird can duck behind, get out of sight and NOT get trapped.

While this will make the run look cluttered, it actually gives birds a lot more space, by making more use of the vertical space.

That with multiple feed bowls, set up so that a bird eating at one station, cannot see a bird eating at another. This will help birds with the boredom issue, help birds with flock issues.

But I am a large advocate of peace in the flock, and removing birds to make that happen.

Mrs K

Thank you for the ideas!! This is just what I need to do today!!

 

[Toryhillc]

I don't know what I am doing wrong.... if anything. Why are roosters so brutal?

I have tried 3 sincere times over the course of approximately 9 years to have a rooster with my hens. Every time it has turned out bad.

As a new chicken owner back then I raised some Easter Egger chicks and kept a cockerel. One day he attacked me, thinking I was hurting his girls because I was clipping their wings because they were flying out of the back yard. I could never turn my back to him, he would attack so I didn't keep him. I went several years without trying again.

2nd roo I hatched and raised. He was a huge boy, had some Jersey Giant in him. He was good until he wasn't. I noticed he was being rough with the girls and one poor hen kept a bloody head. One day I saw him dragging a hen across the yard. I was so mad that I went out and shot him. (Sorry, I know that sounds horrible and if you only knew how much I love animals and how much I love my chickens, it broke my heart but I hate cruelty. I KNOW, I KNOW, that is just how a rooster is? I just can't.

Well fast forward a few years and so bad I wanted a rooster to protect the girls. I researched to see what I could try to do to make sure a rooster didn't get the bluff on me etc so I could hopefully be successful. I decided to refresh my flock with some new blood. So over the summer I got 3 EE chicks, then I added 3 Calico Princess chicks and another 6 EE chicks later. All were supposed to be pullets. One of the last set surprisingly turned out to be a cockerel. They are now 25 weeks. The roo was doing well, I thought well just maybe this one will be good. He seemed to be ok with the girls, didn't see any bad behavior and I was able to be around him and he didn't pay me any attention.

BUT today I noticed that he wasn't with the girls which was completely odd so I went looking for him and found him under the coop attacking one of my oldest EE's. She was far back under the coop to get away from him but he had her pinned. I got a stick and ran him off. He went out to the other girls so I went back in the house. 30 minutes later I checked on them again and still didn't see the white hen out. I found her still under the coop and when she turned her head that is when I saw all the blood. I caught the rooster and put him up so I could get her out and it took a while but I finally coaxed her out with treats. Oh my, my heart hurt. It looks like he may have damaged one of her ear lobes but the place on her is terrible. The picture doesn't do it justice.

I am sorry to say that Winchester is no longer breathing. I am just done with roosters. I can't do that to my girls. They give so much and all I can see that a rooster is good for is making babies and being abusive. That is my experience. I do realize they will give their lives for their girls but them being abusive to their girls doesn't work for me. I know that some people may have wonderful roosters but I am obviously not one of those people.

Sorry this is long but if you made it to the bottom, thank you for reading this. Hopefully it was a little bit of therapy for me. I just feel sad that I wasn't successful with him but I can't even think about doing it again.

My heart aches for you. An awful position to be in. I have 2 silkie roos and they keep the girls in line but would never think of hurting any of their girls and they are mixed breeds.

 

[VirginiaFarmerGirl]

I am so sorry! That’s awful, I have had two bad roosters but never one that was purposely aggressive or abusive with the hens. My current roo has unintentionally pulled some feathers from matting but that’s it and my hens don’t seem to mind it that much. I am really sorry for your hens and you. No need to apologize for the long post it really does help to tell other people

 

[VirginiaFarmerGirl]

If you were closer and we’re okay with it I would happily raise you a rooster and make sure he was SuPeR sweet and well behaved for you

 

[Cassiblu]

I don't know what I am doing wrong.... if anything. Why are roosters so brutal?

I have tried 3 sincere times over the course of approximately 9 years to have a rooster with my hens. Every time it has turned out bad.

As a new chicken owner back then I raised some Easter Egger chicks and kept a cockerel. One day he attacked me, thinking I was hurting his girls because I was clipping their wings because they were flying out of the back yard. I could never turn my back to him, he would attack so I didn't keep him. I went several years without trying again.

2nd roo I hatched and raised. He was a huge boy, had some Jersey Giant in him. He was good until he wasn't. I noticed he was being rough with the girls and one poor hen kept a bloody head. One day I saw him dragging a hen across the yard. I was so mad that I went out and shot him. (Sorry, I know that sounds horrible and if you only knew how much I love animals and how much I love my chickens, it broke my heart but I hate cruelty. I KNOW, I KNOW, that is just how a rooster is? I just can't.

Well fast forward a few years and so bad I wanted a rooster to protect the girls. I researched to see what I could try to do to make sure a rooster didn't get the bluff on me etc so I could hopefully be successful. I decided to refresh my flock with some new blood. So over the summer I got 3 EE chicks, then I added 3 Calico Princess chicks and another 6 EE chicks later. All were supposed to be pullets. One of the last set surprisingly turned out to be a cockerel. They are now 25 weeks. The roo was doing well, I thought well just maybe this one will be good. He seemed to be ok with the girls, didn't see any bad behavior and I was able to be around him and he didn't pay me any attention.

BUT today I noticed that he wasn't with the girls which was completely odd so I went looking for him and found him under the coop attacking one of my oldest EE's. She was far back under the coop to get away from him but he had her pinned. I got a stick and ran him off. He went out to the other girls so I went back in the house. 30 minutes later I checked on them again and still didn't see the white hen out. I found her still under the coop and when she turned her head that is when I saw all the blood. I caught the rooster and put him up so I could get her out and it took a while but I finally coaxed her out with treats. Oh my, my heart hurt. It looks like he may have damaged one of her ear lobes but the place on her is terrible. The picture doesn't do it justice.

I am sorry to say that Winchester is no longer breathing. I am just done with roosters. I can't do that to my girls. They give so much and all I can see that a rooster is good for is making babies and being abusive. That is my experience. I do realize they will give their lives for their girls but them being abusive to their girls doesn't work for me. I know that some people may have wonderful roosters but I am obviously not one of those people.

Sorry this is long but if you made it to the bottom, thank you for reading this. Hopefully it was a little bit of therapy for me. I just feel sad that I wasn't successful with him but I can't even think about doing it again.

I don’t know much about it but that sounds like such an awful experience. I’m sorry you had to go through all that, and more then once!

 

[Erin80]

I’m so sorry, what awful experiences!
We have had chickens for 5 years now and never kept a roo. This year we are going to try. We hatched a bunch of chicks and also bought some straight run from a breeder. One of our BO has turned out to be a roo, so we are going to attempt to keep him. One of our red Pyle OEG bantams is also a roo, so we will try to keep him also.....see how it goes. I don’t have high hopes but I’ve read BO roosters are pretty good for the most part, lol......time will tell!