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

[CaliFarmsAR]

I’m so sorry! I’m not very good with words, but I can’t say how sorry I am that you have had to go through this with your hens. Some rooster are just plane mean and are a nightmare to deal with. You did all the right thing in getting rid of them, so good on you for saving your hens and staying safe. (((Hugs)))

 

[SistaChick]

I’m sorry things have gone so wrong for you:/
My experience with roosters is limited to my young (almost 8 month old) cockerel.
He is much rougher with my girls that I had before him. They don’t submit to him like the girls he was raised with, perhaps that is why.
Did you notice that with yours? The older girls being pushy with him and him in turn being rough back?

Thank you all for your comments. I wanted to let everyone know that Snow is fine, she healed well and all the girls are happy without a rooster.

I wanted to comment on something My2butterflies said that I think may very well be what happened in my situation.

Each time except for my first bad experience (the rooster attacking me) I have raised a rooster to a mix with some adult hens already in the flock. Bingo. Looking back it has always been those adult hens that were attacked by a rooster. I just didn't know why. There were no issues with the chicks he grew up with. Out of the 3 adults already here when I got him as a baby one of them would butt heads with him but then he attacked and damaged Snow, which also happened to be one of the 3 adult hens. I probably missed her and the roo butting heads until I found her injured.

It does help to have an idea of what may have gone wrong because we learn from it. Thanks for your thoughts My2butterlies.

 

[raingarden]

All these sexist comments are disturbing.

 

[BecaHawaii]

All these sexist comments are disturbing.

Pretty sure mine were not. However, Roos are assholes!

 

[Mellowmalt]

pretty sure that was meant to be a joke.
I have far too little experience raising roosters, only 9 but most are just my latest young ones which are all doing great.
So I will once again put in a vote for dutch bantams. Firstly they are the size of a pidgeon so even if they turn into the Hulk they will only be a mini hulk and not much of a threat.
Their crow is not very loud. In fact the females can make more noise when they are spooked and they don't seem to crow too early but I am trying to influence that by positioning their coop to receive sunlight as late as possible in the morning so not sure if that is working or if they are late risers but crowing at 8:30am is not too bad at the moment.
They have a very docile attitude anyway. I consider them a bit of a cross betwen a duck and a chicken based on their behavior. Their noises are adorable - nothing like any chicken I've kept in the past.
But if one isn't breeding chickens then I don't see much point in a cockerel unless they have really nice colors but if they are a headache like they often are then what use are they apart from eating lots.

 

[gmccloskey3]

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 have the sweetest white silky rooster. He’s never bothered us and actually will take food out of your hand. We’ve picked up his women and he just crows at us. He actually gave us something to our other rooster when that one attacked my husband. He needs a good home because he’s loud. If you’re close to New Jersey and want to try him, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. GMccloskey [email protected]

 

[Mrs. K]

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

 

[neo71665]

Get you a broomstick and pop the rooster with it when he acts up. I'm not saying beat the bird to a pulp. Has worked for a very long time before snowflakes started trying to put human emotions to animals. You have to show him you are the boss and you run the flock. You are only allowing him to be there. With roosters you have to stoop to their level of thinking, they don't like something they remove it or allow it to stay. They can't rise to humans level of thinking so people need to stop trying to think they can.

 

[Saaniya]

Ohh sad not all roosters are bad I have only roosters they never become too harsh I tame them when they are 6-9 weeks old even I give them potty training too mine never poo on my bed they jump down and poo

 

[Moonchicken77]

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 get it 100% my rooster is huge hes beautiful and friendly. He wasn't always this way though! He's just now 16 months old so this spring time mating got the best of him. My girls heads were awful he split backs open everything! I was super Mad went up to that pen and he tried to do it in front of me. Well maybe I over reacted but it worked.. I snatched him up before he could lock her took him down and I mean take down!! Ge was mad he started kicked twisting flopping (remember he's a huge rooster about 3 for tall) im 5 foot 2 and 3/4 lol now don't judge me I got on top of him took that head to the ground and after about 3 minutes he gave up but nope that wasn't good enough he knows Momma is boss anyway so I pecked his head with my fingers pulled a feather or two held that head down again then I turned into a contortionist and plucked back feathers. I was mad he needed to feel what he was dishing out! He fought again I took his head back down and that young man and I had a long discussion about how we treat ladies here. I had to do it and yes he still gets back feathers but no more head pecking or splitting the skin!
While my ladies were healing and even now I used chicken aprons. Mine are not like you buy on etsy either. They were to thin he ripped through the material so I went to dollar tree bought the reusable swiffer pads sewed buttons and elastic to go around the button and they work absolutely amazing! I do recommend giving them "air" time away from the roo if you have one but maybe this can help in the future.
The first spring mating season has been rough and I don't blame you one bit for taking any of them out! My favorite hen is a rhode island red and she is the sweetest docile sit in my lap baby and from the research I've done roos are more docile than most.
Have you thought about adding a few guineas? Yes they are loud but they will protect your pack!! They integrate well with the chickens!!