Keep or butcher the old rooster?

[jmemom]

I have 20 chicks that I will move out with the rest of my flock in about 2 or 3 weeks. The trouble is that I have a meanish rooster out there now. I have to take a shovel in when I feed because he doesn't often attack me but he does it randomly and I have to protect myself. The reason I tolerate him is that I've never had a flock last this long without being attacked by something and I feel like he must be a good protector.

The new batch includes 10 White Rocks that we intend to send to freezer camp. I'd been thinking of keeping one of them as my new rooster. The concern is that the mean rooster will kill these babies. They don't really go to bed when it's dark. They roost, but if I go in there to feed late they all come down to see me. So if I try to put them in at night I still don't think it will go well. Would you butcher the current rooster before putting the babies out? I hate to leave the flock vulnerable to predators while we wait for the babies to grow up into good roosters, but I'd hate it more if my rooster killed the chicks.

 

[naillikwj82]

There is no good reason to keep an aggressive rooster. Find one that is more user friendly.

 

[StevieNay]

Congrats on the new babies!

 

[enel 1]

have you seen him with chicks before? i have a roo that can be aggressive, and he's hard on his girls but he's super good with the chicks when I add them to the flock,very protective.I'm kinda having a similar dilemma (should he stay or should he go).On the one hand he's rough on the hens and they probably need a break from him,I have one girl with no feathers on her elbows. He's also an excellent protector and i haven't had any predator issues.SO...Maybe keep him long enough to grow up a new roo,then snuff the rooster.I think that's what I'll do.

 

[Lollipop]

Very doubtfull that a mature cock will harm young'uns. 99.9% of chicken damage to chicks is from females, of any age, or young roosters. If you wanna keep him untill one of your youngsters grows up, do it, with little concern about the rooster hurting them. However, if the old boy is a mean one to humans, you might wanna do him in..........Pop

 

[jamesk53]

I agree with lollipop. I moved in chicks to a coup too early before (5 weeks), gave them a heat lamp and eveything, but three were pecked to death and eaten within a few hours. That was done by my wonderful, friendly hens, not a rooster. I'd advise against putting chicks with a flock, high odds of it not being successful. Also, there are plenty of roosters that are mean as hell to animals but tame to people.

 

[enel 1]

You have to put a place in the coop where the chicks can get to but the adults cant,of course if there locked in with no where to hide they'll be rubbed out by the hens. I put my chicks out between 4 and 5 weeks I just give them a "safe"zone to run to. Now there 11weeks old and everyone gets along pretty good.

 

[Habibs Hens]

its a tricky one this

but i seen it happen with my chooks before

i had a rooster that split open a chick

i would segregate him so he is in plain view but away from the rest and see if he mends his ways

other wise i would have to say bye bye

 

[QualityPolish]

It's hard to say but we have 2 roos non meaties though and I don't mind the aggressiveness although they're not killer just occasionally thwacking my leg pretty good I still tolerate it because I adore them. They've never hurt any of the chicks although they um....do their duty pretty well so to speak the hens are looking awful right now. I would say it's your call if you like him or not :/

 

[jmemom]

Gosh, thanks for the advice. I'm glad I asked before I went ahead and did it! Maybe I'll build them a little temporary pen in my "feed room" where they can all see each other and get used to each other for a bit before I integrate them.