Raw deer meat, Aggression ???

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

No I am not crazy! I started feeding my chickens the scraps of lean red deer meat two weeks ago. The hens are laying like crazy, but my 15 month old roo has now challenged me two days in a row and got booted for his behavior. Could there be a correlation with the raw meat or is he just feeling his oats. He has always been a perfect gentleman with his hens and his humans up till now! The only other theory is I have baby chicks in a brooder inside of my garage that he can obviously hear from his coop. Could that be the problem with his aggression towards me as a threat?

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

nothing? no one? Am I Crazy?

 

[kari_dawn]

that sounds like it would have precious little affect on their behavior...kinda like people who tell you allowing a pit bull to smell gun powder drives them mad with rage...

I don't know much about rooster behavior, but he seems young yet. He may just be feeling his oats...My roo was an angel till my dad came home from overseas...then he turned into a vicious little silkie x cochin monster!...he was just over a year old too.

 

[andrea98]

Sorry I don't really know , but would guess it to be a maturity issue , milestone..he may just need to be put in his place

 

[punk-a-doodle]

I eat hamburgers, but no increased aggression yet.

I think you are just seeing a coincidence.

 

[coonhoundmama87]

I feed venison and have never had agression issues. I'd say it's unrelated.

 

[RattlesnakeRidgeWV]

OK thanks, but what about being able to hear the chicks peeping. Could this be changing his attitude, this is totally out of the norm for him!
I will give it some time to see if his demeanor improves, if not, he will be soup, because I won't breed him anymore and perpetuate the problem.

 

[bairo]

I dont think it is the red meat in and of it self directly. But dont rule it out indirectly. It may be a combination of his age and the fact that he is getting a boost of energy and "feel good" hormones from the extra protein, methinone, other amino acids, and minerals he is getting from the red meat. You combine this sort of "super food" with the fact that he is maturing and being called as a protector for the peeps...very well could cause this behavior. I understand if you feel you dont want to breed this trait, but it sounds like he may turn into a good protective rooster. As long as he does not start getting too rough with the girls, its your judgement call on how you are breeding really. He might make a great mouser now that he has tasted red meat, LOL

 

[Pele]

Some roosters can get very protective of baby chicks. It's a strong instinct for them, even at an early age.

Here's my two baby roos this spring, providing military escort to newborn chickies:

 

[kgdubois]

my favorite roo did this same thing, but at around 11 months, not 15 like yours. he was a Cuckoo Marans, super gentle and sweet, and i adored him from the first night i got the chicks. he was my buddy, would come running up to me & hang out with me the whole time i was in their coop/run area. right at 11 months of age, he started challenging my husband every time he came to help me with chicken chores. i tried EVERYTHING i came across to break him of his aggression, from walking towards him & making him back away from me and my husband to picking him up after he flogged me & carrying him around upside down by his legs until he was submissive. he finally attacked my 18 month old son, and that was it. i was so mad when that happened that if i could have caught him i'd have killed him right then, but he got away into the hay bales & i couldn't catch him. by the time they came in to roost, i'd given him a stay of execution, and gifted him to a friend of mine with no children. he's happy with his new flock, but my friend tells me that he's still aggressive, and will flog anyone who goes into the run except for her.