Rooster problems...

[Ajraps_homestead]

Im new here so HI!

I do need some advice (even though i think i know what i need to do... its hard) i have to many roosters i know that already we got pullets and ended up with 5 roosters one sacrificed his life for a hen. the others are a mix of good and bad. 2 of the roosters we have are NOT gentle with the hens and the hens try to get away from them whenever they come around. I do not like it at all. I think those two roosters Brahma roosters ( do they have a reputation for being rough?) the other rooster is the Runt he follows suit of the Brahmas but i don't think is actually an influencer. our 4th rooster is a Leghorn He is great with the Hens he actually will protect them from the other roosters and he will break up fights between the other roosters that arise occasionally. He does a great job being a rooster to the Hens. However the leghorn is aggressive to me. i have to carry a net with me in the coop in order to feel safe he usually leaves me alone as long as i have that bc he knows ill capture him if he tries anything. If i don't have it he 9/10 will attack me.. i have really go after him before full on rooster and women fight. So I'm torn... the 2 roosters need to go bc i don't like how they are with the hens but what do i do to get rid of them? Cull and eat them? ( i have never in my life culled an animal and it makes me very sad to think about doing, i also want to learn and get over it bc i eventually want meat birds) do i try and find them a new home they are fine with ppl never attacked me ever. the Leghorn is not safe with ppl and we have a 2yo that i do NOT allow in the where the chickens are bc of him. which is unfortunate bc i want her to be apart of that but its not safe and I'm not risking her. But he is great with the hens. i guess if i didn't have the other roosters then i don't need him to help protect them. I just don't know what i should do. If i can tame him with me i still don't trust him with my daughter.. i have thought about separating him out when i go into the pen or coop. IDK.. IF i need to cull them can we eat them? or are they not good for that? and are there places that will cull them and process them for us? WE are in the St. louis MO area. Again I'm new here and fairly new to chicken so kind advice is welcomed.

 

[troyer]

Definitely should cull the rooster that attacks you. If, he would ever get out of the pen and happen to attack your daughter, he could do a lot of harm.
What is the Runt as far as breed? He might be the one you end up keeping.
It's also possible that one of the Brahma roosters would be more calm if he was the main flock rooster. The roosters second and third in hierarchy tend to be aggressive breeders.

 

[SilverBirds]

With little ones, you need to be very careful with roosters. They are at just the right height to get flogged at. The most aggressive rooster definitely needs to be culled. He can potentially hurt you or your family if he ever gets out. The other three could go either way as far as temperament. Either they settle down and become sweet and docile or they step up to the old roosters plate as the aggressive one.

My advice would be to get rid of all four roosters for now. At least for a year or two, so that the hens and your daughter can get a little older and not be in danger of an aggressive roo. I've found that roosters taught and raised by older birds are much much better mannered than roosters who are just raised by humans.

If you are really set on having a rooster in your flock know, I would keep the most human friendly one. Most of the time they settle down on the breeding once the hormones are done raging and other boys are out of the picture.

 

[nuthatched]

Cull any animals that are a threat to you or your child, you don't need any roosters.

 

[Ajraps_homestead]

Definitely should cull the rooster that attacks you. If, he would ever get out of the pen and happen to attack your daughter, he could do a lot of harm.
What is the Runt as far as breed? He might be the one you end up keeping.
It's also possible that one of the Brahma roosters would be more calm if he was the main flock rooster. The roosters second and third in hierarchy tend to be aggressive breeders.

I'm not sure what he is multicolored. lol i know that is not helpful. He has a growth on his neck which he has had since he was small he took a long time to grow his feathers in but eventually did. I didn't realize the further down in hierarchy could be more aggressive breeder that is good info. I am definitely considering culling the aggressive rooster. If i do i will also have to cull at least one or two of the others due to their aggression to the hens and each other. the leghorn has prevented a lot of fights between the two brahmas. Are we able to eat the brahmas and the leg horn or are they not good meat birds?

 

[SilverBirds]

Are we able to eat the brahmas and the leg horn or are they not good meat birds?

Yes, you can eat them.

 

[Ajraps_homestead]

So what is the best way to cull the roosters? we do not have the equipment to harvest them ourselves are there places that will do it?

 

[nuthatched]

So what is the best way to cull the roosters? we do not have the equipment to harvest them ourselves are there places that will do it?

Hatchet or broomstick method.

 

[Chicken poppy]

So what is the best way to cull the roosters? we do not have the equipment to harvest them ourselves are there places that will do it?

Cervical dislocation is my favorite (With a broom)

 

[triciayoung]

Im new here so HI!

I do need some advice (even though i think i know what i need to do... its hard) i have to many roosters i know that already we got pullets and ended up with 5 roosters one sacrificed his life for a hen. the others are a mix of good and bad. 2 of the roosters we have are NOT gentle with the hens and the hens try to get away from them whenever they come around. I do not like it at all. I think those two roosters Brahma roosters ( do they have a reputation for being rough?) the other rooster is the Runt he follows suit of the Brahmas but i don't think is actually an influencer. our 4th rooster is a Leghorn He is great with the Hens he actually will protect them from the other roosters and he will break up fights between the other roosters that arise occasionally. He does a great job being a rooster to the Hens. However the leghorn is aggressive to me. i have to carry a net with me in the coop in order to feel safe he usually leaves me alone as long as i have that bc he knows ill capture him if he tries anything. If i don't have it he 9/10 will attack me.. i have really go after him before full on rooster and women fight. So I'm torn... the 2 roosters need to go bc i don't like how they are with the hens but what do i do to get rid of them? Cull and eat them? ( i have never in my life culled an animal and it makes me very sad to think about doing, i also want to learn and get over it bc i eventually want meat birds) do i try and find them a new home they are fine with ppl never attacked me ever. the Leghorn is not safe with ppl and we have a 2yo that i do NOT allow in the where the chickens are bc of him. which is unfortunate bc i want her to be apart of that but its not safe and I'm not risking her. But he is great with the hens. i guess if i didn't have the other roosters then i don't need him to help protect them. I just don't know what i should do. If i can tame him with me i still don't trust him with my daughter.. i have thought about separating him out when i go into the pen or coop. IDK.. IF i need to cull them can we eat them? or are they not good for that? and are there places that will cull them and process them for us? WE are in the St. louis MO area. Again I'm new here and fairly new to chicken so kind advice is welcomed.

Welcome. I am always on the opposite side of aggressive rooster advice, but, that is what is good about this community; we can disagree and go on...and people can make their own decisions. I had somewhat the same situation as you. I have an awesome rooster that really does care about the hens, protects them, and puts them before himself, but he was attacking my husband, me and my 17-year old grandson. My husband decided he wanted to do the "I am the dominant male" taming; but the rooster still doesn't like him. He only doesn't attack my husband when he is looking at him. I did the other approach, I protective geared up and let him attack me and didn't move and just talked to him with baby talk. The next time, I protective geared up but didn't really need it. I say hi to him first and tell him how proud I am of him and how he takes care of the hens. I give him treats and food first even if he will not eat it until the hens are done. When I go to handle a hen, I make eye contact with him and tell him its going to be OK and I won't hurt his hen(s). He knows I recognize he has a job to do and I try not to get in his way. I have formed a friendship with him instead of playing the dominant/submissive role. This was 6-months ago. Everyday, when I let him out of the coop he rubs up against my leg and talks to me. He sits on my lap and talks to me, but he is always on watch for hawks. When I am working, he jumps up on the deck box and talks to me. I have another rooster who is not as good with the hens but doesn't really attack me too often - when he tries to...he has a thing about footwear, Milo (my rooster friend) takes him down in about 2-seconds.