2 yr old rooster has gone psycho

[chooks4life]

gads ! In my opinion this is way to many roosters for your somewhat limited hen population ..I'm way suprised that there hasnt been a battle for supremacy in a major way .. Lucky you its only one.

Nice vs non-nice roosters are the same when it comes to hens, just as with humans --- some are nice to hens no matter what, some are nasty no matter what. Nasty animals, male or female, almost never turn nice, and nice ones never turn nasty (in my experience anyway, doubtless it's happened to someone though, as a generalization surely it can't be 100%).

The amount of hens you have is not what makes your rooster/s nice (or nasty) to you or to them; it's all down to his personality.

I run a flock with a male/female ratio of around 50:50 at times as I breed them for eating and grow them all out together, free range, with their parents, grandparents, and so forth. The females have never suffered so-called 'overmating' which I believe is generally used as an incorrect label for vicious males' effects on often weak-plumaged hens.

(Some males are permanently clumsy or inconsiderate or lacking instinct, and that's different from outright viciousness, as when such a male is paired with hens with brittle plumage, especially rooster-averse ones, the feather damage is due to multiple factors there. Weak plumage can be due to diet or genetics, but in my experience even rooster-averse hens with predispositions to terrible feathering (i.e. the average Aussie Isabrowns) don't get 'overmated' by nice roosters though seriously clumsy roosters can make bad feathering worse... But I cull very clumsy boys too, they're lacking in a pretty fundamental instinct there, lol, and they're a liability. Clumsy mothers don't get a better wicket either).

If the males are nice to the hens the hens just don't get messed up, except for the very rare accidental spur wound or a few feathers being removed in juvenile clumsiness. When the hen rejects a male and he listens, mating only occurs when she's ready and willing, and the likelihood of her being hurt vanishes into pretty much nonexistence. I cull males who don't respect hens' rejections and since it's strongly heritable I don't have issues with that anymore. Contrary to what one may think, this does not result in under-sexed roosters, lol. The hens become much more interested and willing when it's on their terms and when they're ready as they are no longer avoiding the males due to the mistreatment so many hens have to suffer under in the average flock. Rooster-aversion is one big cause of stressful matings and damage but it's no use blaming the hens for it, as it's the roosters' fault in the first place.

But damage due to clumsiness, which is often to be expected (though not all males are clumsy to start with, it also depends on instinct levels a lot) never progresses to anything like the conditions of abuse too many people accept as normal male/female interactions. There's another parallel there to human-aggression accepted as being normal, and bullying and cannibalism being accepted as normal. Many people have these issues in their flocks because they don't select against it, not because it's impossible to be rid of... In fact it's easy to be rid of.

Vicious roosters, whether aggressive to humans or hens, are quite distinct from good ones, and good roosters do not harm hens or humans, barring accidents which are quite rare. If you cull bullies of all sorts and all excessively violent animals you get left with a flock that will does not harm ill or injured birds, nor humans (no matter their outfit, shoes, etc) and even with a very high rooster ratio, you don't get wounds, violence, stress, overmating, none of that nonsense we think is natural to all males rather than just the worst examples. Unfortunately the worst examples appear to be the poster child for the whole gender.

Anyway, each to their own, because what's right for me isn't the setup everyone else wants, and best wishes with your chooks however you keep them.

 

[Miss Pam]

I'm no expert on this, but can make this comment. In summer when I let my chickens out of their coop in the morning, I wear a short robe, but in winter, when I wear my long one, I noticed it really bothered the rooster and he attacked me twice. It hurt! Then I got a big stick when I let them out and he left me alone and was basically normal. I really think my outfit triggered him because he doesn't do that except when I wear my flowing long fleece robe.

 

[chooks4life]

I'm no expert on this, but can make this comment. In summer when I let my chickens out of their coop in the morning, I wear a short robe, but in winter, when I wear my long one, I noticed it really bothered the rooster and he attacked me twice. It hurt! Then I got a big stick when I let them out and he left me alone and was basically normal. I really think my outfit triggered him because he doesn't do that except when I wear my flowing long fleece robe.

Yes, it may indeed have triggered him, and for this very reason I culled out turkeys and chickens who trigger on random things like that.

Who cares WHY he is attacking you, was my stance on it, the attack is unacceptable in itself. I cannot have all the children and visitors here abide by the feathered little Napoleons' dress code or behavior preferences. They must be safe no matter what, so I won't keep animals who trigger into attacking humans because.... Whatever. I do not care for the reasons.

I used to have issues with tom turkeys and red shirts or clothes on small children but simply culled out those toms, and the other toms, who had no issues with red clothes and never attacked people, went on to breed instead, and none of their offspring triggered into aggression over human appearance either.

No matter your appearance, if they are willing to attack you, they're not safe.

Best wishes.

 

[subhanalah]

Yes, it may indeed have triggered him, and for this very reason I culled out turkeys and chickens who trigger on random things like that.

Who cares WHY he is attacking you, was my stance on it, the attack is unacceptable in itself. I cannot have all the children and visitors here abide by the feathered little Napoleons' dress code or behavior preferences. They must be safe no matter what, so I won't keep animals who trigger into attacking humans because.... Whatever. I do not care for the reasons.

I used to have issues with tom turkeys and red shirts or clothes on small children but simply culled out those toms, and the other toms, who had no issues with red clothes and never attacked people, went on to breed instead, and none of their offspring triggered into aggression over human appearance either.

No matter your appearance, if they are willing to attack you, they're not safe.

Best wishes.

just wanted to update in the cockerel that I was suspicious of due to his behavior towards me. He started abusing the two dominant girls because they were "mine" and he didn't like it so took it out on them. I started to notice eggs with a thick band around them (indicating a fracture that was shelled over inside the pullet) and decided enough was enough. He was delicious. I'm happy to report a few short days later, the eggs are perfectly formed.

 

[Folly's place]

YES! Mary

 

[chooks4life]

just wanted to update in the cockerel that I was suspicious of due to his behavior towards me. He started abusing the two dominant girls because they were "mine" and he didn't like it so took it out on them. I started to notice eggs with a thick band around them (indicating a fracture that was shelled over inside the pullet) and decided enough was enough. He was delicious. I'm happy to report a few short days later, the eggs are perfectly formed.

Good to hear, it's gruesome watching a hen die of an internally broken egg. It's far more common than people think for eggs to get smashed inside hens. I've got some cockerels now I've mentally marked as being on the cull list because of how they treat the hens. Unacceptable.

In my experience if your cockerel ever gives you reason to be suspicious that's a warning sign in itself. Never had a good rooster or cockerel make me suspicious.

Best wishes.

 

[subhanalah]

Good to hear, it's gruesome watching a hen die of an internally broken egg. It's far more common than people think for eggs to get smashed inside hens. I've got some cockerels now I've mentally marked as being on the cull list because of how they treat the hens. Unacceptable.

In my experience if your cockerel ever gives you reason to be suspicious that's a warning sign in itself. Never had a good rooster or cockerel make me suspicious.

Best wishes.

it would be very traumatic for me. She is one of my two original (well, had four, the other two were cockerels) chickens that I raised inside as house chickens, so they are very affectionate and love me in their own little chicken ways.

My husband was attached to the cockerel, I don't know why. He wasn't friendly or special in anyway...His name was turkey, so obviously food.

 

[chooks4life]

it would be very traumatic for me. She is one of my two original (well, had four, the other two were cockerels) chickens that I raised inside as house chickens, so they are very affectionate and love me in their own little chicken ways.

My husband was attached to the cockerel, I don't know why. He wasn't friendly or special in anyway...His name was turkey, so obviously food.

Edit to clarify... I've seen a certain sort of distant relationship so many times, and seen the eventual roots of the founding structure of that mentality, that it's something I count upon to be a reliable warning sign because in my experience it is indeed a symptom of deeper psychological imbalance and malignant social beliefs. That's what I'm referring to.

I am not referring to your husband or anyone here, just noting an observation.

In my experience some guys project their sense of masculinity onto the male animals they live around even if they don't have pets or livestock of their own, or any interest in having any. That animal becomes both a sort of friend and avatar of theirs, even if the animal and human in question never have any positive interactions.

The person protesting the culling of a vicious male animal the loudest is often a guy who had no interest in that animal's care, or the other animals. It's a strange thing that makes no sense to me, but there you go, it's common enough for sure. You see it all over the world.

It's a bit of vicarious living for some men, the whole harem fantasy and free reign to be violent thing, etc... That sort of guy tends to also keep vicious animals precisely because they bolster his projected ideals of masculinity, and is the same sort of guy who culls decent natured male animals because they're too 'effeminate' or 'soft' for his tastes despite the fact that they do their job well regarding the females, offspring etc.

For some of these guys, I kid you not, culling a vicious male animal is actually received as some kind of implicit threat against their person or gender. Good thing none of those guys are worth associating with on a long term basis... Their whole mentality is askew. And it's not just men, I've met women like that too, who idealize the whole concept of all males being vicious, and they cull males who don't attack humans, females and babies.

None of those people have the faintest idea what natural social interactions are like for the species, nor do they want to know, since fantasy land is their preferred address. They're also the sort who tend to be abandoned by the world at large precisely because of their harmful mentalities. Even their own families cannot remain around them.

Just my experience. I've met some very, very warped sorts. Not going to go into details but their mentality with their animals tells you a whole lot about their mentality with other humans. There is a good reason most of them live alone.

Wonder what the chances are that a mod won't pretty up this post by removing anything anyone could potentially take personally... Eh, whatever, it's not intended to offend. It's just my experience and opinion. Not targeting anyone.

Best wishes.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Good to hear, it's gruesome watching a hen die of an internally broken egg. It's far more common than people think for eggs to get smashed inside hens. I've got some cockerels now I've mentally marked as being on the cull list because of how they treat the hens. Unacceptable.

In my experience if your cockerel ever gives you reason to be suspicious that's a warning sign in itself. Never had a good rooster or cockerel make me suspicious.

Best wishes.

I'm pretty inexperienced with roosters and cockerels but not with behavior or training. The vast majority of the roosters I've grown out were just not nice at all. I've thought long and hard on what my contribution to the temperament problem is/was. Although I did do some things wrong (such as not recognizing that aggressive behavior of picking up sticks and stones as truly aggressive), I really believe that they just are not nice birds. The majority of my cockerels have been Ameraucanas from one (show) breeder.

Of the original group of Ameraucanas, I have one 17-month old cock bird left he is coq au vin waiting to happen. This year's group of 12 are now 6 months old, and the older bird needs to go as soon as I stop putting it off. (I am the queen of procratination when it comes to slaughter.)

The 6-month old Ameraucana cockerels are just now starting to crow and exhibit sexual behaviors. They have been slow to mature, which is pretty typical for the breed.

Due to my inexperience, I don't know what "normal" juvenile sexual behavior looks like. Some have chased and grabbed--looks more like attacked to me-- the hens/pullets that are free ranging with them. (The stupid nasty cock bird--who is so nice with the hens but so nasty with me--isn't doing anything to protect his girls!) Is that normal juvenile cockerel behavior? Do I have cockerels that are too nasty for hens or just stupid young klutzes who will learn in time? Should not the oldest rooster put the youngsters in their place?

Thanks for any insights.

 

[jondee]

Just wanted to thank all of the participants on this long thread

. While our neighbors had very nice Buff Orpington roosters, who never even looked sideways at me when I came over to tend their flock, my experience with roosters up to that point had been that they are mean and must be watched at all times. My neighbors have since moved away, so I can't ask how those roos came to be so mellow, but I'm guessing now it was genetics combined with proper handling and an unwillingness to stand for any aggressive behaviors.

I had high hopes when one of our BO "pullets" ended up being a cockerel, but....he never displayed any aggression towards me, and was good with the hens, but he developed a severe disliking of my 9-yr old son. He quickly escalated from side-dancing with his wing down to running across the field to jump at my boy. All I'd heard of at the point was to "show the rooster who's boss", but I didn't feel good about instructing my kind-hearted kid to kick the rooster. The rooster went away.

If we get another rooster someday, I feel much more equipped, after reading through most of this thread (it's long! But good!), to know what to watch for. And it's reassuring to read that YES, there really are "nice" roosters out there.

Joni