- Apr 19, 2013
- 1,955
- 257
- 231
I agree with ChooksinChoppers that aggressive behavior is very heritable. I think most is genetics and the rest is nurture and just plain luck. Did that aggressive rooster have life events that set him up to be people aggressive?Wow! chooks4life....that was an awesome post! thank you I will be watching my young roo more carefully now and wont feel bad about culling him if he "turns to the dark side"
In my limited experience, there is a huge difference between a truly nasty rooster and one that will on occasion will go after you. I've had both.
I currently have a hatchery Silkie rooster that once in awhile will feel the need to go after me. He can't fly, he's little, I wear pants. It's rare. I tolerate it.
I had another that was positively dangerous because he wasn't little, had wings and would always go after me any chance he could. He was smart enough to only ambush me. I finally culled him. I hate slaughtering my excess roosters--it is very sad to kill something just because is male--and just kept putting it off. The final straw wasn't because he was dangerous, but because I heard a bit of wheezing and culled for health of the flock. That bird made my life miserable. Every time I went out in my front yard where he free ranged I always had to be on my guard. I worried he would sneak up on me and hit me in the face and blind me as leaned over to feed or water. If anyone came over to the house, I had to escort them to and from their car just in case. He was horrible to me, but he was an excellent rooster for the hens.
I have four of his daughters and three sons that I haven't found the backbone to cull yet. The three sons are now over a year old and one dropped a wing at me a couple of times a very long time ago. They've been fine. They will be culled simply because I have no need for another rooster and I want to cut down the noise and the general stress/wear and tear on the hens. I've been surprised that one of the hens from that nasty rooster has gone after me a few times. It is quick and I always wonder: Did it really happen?--it is just a rush and sort of a flutter around my ankles. There is always a reason but it is always still surprising. She is also the one who goes after an older, broody hen when she comes out for a drink. She will never have chicks.