Alas, my rooster and I broke up...

[Outta Here]

My Rhode Island Red cockerel had been the friendliest, nap-on-the-lap buddy of my flock of 14 chicks. But as he turned 15 weeks, he suddenly started pecking me viciously without provocation. I wasn't holding him or reaching for him. None of his girls were squawking or stressed. He just walked up and pecked ( pinched and wrenched, like trying to rip a piece off!) my arm long and hard, to which I patiently responded by petting him gently and saying soothing, forgiving words. Then he tried to rip a chunk out of my bare foot even harder, little brat! That same day he started the first fight with my younger 10-week-old Barred Rock cockerel. Alas, his warlike genetics, prompted by hormones, have kicked in, despite all my cuddling since his birth!
I only want one rooster for my 12 hens, and I purposely searched far and wide to buy the Barred Rock cockerel chick (I want to breed some Rhodebars using him and my RIR hens). The RIR cockerel was bought as a pullet, wrongly sexed. He is already magnificent looking, has been crowing for 2 weeks already, but is now tending to the aggression this breed of rooster is known for.
So my dilemma: Shall I keep him 4-5 weeks more until the Barred Rock cockerel develops his temperament to see which is nicer? Or Is my 15-week-old, much larger, combative Rhode Island Red likely to kill my smaller 10-week-old Barred Rock cockerel?
And also, can anybody predict based on their own roosters, whether the Barred Rock will likely be less aggressive than a RIR?

 

[Outta Here]

P.S. The little Barred Rock cockerel doesn't back down easily from the bigger RIR. He started showing a more cocky attitude (not towards me) at an earlier age than the RIR.

 

[NatJ]

So my dilemma: Shall I keep him 4-5 weeks more until the Barred Rock cockerel develops his temperament to see which is nicer? Or Is my 15-week-old, much larger, combative Rhode Island Red likely to kill my smaller 10-week-old Barred Rock cockerel?
And also, can anybody predict based on their own roosters, whether the Barred Rock will likely be less aggressive than a RIR?

My personal opinion: I would just butcher the Rhode Island Red now.

Either the Barred Rock will turn out nice, or he won't, but keeping the Rhode Island Red longer will not make the Barred Rock any more likely to be nice. (I don't think the big one is likely to kill the younger one, but of course I can't be positive. It would depend on the individual birds, and whether the smaller one can run away without being chased or cornered.)

the Barred Rock cockerel chick (I want to breed some Rhodebars using him and my RIR hens).

You won't have Rhodebars in the first generation, but it won't take too many years to get there.

Black Sexlinks are usually a cross of Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock, so you could have gotten a Black Sexlink cockerel to cross with your Rhode Island Red hens and saved one generation of breeding time. (Just something to keep in mind if you need another rooster, for example if something happens to your Barred Rock.)

 

[The Moonshiner]

IDK if it will be a factor in your decision but a barred rock crossed with RIR will not create Rhodebars.
Just my experience but raising a cockerel with hugs, cuddles etc. is a recipe for an A hole rooster.
I'd ditch the RIR and go with a more hands off raising of the BR.

 

[The Moonshiner]

My personal opinion: I would just butcher the Rhode Island Red now.

Either the Barred Rock will turn out nice, or he won't, but keeping the Rhode Island Red longer will not make the Barred Rock any more likely to be nice. (I don't think the big one is lkely to kill the younger one, but of course I can't be positive. It would depend on the individual birds, and whether the smaller one can run away without being chased or cornered.)


You won't have Rhodebars in the first generation, but it won't take too many years to get there.

Black Sexlinks are usually a cross of Rhode Island Red and Barred Rock, so you could have gotten a Black Sexlink cockerel to cross with your Rhode Island Red hens and saved one generation of breeding time. (Just something to keep in mind if you need another rooster, for example if something happens to your Barred Rock.)

Rhodebars are duckwing.
RIR are wheaten.
For auto sexing you need to stay away from wheaten.

 

[Outta Here]

IDK if it will be a factor in your decision but a barred rock crossed with RIR will not create Rhodebars.
Just my experience but raising a cockerel with hugs, cuddles etc. is a recipe for an A hole rooster.
I'd ditch the RIR and go with a more hands off raising of the BR.

Thanks....I did sometimes think of the cuddling part as maybe creating a rooster without respect. The Barred Rock is more standoffish. He'll allow me to pet him on the roost, but very warily. I did respond the second time he pecked the heck out of my foot with an immediate show of force, which seemed to shock him. Now the RIR is staying out of my way and being a bit more respectful. I know as a retired dog trainer that the first time a young dog bites you, you swiftly correct, not cuddle. But though I've raised chickens 44 years, I've never raised them as pets before!

 

[Outta Here]

Rhodebars are duckwing.
RIR are wheaten.
For auto sexing you need to stay away from wheaten.

Thanks, especially the info about the Rhodebars!

 

[Rose Quartz]

All my roosters are hands off after 4 weeks except for medical. If they see you as part of the flock you'll either be a hen to mate with who must submit or be forced to submit aka pecking.

Or you'll be seen as competition and they'll really go after you pecking and clawing and flying at you.

Any rooster I don't feel I can turn my back to is gone same day. I have kids.

So far the nicest roosters I've had were all barred rocks. But that breed is known for having nasty boys too.

I did have 1 barred rock boy that was perfectly fine and then went psycho and flat out attacked one of my hens dragging her across the yard by her leg.

It really depends on the individual.

 

[NatJ]

Rhodebars are duckwing.
RIR are wheaten.
For auto sexing you need to stay away from wheaten.

I had assumed from the name that they were just Rhode Island Red with barring, but your comment made me go look them up-- you're right, they are colored differently.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I had assumed from the name that they were just Rhode Island Red with barring, but your comment made me go look them up-- you're right, they are colored differently.

Ya.
You can use RIR if you're crossing with a rhodebar but you then have to breed out the wheaten gene.
I worked with them for a few years. I really liked them.
Don't know why they haven't had much popularity.