Alpha Rooster is dead, flock is acting ODD!

[TxMesteth]

This is how rooster pecking orders are in the animal world. I have over 35 years experience with farm birds. They stop threatening and attacking humans and never ever have problems with them after a week or two. I do not harm them. It is asserting your dominance over them and showing were they are in the pecking order. They never ever attack us, our children, or grandchildren. None were ever harmed and never had any issues with elevated heart rates. Guess you would rather just end up culling them than try to actually correct bad behavior. That’s your choice. But I also know from experience what happens when a out of control rooster can do to you if it punctures a major blood vessel on an arm. I have a scar and was in the hospital as a child from one that causes me to this day to have a damaged main vessel. Would you want to risk that with your children. And what makes you think that flapping your arms at them doesn’t raise their blood pressure anyways. And it is more threatening to them than being dominant over them, they most of the time threaten and attack humans because whether you realize it or not you have scared or threatened them.

 

[chickencoop57]

Your husband did the right thing by culling him. I've never had an aggressive rooster! I won't tolerate that! I have 5 roosters right now. Four of them I incubated and are about 4 months old and one big California White from Tractor supply. If one even tried to get aggressive with me, it'd be in the freezer so fast it wouldn't know what hit him!

 

[SkiboJeff]

I just rehomed a very nice cockerel because of our city ordinance allowing no roosters. He was nice to the ladies and was always on the lookout for danger. The girls are all now confused. They're afraid to free range in the woods without him and they run helter skelter for the coop after any little disturbance.

 

[Minister Marc C]

Ok so over a month ago my husband culled one of our roosters due to aggression. Ever since then, the pullets (6 month old) have been acting strange. There is still another rooster for them, but it doesn't seem to matter. All of them stopped laying the day after Jefferson was culled. Since then only two have resumed laying. Also, the previously docile beta rooster is now the only rooster and is not docile anymore. Is this normal behavior?

Yup. Normal. The hens will adjust and it wont be long before beta Roo is Head of the Flock.
But it might take a few weeks. Have patience.

 

[Minister Marc C]

Your husband did the right thing by culling him. I've never had an aggressive rooster! I won't tolerate that! I have 5 roosters right now. Four of them I incubated and are about 4 months old and one big California White from Tractor supply. If one even tried to get aggressive with me, it'd be in the freezer so fast it wouldn't know what hit him!

We've had fairly aggressive Roosters before. We have one right now who is very serious about his j-o-b.
He's big, (about 10 lbs) He's good lookin' ( a big Rhode Island Red)
and------------> He's an a** ! But, he's just doing his job. Just don't turn your back on him !

 

[Minister Marc C]

He flogged my kids, my mother and myself. Flogged my kids multiple times. Bit and flogged my 5 year old and drew blood on her legs and arms right in front of my husband. My husband said it was game over after that. He was very rough with the pullets so I find it weird that they are so affected by his absence.

So, how'd he taste?! LOL !! I woulda done the same thing.
We call our big Red Roo "Cogburn". My Wife told him the other day,
"you jump me from behind one more time and your new name's gonna be
"Chicken-Dinner" !

 

[illinoishiker]

Unless you are wanting to hatch chicks you might not want a rooster at all until your kids are older. You might look around good to see if the hens are hiding eggs or if you have a big snake enjoying eggs. A snake visiting at night would explain the strange behavior. Would be a coincidence but something to consider. My hens never seem to care if there's a rooster around or not. I'm putting 26 young buff roos in the freezer this week. Some are so sweet and 'helpful' when I clean up in their pen. Pity to kill nice guys but there are too many. And I bought them for the freezer. If it is because of the missing roo they will adjust.

 

[Vicker]

Every time I end up with a rooster, I give him a trial run to see how it goes. Inevitably, the cons outweigh the pros, so he is culled or given away. Every time I have removed a rooster, my hens, spanning multiple generations of flocks, seemed happier and more productive. That remaining rooster may be stressing your hens out.

 

[OzarkChooks]

So, how'd he taste?! LOL !! I woulda done the same thing.
We call our big Red Roo "Cogburn". My Wife told him the other day,
"you jump me from behind one more time and your new name's gonna be
"Chicken-Dinner" !

He was delicious. Almost felt bad about it lol

 

[OzarkChooks]

There is a possibility some hens laid eggs in the woods before they were fenced in. I can't go looking in there to verify though because I don't want to be covered in ticks

I did discover though that all hens are laying now except for 1. They have just been laying on the broody hen's group of eggs!