Um.....my Barred Rock Rooster is absolutely beautiful. It amazes me to look at him.
But he is one mean rooster. It did not start until after he got his flock. One day I was going in to check for eggs. I did not head count before going in. There was a hen on a nest laying. That was enough for him......
We want them to be good protectors. We want them to be good to the girls. We want them to find them treats. Well, he is all those things.......by going in on a hen on the nest I was a perceived threat. I did not realize it or see it for what it was at the time. But I do go in with a worn out broom. When he came at me I pushed him away with the broom. He came right back and I pushed it further, lifting him a little bit and that startled him. At the same time I turned to lock the people door and could see him coming back at me out of the corner of my eye.
That time I lifted him well and threw him across the pen, locked the door and backed out. Two steps to get out.
From that moment on, no matter that I feed and am the bringer of treats, he waits for a chance to come at me. He will throw himself at the gate...when you least expect it. He follows me around the fence line as I head to the other coop and run. The same to my DGD and DD. Now my husband is different. He has no problem going in that coop and run. A couple of times the rooster challenged him...but he booted him away. DH is out of town working so collecting eggs in that coop is my chore. I NEVER just go in. I have a 4ft piece of corragated tin that proceeds me. I cover the pop door and I never go in without a head count to make sure all hens are in the run. He bok boks the girls when I come in with my tin and shows them treats on the ground he finds for them. He has never come after my tin but has slammed the gate after it has been closed and I turn my back. He really means business.
Next Saturday he is going to the chicken swap. I will dump my faithful laundry basket on him Friday morning when I open the pop door and he can spend the day in the crate I transfer him to. I will sell him to anyone that will buy him....heck, I will give him away!!!
He has never spurred me but he has not had the chance. MY DGD's have not been allowed in the run since he got his girls. Told my DH what I was going to do and he is good with it. If he were here he could send him to freezer camp and I would be happy.
Now....this is one coop. I have another with a rooster in it....my mixed flock with a BO roo. Yes, he has come at me.....but he had a reason....one of his girls got loud thinking she was being attacked. All I did was push him away with my foot and go on. Last week I was in the coop and all the girls came in to see what I was doing...one got between me and the door and I pushed her away...she squawked and he moved at me....I saw him start and put my egg basket down in his face and he backed out the door and went away.
Yesterday I was in and out several times working on the corner coop (small broody coop) getting it ready. He watched everything I did but was not aggressive nor did he make any moves towards me. This I can handle and I know what sets him off. Will never turn my back to him but he does not know it.....I move when he is occupied but keep him in he corner of my eye. If he ever moves towards me I move towards him without acting like I see him. My DH can hardly go in that run w/o him coming at him. I will never understand the difference.
And then my THIRD rooster. I know...when will I learn! He is now by himself with one hen.....that I am getting ready to take care of. I will move him and his girl into the BR pen after putting the BR girls in a sectioned off area that will not allow them into the coop...there is shelter in there for them. They will be there for a week while they get used to seeing the other rooster....Sweet Harry my cochin roo. There are four of the BR girls and I will let two of them out and in with Harry and his girl. Then a couple of days later will let them all out together right at dusk when it is time for bed. Before doing all this I will make sure the feeders are full and the water is full. I will bother them as little as possible for a while. Hopefully this will distrupt them all enough that there will be the least amount of fighting.
We don't think about what sets them off. We love that the rooster seems to take care of the hens and show them treats and crow for them. My mean rooster stands at the pop door when there is a hen on the nest and crows for her going in and out the pop door. I can remember thinking how sweet that was. But he is going to protect them from everything....including me.
From this day forward I am going to remove a rooster that shows the first sign of aggression. I have places to put them away from the flock. I will not let this behavior continue and will rehome/dispatch any aggressive roos. I can buy hatching eggs to add to my flock if needed. I want to enjoy my chickens.
THERE....now I can do what I thought I needed to do!
But he is one mean rooster. It did not start until after he got his flock. One day I was going in to check for eggs. I did not head count before going in. There was a hen on a nest laying. That was enough for him......
We want them to be good protectors. We want them to be good to the girls. We want them to find them treats. Well, he is all those things.......by going in on a hen on the nest I was a perceived threat. I did not realize it or see it for what it was at the time. But I do go in with a worn out broom. When he came at me I pushed him away with the broom. He came right back and I pushed it further, lifting him a little bit and that startled him. At the same time I turned to lock the people door and could see him coming back at me out of the corner of my eye.
That time I lifted him well and threw him across the pen, locked the door and backed out. Two steps to get out.
From that moment on, no matter that I feed and am the bringer of treats, he waits for a chance to come at me. He will throw himself at the gate...when you least expect it. He follows me around the fence line as I head to the other coop and run. The same to my DGD and DD. Now my husband is different. He has no problem going in that coop and run. A couple of times the rooster challenged him...but he booted him away. DH is out of town working so collecting eggs in that coop is my chore. I NEVER just go in. I have a 4ft piece of corragated tin that proceeds me. I cover the pop door and I never go in without a head count to make sure all hens are in the run. He bok boks the girls when I come in with my tin and shows them treats on the ground he finds for them. He has never come after my tin but has slammed the gate after it has been closed and I turn my back. He really means business.
Next Saturday he is going to the chicken swap. I will dump my faithful laundry basket on him Friday morning when I open the pop door and he can spend the day in the crate I transfer him to. I will sell him to anyone that will buy him....heck, I will give him away!!!
He has never spurred me but he has not had the chance. MY DGD's have not been allowed in the run since he got his girls. Told my DH what I was going to do and he is good with it. If he were here he could send him to freezer camp and I would be happy.
Now....this is one coop. I have another with a rooster in it....my mixed flock with a BO roo. Yes, he has come at me.....but he had a reason....one of his girls got loud thinking she was being attacked. All I did was push him away with my foot and go on. Last week I was in the coop and all the girls came in to see what I was doing...one got between me and the door and I pushed her away...she squawked and he moved at me....I saw him start and put my egg basket down in his face and he backed out the door and went away.
Yesterday I was in and out several times working on the corner coop (small broody coop) getting it ready. He watched everything I did but was not aggressive nor did he make any moves towards me. This I can handle and I know what sets him off. Will never turn my back to him but he does not know it.....I move when he is occupied but keep him in he corner of my eye. If he ever moves towards me I move towards him without acting like I see him. My DH can hardly go in that run w/o him coming at him. I will never understand the difference.
And then my THIRD rooster. I know...when will I learn! He is now by himself with one hen.....that I am getting ready to take care of. I will move him and his girl into the BR pen after putting the BR girls in a sectioned off area that will not allow them into the coop...there is shelter in there for them. They will be there for a week while they get used to seeing the other rooster....Sweet Harry my cochin roo. There are four of the BR girls and I will let two of them out and in with Harry and his girl. Then a couple of days later will let them all out together right at dusk when it is time for bed. Before doing all this I will make sure the feeders are full and the water is full. I will bother them as little as possible for a while. Hopefully this will distrupt them all enough that there will be the least amount of fighting.
We don't think about what sets them off. We love that the rooster seems to take care of the hens and show them treats and crow for them. My mean rooster stands at the pop door when there is a hen on the nest and crows for her going in and out the pop door. I can remember thinking how sweet that was. But he is going to protect them from everything....including me.
From this day forward I am going to remove a rooster that shows the first sign of aggression. I have places to put them away from the flock. I will not let this behavior continue and will rehome/dispatch any aggressive roos. I can buy hatching eggs to add to my flock if needed. I want to enjoy my chickens.
THERE....now I can do what I thought I needed to do!
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