We have this gorgeous mottled java rooster that has been a great flock protector, great alarm clock, and is just real pretty eye candy. He's very sweet to his hens. But lately, he has become aggressive with me in particular, and I cannot go into the yard wearing shorts or a skirt because he attacks my lilly white legs... I laughed that he must feel threatened by my ghostly-white flabbishness, because he doesn't come after me or posture at me if I am in the yard in jeans. However, this time of year, I wear shorts and skirts... unless we have another cold snap, you won't see me in a pair of jeans again for at least several months.
At any rate, he has started becoming mean and attacking the bantams. He still doesn't mess with the large hens or any of the chickens his own size, but he has in the last 10 days attacked Roy, our splash bantam cochin roo, all 4 of our silkies, both of our porcelain d'uccles. This morning, I caught him with my little white silkie in his beak and tossing her across the yard! I ran out to stop him, and he postured at me and came after me, but I surprised him with a surprise taste of the sole of my shoe. Half an hour later, he attacked Carl's Jr., our 2-month-old EE/Delaware cross baby cockerel and broke his neck. We had to take our poor Carl's Jr. out back and put him down.
Up until now, we have REALLY loved Rico. I mean, he's been so sweet before all this. And he's still good to "his hens"... just mean to the banties and the youngsters. They have all lived together happily until now, but some of the banty cockerels are starting to want to crow & I think Rico's gigantic self feels threatened by them somehow??
We put him in a really small coop/run by himself. He's a huge roo, is about 8 months old and easily weighs a good 8 to 10 pounds, if not more. The coop he's in is really made for much smaller fowl & we usually use it for a grow-out pen until they are "tweenagers" for a while.
If we sequester him for a few days, do you think he'll chill out? He seems very contrite and is doing his "I'm sorry" dance whenever I come out near the coop where he is now. He bows his head and pecks at the ground and coos softly, the way he does when he is being sweet. If there's a way to make him stop this, I would prefer that. Otherwise, I do believe Farmer Lew and I will be making chicken enchiladas out of him in the near future.
This is our first experience with a bad rooster & not quite sure what to do. Any advice, other than making soup out of him?? (We have no problem doing that if it comes down to it, but I want to try everything possible before it comes to that.)
At any rate, he has started becoming mean and attacking the bantams. He still doesn't mess with the large hens or any of the chickens his own size, but he has in the last 10 days attacked Roy, our splash bantam cochin roo, all 4 of our silkies, both of our porcelain d'uccles. This morning, I caught him with my little white silkie in his beak and tossing her across the yard! I ran out to stop him, and he postured at me and came after me, but I surprised him with a surprise taste of the sole of my shoe. Half an hour later, he attacked Carl's Jr., our 2-month-old EE/Delaware cross baby cockerel and broke his neck. We had to take our poor Carl's Jr. out back and put him down.
Up until now, we have REALLY loved Rico. I mean, he's been so sweet before all this. And he's still good to "his hens"... just mean to the banties and the youngsters. They have all lived together happily until now, but some of the banty cockerels are starting to want to crow & I think Rico's gigantic self feels threatened by them somehow??
We put him in a really small coop/run by himself. He's a huge roo, is about 8 months old and easily weighs a good 8 to 10 pounds, if not more. The coop he's in is really made for much smaller fowl & we usually use it for a grow-out pen until they are "tweenagers" for a while.
If we sequester him for a few days, do you think he'll chill out? He seems very contrite and is doing his "I'm sorry" dance whenever I come out near the coop where he is now. He bows his head and pecks at the ground and coos softly, the way he does when he is being sweet. If there's a way to make him stop this, I would prefer that. Otherwise, I do believe Farmer Lew and I will be making chicken enchiladas out of him in the near future.
This is our first experience with a bad rooster & not quite sure what to do. Any advice, other than making soup out of him?? (We have no problem doing that if it comes down to it, but I want to try everything possible before it comes to that.)
