I had some chickens in my backyard in a coop, 2 roosters & 5 hens. We had a bear attack a few weeks ago & only 3 survived. When the bear attacked, we moved our backyard chickens out to the farm with our other chickens, because it was safer there. They had no problem integrating into the flock that they were placed in, and all of the chickens already there were significantly younger than they were & much smaller in size. My fiance and I split the barn work up and he handles half the pens, I handle the other half. Every day, he came out of the pens with blood running down his leg or arm and said it was the rooster pecking him. I never believed him because I can go in the pen and the rooster doesnt bother me at all. One day I saw him peck him & we decided to move him into one of the pens that I handle, because the rooster doesnt attack me like he does him. The pen we moved him into had a polish rooster and some hens and a few ducks, and 2 turkeys. I watched them for a while, and the rooster was pecking a ducks face, but didnt seem to really be fighting, and once I felt comfortable with them being together, we left the barn. I came the next day and found a dead duck, torn to pieces. This was a female duck. I wasnt 100% sure that it was the rooster, because they didnt seem to be fighting at all. The next day I found my polish rooster dead, there were no other changes other than that rooster getting moved in there, and when I find the dead ones they are pretty bloody & torn up, so it cant be a health issue. We moved the rooster into his own pen and he is gonna be dinner tomorrow.(something I said I'd never do, but I feel like I have no other choice, I cant let any kids get attacked by this crazy rooster) But I dont understand at all, before the bear attack, this rooster was held daily by a 3 & 4 year old and never pecked, attacked, or did anything to hurt them. He was also around other animals. Can a bear attack turn a rooster crazy?
