Can I trust him yet?

[TJAnonymous]

I have 3 roosters. Two EE who are a year old. One GLW is 6 months.

My GLW rooster who is 6 months has adopted a pack of (adopted) 5 game hens. Their little flock typically stays in or around my barn. But at least 3 times now, this a#&@ole has attacked me. He will be culled very soon. I have no patience for this nonsense. I raised him from a chick, btw...

My white EE rooster has attacked me ONCE when he was about 6 months old. I threw a paver stone at him and flattened him. I'm sure it hurt him. He has never attacked me again.

My black EE rooster has never attacked me. He is also a year old now. Does this mean I can give him a measure of trust? I have walked in and around the coop, chicken yard, picked up squawking hens, etc all within a few feet of him. He's never attacked. If he were the type to be a jerk, wouldn't I know it by now?

 

[aart]

If he were the type to be a jerk, wouldn't I know it by now?

More than likely, yes.
Get rid of the other 2.

 

[Ridgerunner]

at least 3 times now, this a#&@ole has attacked me. He will be culled very soon.

Good.

My white EE rooster has attacked me ONCE when he was about 6 months old. I threw a paver stone at him and flattened him. I'm sure it hurt him. He has never attacked me again.

Six months without any problems. Not bad.

My black EE rooster has never attacked me..... Does this mean I can give him a measure of trust?..... If he were the type to be a jerk, wouldn't I know it by now?

You don't get guarantees with any living animal. I don't think trust is the right word, they can change. I'd say always be alert with any of them but if you are not having problems you are not having problems.

I don't know your goals for having any roosters, why do you want them? I suggest you keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed more problems with more roosters but because more problems are more likely the more you have. Sometimes you can have several without any problems, sometimes one is too many.

I don't know how you are managing them or housing them. It sounds like they my all free range but I don't know. If they are kept together one is dominant. You may not know which one but they do. The dominant one can suppress the behaviors of any that are less dominant. If you remove the dominant one the other's behaviors can change as he is no longer being held in check. It's not that he will but that he might. That could be toward you or it could be toward the hens.

They are also still fairly young. Behaviors between them or their behaviors toward you or the hens may change as they continue to mature. Or they might not.

Predicting the future with any living animal can be tricky. With roosters it is even more uncertain. Again, I don't know what your goals are or what your current situation is. Getting down to one rooster may be in your plans. If it is, I say go for it. But I'm also on the camp of if it's not broken, don't fix it. You might break it trying to fix it. As far as I'm concerned, that first 6 month old is broken. The other two, nope.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Good.


Six months without any problems. Not bad.


You don't get guarantees with any living animal. I don't think trust is the right word, they can change. I'd say always be alert with any of them but if you are not having problems you are not having problems.

I don't know your goals for having any roosters, why do you want them? I suggest you keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed more problems with more roosters but because more problems are more likely the more you have. Sometimes you can have several without any problems, sometimes one is too many.

I don't know how you are managing them or housing them. It sounds like they my all free range but I don't know. If they are kept together one is dominant. You may not know which one but they do. The dominant one can suppress the behaviors of any that are less dominant. If you remove the dominant one the other's behaviors can change as he is no longer being held in check. It's not that he will but that he might. That could be toward you or it could be toward the hens.

They are also still fairly young. Behaviors between them or their behaviors toward you or the hens may change as they continue to mature. Or they might not.

Predicting the future with any living animal can be tricky. With roosters it is even more uncertain. Again, I don't know what your goals are or what your current situation is. Getting down to one rooster may be in your plans. If it is, I say go for it. But I'm also on the camp of if it's not broken, don't fix it. You might break it trying to fix it. As far as I'm concerned, that first 6 month old is broken. The other two, nope.

Fair enough....

I want at least one rooster to help keep an eye out for hawks and other predators. I lost around a dozen birds last year to predators including a very docile, elderly Silkie rooster that I adored. I also would like fertilized eggs so I can easily add to my flock when needed. I bought 6 chicks straight run from TSC last spring. Five were roosters. I don't buy chicks from TSC anymore, but the two EE roosters I have now are from that set.

The black rooster is the dominant one. I work from home and get to observe their behavior throughout the day. The black rooster is the king of the property and regularly puts the white one in a submissive state. These two do roost together in the same coop (8'x10') along with the hens, but the chicken yard is rather large (125'x35'). Both roosters (along with at least a third of my hens) regularly jump the fence that surrounds the chicken yard so they are essentially free range. I think the fact that they have lots of space and around 35 hens to share between them is what has generally kept the peace so far. Naturally I do NOT trust the white rooster whatsoever....even though he has never attacked me a second time. Maybe because he isn't the dominant rooster. Maybe not. I'm still on the fence about whether I should cull him too. I haven't so far because he hasn't attacked me (or anyone else) again but I realize that may not be a good enough reason to keep him alive.

The GLW rooster has run at me several times. Then one day last week, he actually attacked the back of my legs. He has no spurs yet because he is still young. I kicked him pretty hard and he ran off. Yesterday, I was out in the barn and carrying a small piece of welded wire fence for a project. The GLW rooster turned like he was going to come at me. This time, I preemptively swung the piece of wire fence at him almost at the same time he lunged at me. He kept coming back at least twice before running off in the direction of his girls. This encounter made me really mad because I have severe, debilitating tendinitis in my right elbow which I've been trying to get to heal. I re-injured it last night in the scuffle with the damn rooster.

I know that any animal can be unpredictable and that flock dynamics can change with the introduction or reduction of birds in the flock. I have tended to stay very hypervigilient around the roosters because I don't know if they will attack or not. The black rooster has never attacked me so I am wondering if I can stop being so tense and nervous around him and give him a little measure of trust.... Or wondering if maybe he has not attacked because he is still young and therefore his a**holery could still surface its ugly head in the coming months....

 

[Ridgerunner]

To me you've answered the question. The 6 month old needs to go now. Keep only the black one, you don't trust the white. I think it is your best option.

Good luck!

 

[adstowe]

If the black one is the dominant one and also the best behaved then there's nothing to decide. You have a good one. Lose the other 2 and be happy with your calm flock. The white one may never attack you again, but if you don't trust him is it really worth it to keep him around? Eat the GLW and rehome the white one if you don't think he deserves the pot. Chickens are a lot of fun, but it's up to you to keep it that way. If one causes you anxiety cut your losses and send him down the line.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree, keep the one who's behaving well, and eliminate the other two. Things may change, but that's the best choice now. Being nervous and anxious out there isn't better!
You will have more cockerels if you either buy or raise chicks in your flock, and having the best sire for these future chicks is also what needs to happen.
It's nice to keep two compatible roosters in the flock, but they must get along and be stellar individuals.
Mary

 

[abbienelson__]

I have 3 roosters. Two EE who are a year old. One GLW is 6 months.

My GLW rooster who is 6 months has adopted a pack of (adopted) 5 game hens. Their little flock typically stays in or around my barn. But at least 3 times now, this a#&@ole has attacked me. He will be culled very soon. I have no patience for this nonsense. I raised him from a chick, btw...

My white EE rooster has attacked me ONCE when he was about 6 months old. I threw a paver stone at him and flattened him. I'm sure it hurt him. He has never attacked me again.

My black EE rooster has never attacked me. He is also a year old now. Does this mean I can give him a measure of trust? I have walked in and around the coop, chicken yard, picked up squawking hens, etc all within a few feet of him. He's never attacked. If he were the type to be a jerk, wouldn't I know it by now?

We had a cockerel that we hatched out and he ALWAYS attacked my legs whenever i went near him when he was younger. Now he’s the sweetest boy as he’s a lot older and the other cockerels attack him. How serious are the attacks?

 

[SulkyBantam]

I'm sure it hurt him

Maybe I'm being silly here, but I personally don't advise hurting them A scare is usually OK, but throwing large stones could cause lasting damage .

 

[Folly's place]

Sometimes you just do what seems reasonable that moment, even if it's not the best thing. And keeping animals that cause fear and anxiety isn't best, ever.
Most, but not all, roosters will continue to be nice guys if they are fine by one year of age. Once in a while an older bird decides to become human aggressive, for no obvious reason; it's happened here twice, and didn't end well for the rooster involved.
Mary