Can Roosters go "Mad"

[nsalle]

Finishing up farm chores when I witnessed our 5 yr.old Gamecock, kill an 18 month old hen. He has never been aggressive toward anyone nor anything. In the last 3 weeks I had found 2 dead hens and I chalked it up to maybe parasites, since it's been a wet season and I had gotten behind with my herbal wormer for 2 weeks. Needless to say, old "Snooze" has been given the deep sleep. I have kept chickens for over 15 years and have never seen something like this, he was on a vendetta. Everything I have read so far does not quite match. Our chickens free range over an acre and he was the only Roo. Any ideas?

 

[Marty1876]

He got old and too big for his britches. We've had a few looned out roos, but only the older ones got around to extreme hen aggression too. The younger ones sometimes developed attitudes toward people and other roos, but ususally left the hens be. I'm with you, times up.

Sorry about your hens.

 

[zazouse]

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us, especially someone with your experience!

I have absolutely no explanation for something like that. With an acre to roam there is probably no rational explanation. You did exactly what I would have done.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I had a similar situation. Didn't know why the hen wasn't able to walk...after a few days she seemed better and flew out of the enclosure...caught the roo bashing her to pieces under the poarch...she was a submissive hen then but got worse after that. I told my neighbor what happened and gave the rooster to him...his hens where twice as big and all of them mean as snakes. Maybe they teach him.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

So sorry

 

[centrarchid]

Such behavior I associate with birds infected with what I suspect is Marek's Disease. The infected are the hens and impacts on them are only slight but dominant birds seem to target affected with aggression. The change in infected behavior happens a day or two before lossing ability to walk. Similarly affected roosters tend to drift off from flock and have trouble flying up to any roost.


As qualifiers, most of my birds are games, many live to advanced age relative to production and typical backyard breeds, and I do not use de-wormers of any sort.

 

[chickenandchick]

I am so sorry about this. Our rooster attacks humans sometimes, but only half-heartedly. I cannot think of any reasonable explanation to this. I'm sorry.

 

[The Lazy L]

... our 5 yr.old Gamecock, kill an 18 month old hen... Any ideas?

Females can push a male over the edge........

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Oh ha ha lazy l. This hen was just a mut layer. She is fine now and didn't seem to have any sort of lasting damage other than doesn't stay with any rooster...one other hen stays with her all the time now. Don't know, just watching her now. My game hens either fight or fly away. Maybe I should read up on mareks, but it seemed much more injury than disease.