Cull him, or wait for protection?

[CoopsNPoops]

My 14 month old EE Roo has became pretty aggressive this Spring. He has a flock of 14 hens. He is constantly in attack mode. I have my bluff in on him with a rake now, but my children are targets. Weather is warming up so naturally my 3 and 4 year old want to play outside on their trampoline and stuff. Obviously they can't comfortably with him and he has to go. What is the best way to cull him? I'm very seriously considering a shotgun at the moment, I'm so sick of him. Problem is, my flock is 100% free range and and are only go in their coop to lay and roost. Im affraid my hens will be vulnerable to predators without his protection. We are on a 40 acre pasture farm and we have alot of coyotes. Should i maybe build them a run instead of free range, without his protection? Im not sure how much "protection" he does anyways since i keep his spurs and nails trimmed short to keep my kids from serious injuries. Even though he cant do much damage, it still dont stop him from attacking and it still dont keep my kids from being stalked, tortured, and terrified. Or just leave the hens free range and hope the predators stay clear. Id HATE to have them penned up, but id also hate to lose them as their egg production is a business. The hens well being is the priority, my mind is made up that Rusty has to go.. Opinions? Thoughts? Advice?

 

[MissE]

I would not have a dangerous rooster around children. I have posted this many times, but to repeat, I know a little girl who needed her face stitched up after being attacked by a rooster.

Either cull him, or if you really want to keep him, build a secure run. If he were mine, he'd be dinner. There are too many nice roosters to justify keeping a jerk.

I would not recommend rehoming him unless you make it very clear what he is like and your full understanding that whomever takes him may be planning on Sunday dinner.

 

[LaFleche]

Im affraid my hens will be vulnerable to predators without his protection.

A rooster that is constantly stalking and attacking his humans is not protecting his hens while doing so, because his focus is on how to get at the humans.

You could just grab him from the roost at night, carry him outside and chop his head off with an axe or meat chopper. That would be the fastest way.

Seriously, he would not have survived the day he went after children, whether my own or the neighbour's.

 

[CaroleW]

You have to make your own decision. I had to cull my rooster last year that I hand raised because I couldn't turn my back on him. Consider that a rooster who is human aggressive can cause serious injury to you and, even worse, to your children.

I found a really good tempered rooster from a nearby breeder. My new rooster sounds the alarm for the flock just as well as the mean rooster did and I can work around him in peace and even enjoy his company.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Your rooster does not mean to attack you he is trying to protect his flock he sees you as a threat to his flock you should not cull him from trying to protect his flock he is a rooster and an animals he cant think right he does not have a brain like a human to think logically. You should be happy that he is trying to protect his hens. I would keep him separate in a dog crate for a day I would hold him and carry him often to.

His lack of human interaction is not the issue. I have hand raised these birds from day old chicks. He has been interacted with and handled plenty. He didnt become aggressive until recently. I understand that he is a rooster and thats his instincts, however, he will not come before my childrens safety and sanity. They have first priority in their yard, not him. Not culling him isn't the question and i dont think isolating him in a crate by himself is fair to him nor do i believe it would help. He don't need a time out. The question is how is the most humane way to do it, and do i need to pen the rest of them up to keep them safe, or continue to let them free range and hope for the best.

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

If he were mine, he'd be dinner.

X2, I would make a nice tasty stew out of him.
The cone method is the method I would use, and I would suggest it for your use as well. You buy (or make) a cone that can be secured to a tree, or post, basically wherever you plan on culling. Lower the rooster's head into the cone while holding him upside down. Let him sit in the cone for a second while you hold his feet just to stop him from freaking out, then cut the head off. Gravity will draw out the blood (you may have to let it drained for a bit) and then you can process him

You could just grab him from the roost at night, carry him outside and chop his head off with an axe or meat chopper. That would be the fastest way.

This is also an efficient and straightforward way to do it. I definitely agree it would be less time-consuming as well.
If you are worried about not having a protector for your flock try to get another rooster after you butcher this one, but get a docile breed rooster like an Orpington or something of the sorts.
My SL Orpington rooster is very friendly, fluffy, and loves hugs - but I'm positive he would lay down his life to protect his girls.
Many people on BYC have gone through lots of different roosters before finding the right one.
Good luck, I hope he's a tasty stew!

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Im sorry to both of you, but you are unfamiliar with my particular rooster, and im happy for you that youve had luck with other particular roosters. HOWEVER, as i have already stated, Rusty's lack of human interaction is not the problem. He has always been handled and loved. Even since becoming aggressive. It doesn't help in the slightest. Also, when he attacks, there is no time to face him, there is no grabbing him, there is no stopping him. It's not that simple. The "weapons" we have to hold or chase with is not what provokes him to attack. In fact, that is the only way he will back down and realize he isn't the head honcho. The only "retreating" he he will do, is when he sees us pick up a weapon. Our fear and vulnerability is the ONLY thing that provokes him to attack. Although i appreciate advise, please don't assume that whatever im doing is wrong and that theres things that i haven't already tried persistently. If this was the case, i would've asked for advise on how to train him, not cull him.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What is the best way to cull him? I'm very seriously considering a shotgun at the moment,

I haven't read the second and third page, don't think I have to. The best way is how you can. You are not looking at eating him, just to get rid of him. A shotgun works. Taking him off of the roost at night and killing him works whether that is a hatchet and stump, a killing cone and knife, pruning loppers or something else. I would not take the time to put him in a crate and try to find someone to take him and eat him. But however you can.

Im affraid my hens will be vulnerable to predators without his protection.

There is a lot of debate about how much protection a rooster actually offers. In my opinion they are mainly an early warning system against flying predators. They are practically useless against ground based predators. But that's just my opinion.

If you decide you really want a rooster go on the buy, sell, trade section of this forum and post an add with your "location and want a rooster" in the title. Or find your state thread in the "Where am I? Where are you!" section and chat with your neighbors. Get a mature rooster, not a cockerel.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

I would not have a dangerous rooster around children. I have posted this many times, but to repeat, I know a little girl who needed her face stitched up after being attacked by a rooster.

Either cull him, or if you really want to keep him, build a secure run. If he were mine, he'd be dinner. There are too many nice roosters to justify keeping a jerk.

I would not recommend rehoming him unless you make it very clear what he is like and your full understanding that whomever takes him may be planning on Sunday dinner.

Yes, no, i would never rehome a dangerous animal. He will provide my family a dinner before that. I don't necessarily want to keep him and i dont want to isolate him or mask the problem. An i didn't mean literally the most humane way to cull him, just a good

A rooster that is constantly stalking and attacking his humans is not protecting his hens while doing so, because his focus is on how to get at the humans.

True. They could all be way out in the field and when he notices we are out in the yard, here he comes running, leaving the hens vulnerable. It seems more of a territorial issue than a protection issue.

 

[NatJ]

The question is how is the most humane way to do it,

For culling methods, I prefer to cut off the head. The body will flap around and look alive, so being able to see the head sitting there separate is reassuring to me (yes, I really did get it off. The bird must be dead.)

I use a machete or hatchet, and a chopping block.
Some people use limb loppers (giant scissors things, sold for cutting limbs off of trees.)

and do i need to pen the rest of them up to keep them safe, or continue to let them free range and hope for the best.

That one is hard to answer, because either way could be a good choice.

If you build a run, there is the cost (money and time), but then you know your chickens are secure.

If you continue to let them range, they might be fine, but they might not be.

If the chickens are ranging freely, predators are more likely to take one this day and one another day, instead of killing the whole flock on the same day. That could serve as a warning that you need to lock them up for safety, but without having to replace the whole flock. (Of course something could kill them all on one day, it is just less common.)

If you do build a run, be sure it is secure enough. If a predator gets in, but the chickens can not get out, the predator will probably kill every one of the chickens because they are trapped in there.