Cull him, or wait for protection?

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

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?

My hens survived for awhile before I got a rooster. I didn't lose one. The lead hen will take over his role and keep an eye out for predators. Obviously they don't have spurs to really fight things off but they will go back to the coop in an emergency. I think you will be fine until you get another.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

It might make sense to try and find a rooster that is calm and human friendly, I think some breeds are just more prone than others to being overly protective. That way you'd still have a protector and no worries about your children. My young Australorp is great with the hens, calm enough for me to pick up and carry back and forth to run every day. It might also be useful to teach your children to be calm around the chickens, talk to them softly, etc just because it's smart behavior. Best of luck.

I have taught my children to remain calm. Most of the time when they notice him running at them from afar, they have time to freeze and remain calm till i can get to them and run him off. But because they are so young and have an attention span of a goldfish, lol, they aren't always on the lookout for him and he gets to them before we know it. When the children are playing and distracted, the rooster attacking is the last thing on their minds. As it should be.

 

[Brooks_]

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.

My advise for culling is the broomstick method. It took me far too long to reach the culling part. Going forward, excuses WILL NOT be made and bad behavior WILL NOT be tolerated.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Oh and sorry I didn't say it in my other response but I am definitely with you that you should cull. As you know and have said there is no training a mean rooster. Its just the roosters blood and there is no changing a mean rooster. I NEVER tolerate a mean rooster. Its just not worth it. I use the hatchet/axe on a stump with two nails holding its head method.

Good luck!

 

[Chickin Out]

I'm reading your original post, it was worded as though he has only recently become aggressive. This is what I am talking about when I say it is a teenage hormonal phase that many roosters experience.
I think you are missing the point about the weapons. we are not telling you that carrying weapons to defend yourself started it, we are telling you that you are exacerbating it. The more he attacks and you defend, the more you are engaging with him as a combatant. This is teaching/ reinforcing to him that you and he are foes and that you are a threat to his flock. When mine were teenagers, I wore heavy gloves, jeans, and protective clothing to grab and subdue them. They learned eventually.
It doesn't sound like you have any experience in calling and I would recommend that you offer him to someone who is experienced with roosters. A change of home and scenery might be the thing to do to break him of his nasty phase, and some people do take in roosters, work with roosters and train them. Even if they decide to cull him, it will likely be a better experience.

 

[Chickin Out]

That is such poor advice.

Oh and sorry I didn't say it in my other response but I am definitely with you that you should cull. As you know and have said there is no training a mean rooster. Its just the roosters blood and there is no changing a mean rooster. I NEVER tolerate a mean rooster. Its just not worth it. I use the hatchet/axe on a stump with two nails holding its head method.

Good luck!

Tap on a clip to paste it in the text box.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

Well, since your kids are only three and four, would it be possible to fence them in instead? It’s pretty easy to just pound some metal stakes into the ground and attach chicken wire, even if you have to fence in 1/2 an acre? That way your hens would still have protection and so would your kids. I don’t know how far you let them venture away from your home alone at that age, but I was thinking that could be a possibility if you want to keep the rooster for flock protection.

They have been free to venture since laying age. From the brooder, they went into a pen with their coop. When they were well aware of where they were supposed to roost and lay, we removed the pen. Since then they have been completely free range. We have 40 acres of pasture, so they venture fairly far. I don't necessarily "want" to keep the rooster for protection, i just didnt know what would be best for the hens since i don't really want to pen them up either. Unpenned was our plan before even getting them, and its worked out perfectly aside from the aggressive accidental roo.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

I completely agree with you OP. Aggression should not be tolerated in any animal. From dogs to roosters, not dealing with it. Especially when children are involved. Have you dealt with the issue yet?

I haven't. Unfortunately, i haven't worked up the courage or the heart for it yet. Ive nust been dealing with it by making sure i watch him more closely with the rake close by. When im near by with the rake, he knows better, and dont even attempt to look for the vulnerable children.

 

[Brooks_]

I haven't. Unfortunately, i haven't worked up the courage or the heart for it yet. Ive nust been dealing with it by making sure i watch him more closely with the rake close by. When im near by with the rake, he knows better, and dont even attempt to look for the vulnerable children.

Don't worry. You'll reach your breaking point, when that happens it will be easy.

 

[CoopsNPoops]

I'm reading your original post, it was worded as though he has only recently become aggressive. This is what I am talking about when I say it is a teenage hormonal phase that many roosters experience.
I think you are missing the point about the weapons. we are not telling you that carrying weapons to defend yourself started it, we are telling you that you are exacerbating it. The more he attacks and you defend, the more you are engaging with him as a combatant. This is teaching/ reinforcing to him that you and he are foes and that you are a threat to his flock. When mine were teenagers, I wore heavy gloves, jeans, and protective clothing to grab and subdue them. They learned eventually.
It doesn't sound like you have any experience in calling and I would recommend that you offer him to someone who is experienced with roosters. A change of home and scenery might be the thing to do to break him of his nasty phase, and some people do take in roosters, work with roosters and train them. Even if they decide to cull him, it will likely be a better experience.

You are correct, im have never

I'm reading your original post, it was worded as though he has only recently become aggressive. This is what I am talking about when I say it is a teenage hormonal phase that many roosters experience.
I think you are missing the point about the weapons. we are not telling you that carrying weapons to defend yourself started it, we are telling you that you are exacerbating it. The more he attacks and you defend, the more you are engaging with him as a combatant. This is teaching/ reinforcing to him that you and he are foes and that you are a threat to his flock. When mine were teenagers, I wore heavy gloves, jeans, and protective clothing to grab and subdue them. They learned eventually.
It doesn't sound like you have any experience in calling and I would recommend that you offer him to someone who is experienced with roosters. A change of home and scenery might be the thing to do to break him of his nasty phase, and some people do take in roosters, work with roosters and train them. Even if they decide to cull him, it will likely be a better experience.

You are correct, i have never had to cull one. However, i am not inexperienced in raising chickens or rooster behavior. Im 32 years old and have raised chickens all my life. That being said, we have never encountered an unmanageable rooster like this. I hate to say this, but even in the 90s when we used to be big into cock fighting, the game cocks who acted this way for a living, were still better mannered than rusty. Although chickens are not in no way new to me, this is my first flock of my own in my adult life, and im taking a different approach than the ways we always managed them on our farms growing up. We never raised a flock of unpenned/free ranged hens alone. We've also never had to cull an unmanageable Rooster. If my mother wanted chicken for dinner, she took care of the culling. I never had any desire to be involved. I asked for her advise, but her best advise was "ring his neck", lol. Thanks but no thanks mom.