Cull or keep/ wait and see

[Jesusfreak101]

Ok so we have a delaware rooster who so far up until today has been great, really sweet and gentle. He even plays with our two year old daughter, he like following her aroubd and playing in the sprinkler with her and trys to get in the pool and sandbox with her. However today we went to grab a sexlink who i thought might be a roo not a hen, and as i was in the coop getting said chicken he came up behinde me and mocked jumped twice at me. I got out to the coop with the hen/roo and he still came at me so i charged him and hit him gently with my foot to get him to back off he kept it up so i made him move out or my way for a good while all overthe yard until he backed down. Alittle later i picked him up and carted him around for good measure and if he fought hung him upside down to till he stopped fighting me. He a very large rooster he pushing closed to 10 pounds then nine, he massive he the size of a shitzu. He very tall and very much a muscle bird. He only sixmonth old, my issue is that before he attacked me my daughter as i was trying to catch the other chicken came running over to me crying ow and said chicken, (flash back we have one hen that will walk towards her and she runs crying from the hen) i dont know if he attacked her or not she didnt have any stratches and he has never acted aggressive towards her. Matter afact thirty minutes later he was playing in the kiddy pool with her. I just trying to figure out if he can be fixed or if he needs to be dinner. I dont want him be agressive towards her or any human and if this is just a vison of what the future holds then he dinner. What do you think?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If I had a young child I would not have a rooster loose, nor would I let them play with her, too many kids have been permanently scarred by roosters, you just never know what they might do or when they might do it, don't risk your daughter for a rooster, lock him up or get rid of him, later when your kids are older you can keep a rooster, just my opinion.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Ok thanks not what i was hoping for lol as i am a marshmellow when it comes to killing anything but if he that dangerous to have he gone. I have to talk to my husband about it and first see if our friends want him since they have a mean rooster who attackes them and is over agressive with the hens. I know alot about dogs and cats, horse and such but next to nothing about birds (first flock) everything i know comes from either books or here nor real experience.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I just know when roosters attack they jump up with their claws, with a child they will end up on her face, I can't say for sure if it would happen, but it could, so I would make it so it never could happen. Roosters can be unpredictable, especially with kids, and their erratic movements.

 

[pdirt]

At six months old, his hormones are just getting started. It's very likely his aggressiveness will only get worse as he ages.

 

[trailrider330]

It is not worth the risk. Lock him up or get rid of him one way or another. Your precious daughter's health and safety is not worth taking a chance on. Think about it. Your daughter's face is probably pretty much level with the rooster. Our neighbor knows someone whose child lost an eye just by getting pecked by a rooster. I still have a scar on my leg from a rooster that came after me "out of the blue" and got me good through my jeans. That rooster went to freezer camp. With three kids of my own, I have no tolerance for mean roosters. Perhaps you think that makes me sound insensitive, but I am telling you these things because I would hate having anything like that happen to your child.

 

[Mrs. K]

You have had your warning, and really you are lucky that it was you he went after first. Usually a rooster will attack a child first. The chances he will attack again are quite high.

In dogs and cats and most mammals, if you are kind to them, they are kind back. But that is not how it works in the flock. Birds take niceness as submissive behavior. Any type of behavior that is not submissive must be challenged. Their brains are not large.

I think the roosters take some experience, just have a hen flock till your little one is 6 years or older. Roosters are a crap shoot, and this forum is full of stories where the darling became the nightmare in an instant without warning. More than likely there was warning, but an inexperience person does not recognize them, or wishes them away.

Mrs K

 

[Pork Pie]

I went through a similar experience, and after advice from other BYC members I put him in the slow cooker - very tasty he was too! Better to get rid of him.

 

[aart]

You have had your warning, and really you are lucky that it was you he went after first. Usually a rooster will attack a child first. The chances he will attack again are quite high.

In dogs and cats and most mammals, if you are kind to them, they are kind back. But that is not how it works in the flock. Birds take niceness as submissive behavior. Any type of behavior that is not submissive must be challenged. Their brains are not large.

I think the roosters take some experience, just have a hen flock till your little one is 6 years or older. Roosters are a crap shoot, and this forum is full of stories where the darling became the nightmare in an instant without warning. More than likely there was warning, but an inexperience person does not recognize them, or wishes them away.

Mrs K

Hmm.....I think all male livestock are not to be trusted, I've read rams especially can turn on you....had some delicious 'BadRam' burger and sausage locally.

@Jesusfreak101 lock that cockerel up asap.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes the rooster needs to be separated from child. An even bigger yes is a lot wrong was done by keeper to make the problem much worse.

edited by staff