Cull or keep/ wait and see

[centrarchid]

I read every information pamlet i was give when we bought our pullets. I had no clue i was going to get a rooster. Explain to me how a lincens for a livestock animal would be better then giving some one a pamplet or warning them that if they get a rooster by mistake how dangerous they can be?

Idea I am contemplating deals with getting you properly prepared for how to behave around roosters and liverstock in general. Then to be able to read signals given by animals. When it comes to the ax treatment / freeze camp, use it sooner than later if you are not well versed in keeping adult birds. With some strains it is better to avoid dealing with the male side in a backyard setting.

At this point if your interest in roosters remains, the you can start seeking advice from parties who are well versed in keeping them successfully.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you for all the storys i have honestly never been around chickens i never liked birds very much i was attack by cardinals as a child, i never thought i would like chickens but hey now i am hooked. I not going to allow my daughter to ger hurt like i said this is the first sign and i wont allow anymore. I was just curious. My husband had ducks as a child so yah. We even have friends who had chickens for years i figured they would have said something about the danger. He a dead chicken, either that or he rehomed i dont take kindly to any threats towards my daughter by anything or anyone. Once agian thank you for all the stories.

The thing is, not all roosters are dangerous or mean. Your friends may not have ever had a mean one. It can happen. I'm glad you have decided not to keep yours. If you do give him away, please do so with full disclosure, letting the new owners know that he is human aggressive.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

The only ones who would have gotten him do have a mean rooster that their hens never had feathers, but they want to keep theirs so ours is freezer bound i didnt want to give him to just anyone just to be on the safe side.

 

[pdirt]

In terms of not getting too close to your chickens:

One end of the spectrum is keeping chickens as pets. The other end is as livestock. Getting clear with yourself and your husband where you are on the spectrum can make it easier on you when it comes time to get rid of a chicken.

Our chickens have names but none are truly pets. We enjoy and care for them, but not in the same way as our dog. We will and have put some of them in the freezer. It makes it so much easier emotionally to not treat them like pets, but I understand why many people do.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Ours to us have been pets but i know the out come for most rooster and around here no one really wants one so yeah.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry, not sure why this is turning mean for you, we all learn somewhere, and you just wanted some advise, I like roosters, I have many, and do not like culling anything, so I understand your dilemma, I had said it's best not to have anything else happen, I think you know what you're going to do, and you don't need anymore advice, good luck and don't be discouraged.

 

[centrarchid]

I say what appears mean when killing of stock is the knee jerk response to bad relations. Killing in some circles is regarded as mean. The rooster clearly will have that take. Safety issue for children is recognized (I have little ones too and used to be one) but problem started before child threatened.


He also might have issues with context associated with his initial attack. You mess with my wife or kids and I will consider you to be an evil doer and pop it to you too. Next round, handle birds in a manner that does not stress them. Handling animals roughly in a larger / closer to commercial flocks can be expedient although in smaller flocks where natural social arrangements may be approximated you and stock are better served by treating them as pets where care is taken not to cause stress.

I run much of spectrum in terms of how birds are kept. Most are flat out livestock, a few are pets just like dogs and cats. I am not too keen on the pets only or livestock only approaches especially when the backyard setting applies.

 

[Pork Pie]

We see many points of view here which is always good.

Personally, i see the main issue being that Jesusfreak101 is learning. Nobody is perfect and we learn from our mistakes - thats what makes us improve in the future. Having said that, the rooster in question could just be a nut case and the most experienced cockerel owner could have faced the same problems.

We are all here to learn from each other and yes, we make mistakes, but as long as we don't repeat them - all is well with the world!

CT

 

[centrarchid]

To make this a learning experience as provided by an experience cockerel owner, consider what was related in first post about the sex-linked bird grabbed. Then consider how the rooster's attack was responded to with first a retreat then a counter attack by the keeper. That is where the key no-no's took place. Next time do not run from or fight with the bird. Genetically speaking, my birds have little inclination to attack humans. That can be overridden by how I treat them. Birds from other strains can be promoted to attack with a lot less "treatment" but still some treatment is involved.

Also avoid grabbing hens or chicks a rooster considers his. There are other methods to move and sort birds. Consider even handling birds at night and doing so in a manner that causes minimal disturbance.

 

[Jesusfreak101]

i want to thank those who i have stood up for me and for the caring advice that was given. As i know most dont know how i treat my birds i assure you they are spoiled rotten. My leghorns who are the oldest will sit in my lap and will come when called same with my delewares. As will most of the sex links and the rir and brp and our one austroplorp the hen in question doesnt stay with the others at all normally and wont come even when food is involed so cornering her and catching/grabbing her is the only way to get her. Her neck feathers started looking like my roosters so i went to check to see if it was a rooster or a hen. I realize he being a rooster but the fact is the attack was abnormal i normal can walk up to any hen and pick her up and he has never attacked me before. I handle them often as i can.