CULL or KEEP????????

[Nava]

Quote:
yea, you don't want to breed him and get more mean rosters.


I don't know much about that breed,never had one so I can't help you there.
but I have had some mean ones, and they are gone now.

"Gone now"

I guess by unanimous vote he will probably be joining them when he's old enough.

I just hated it when I would go in the pen and he would just beat me up out of nowhere.

I actually had one that would literary chase me around the house, one time I had to call DH to come get him cause he had me cornered I was stuck there for a good couple Hrs

yes get rid of him

 

[LaurenLauren2007]

We have 13 hens of various breeds, all hardy dual purpose breeds. I really didn't want a roo until we got 9 of them and i started doing more research. It would be nice to keep a consistent flock of good layers without having to order them through the mail. Id like to have the option of a couple homegrown babies running around.

 

[LaurenLauren2007]

Quote:
"Gone now"

I guess by unanimous vote he will probably be joining them when he's old enough.

I just hated it when I would go in the pen and he would just beat me up out of nowhere.

I actually had one that would literary chase me around the house, one time I had to call DH to come get him cause he had me cornered I was stuck there for a good couple Hrs

yes get rid of him

Bahahahahahaha funny image....... not at the time I'm sure, but funny story now! Bless your heart. Yeah I guess I didn't know it could get that bad. I really don't want to be forced into "packing heat" everytime I enter my coop by a 7 lbs bird.

 

[LaurenLauren2007]

Quote:

thank you! Good advise. I just love this forum, so many good knowledgeable responses.

 

[Ariel301]

You don't want a man-fighter in your flock, period. Even people who raise game chickens (known for their aggression) won't tolerate that. You can't usually "cure" one that does it, and it is not a trait you want him passing on if you hatch some of his offspring. To the stew pot with him. Oh, and as for using those roosters for meat...I got some as packing peanuts too, and there's no meat on them until 6 months or more. I did one at 4 months and he was pretty much a meal for one. Not worth all the effort to clean him!

 

[LaurenLauren2007]

Thank you Ariel, very helpful! I have to say if he keeps his shenanigans up, he might become a dinner for one

 

[Mattemma]

I would probably cull any roo that hurt me or the kids. I can undstand protecting the flock if there is obvious harm,but attacking when you are doing daily chores is going to get old.

I got a 1yo roo off of craigs. I could just cry thinking about what a great guy he is.Never came at anyone,but always watching and vocal. He makes the hawk warning before I ever see the hawk.He calls the girls when he sees me coming with treats.Shoot,yesterday he was in the girls nest box,and he seemed to be telling them to come in and lay an egg. I know it is unlikely his temperment would be passed on to off spring,but if it were OH MY he would be worth a lot of money. Best roo ever.

There are roos out there that will protect the flock,but also be tolerant of us humans.Keep looking.

 

[LaurenLauren2007]

Wow mattemma He sounds like a dream come true! I would love to have a sweetheart like that. What breed is he?

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
I keep hearing this, and then from others, hearing that this ratio is only meant to be used when discussing fertility. Which is it?

Jeff, 1/10 is a good ratio for fertility and that`s where that number came from. Some roosters can fertilize more and some less, but 10 is a good ratio. As far as just keeping a rooster, any number of hens is fine, until you get serious about wanting chicks. Then you can select your best hens and pen them with your rooster and get the fertile eggs you need. Some folks have adolescent cockerals that are rough on the pullets, sorta like the labido of teenage boys. If you can tolerate him until he matures, most cocks are gentlemen and treat the ladies with respect. Just thought you would like to have that cleared up. Hope I did. Merry Christmas.........Pop

 

[CMV]

I had a roo last year that sounds a lot like yours. By 8 weeks old he had already killed one of the pullets he was raised with. By 16 weeks old he was actively attacking humans. After months of working with him he still couldn't be trusted around any humans except me. Just shy of a year old he attacked me so brutally that I had to beat him off me with a stick. I snapped a walking stick over his head to get him off me after I had already kicked him off 3 times. He went on to be processed the next day.

When cockerels show extreme aggression that young, there is no saving them. They will never be rehabilitated. My advice to you is to process him now. He may not make much more than a pot of soup, but you are just going to keep getting attacked worse and worse as time goes on. His spurs are going to grow in longer and longer and they will start to do damage not too long from now. Save yourself a lot of future woe by cutting your losses early.

I wish I had not wasted my time with my old roo. I should have given him the axe right after the incident with the pullet. The final day of his life... the reason he attacked me... my 6 y.o. daughter was standing behind me. He decided he was going to get her by going through me to do it. I was terrified he was going to get around me and get to her. I should have gotten rid of that animal long before that day came.

Good luck.

P.S.- I now have a cockerel that I am really hopeful is going to be a good one. He is beautiful and wonderful.