Culling Cockerels for Unwanted Behaviors?

[KikiLeigh02]

Yikes. Start over? This article was really helpful for me (if you haven't read it yet):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/beekisseds-rooster-speak.73664/

Yeah I removed my top rooster who had been going out of his way to attack me on Monday. Last night my "next in line" rooster went after me. I don't know what to do.

 

[Folly's place]

I have both hatchery and home bred birds, and carefully select cockerels to keep. I take the 'hands off' approach to raising the cockerels; they aren't hand fed pets!
I also am not interested in 'fixing' an aggressive bird. Good temperament breeds on, so only polite boys stay, and may get to reproduce.
If you've removed one obnoxious cock bird, and number two starts acting out, remove him too! If you aren't totally devoted to one breeding line, plan on some new blood and pick better boys!
Mary

 

[happyfrenchman]

I have never experienced such aggressive cockerels... maybe it has to do with particular breeds.... You did right. You can only keep so many roosters per hen anyway. I too do the skinning thing. It makes no sense to pluck them when they look more like a crow than a frankenbird and the meat is going in the chicken and dumplings.

 

[Trish1974]

Well, plenty of us here eat quail and they're tiny. And delicious
I've been thinking about your situation, my best roos came from backyard flocks, and their sons are gentlemen too. But it seems like every hatchery roo i've had ends up in a soup pot.
I wonder if other people find this to be true - maybe the further you get away from hatchery stock the nicer they are? Maybe most small flock owners are naturally selecting for gentleman by not putting up with aggressive roos?

Not to stray off topic, but I was just thinking about this the other day as I watching my mean girls chase and peck the sweet girls. I have 7 chickens. The four meanest (2 BA, 1 BJG, and 1 GC) are hatchery birds. The two sweeties are homegrown/backyard breeder EEs, and my Araucana rooster (who's personality and temperament can't be beat) is from a breeder. Soooo.... coincidence? I don't know, but my next birds won't be from a hatchery just in case...

 

[Folly's place]

Some of my hatchery cock birds have been wonderful, but it's true that breeding for politeness is not really on the radar most places, so culling is necessary. Some breeds are notorious for being 'difficult' too.
Mary