Evil roos

[aart]

there must be an easier way than this comedy of errors

There is...after dark off the roost.

 

[theoldchick]

The after dark trick works great!

 

[alexa009]

A nasty rooster is very common especially in a leghorn. The white leghorn hens aren't even friendly, they are not a vicious breed they just do not appreciate human contact. Handling nasty chickens is very difficult and is almost impossible to get them to change their aggressive habits once they start. You are not really going to get anywhere with your roo unless you cull him or hurt him. A rooster will only respect your dominance if you hurt him enough where he doesn't want to go near you. Unfortunately this worked with one of my aggressive chickens. The chicken charged after me and I kicked it back into place. I must of obviously hurt it because it didn't want to come near me. Luckily it's friendly now and hasn't tried again since then. She is especially docile and even lets my little 4 year old sister pick her up.

 

[Foghorn J. Leghorn]

First off, thank you all so much for this amazing outpouring of support! This is such a wonderful community that I am proud to be a part of!

I agree with those who have suggested culling the two MOST aggressive, and hoping that the third will calm down. I have my doubts, but it is worth a try. Understand that aggressiveness tends to be a hereditary trait, and any cockerels sired by these roosters will most likely also be human aggressive.

If this is infact the case....then with a heavy heart ( I hate no being able to bring an animal around) so be it.

We all have made it a point to be around the chickens multiple times a day at length and they only seem to get worse. The hens have never wanted anything to do with us and have never wanted to be held, or touched for any reason. The roos have only became more aggresive as time goes by.

It's not that I WANT to dispatch them, I'd rather not, I'd love it if they would just chill out and get along.

They mostly come after me, have stomped around in a display at the kids but never tried to flog any of them. They don't even bother the 2 and 3 year old. They let them pick em up and walk around the yard for an hour or more, pretty cute.
Again thank all of you for taking time to comment!

 

[Foghorn J. Leghorn]

First, ASAP, get 2 of those males into a separate enclosures(wire dog crates work well) out of sight of the flock. Then observe the behavior of the remaining male for a few days or longer. Multiple males creates an environment of competition, which can make them all behave at their worst.

Or into the freezer, let cleaned carcass rest for 48-72 hours in fridge before cooking or eating or it'll be like chewing sticks no matter how you cook it.
Bird that old will be good for stew/soup only.


No, it does not.
Human aggression has more to do with the behavior of the humans than the birds.
With all those kids they all need to be able to 'dominate' the males.
Here's a pretty good write up about cockerel/human behaviors:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/beekisseds-rooster-speak.73664/



The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.
It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.
Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc
It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.
Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

Great article!

 

[ToniTalley]

I have been flogged, pecked, and even got a black eye, and I would be terrified to let a child into the chicken yard!

 

[Foghorn J. Leghorn]

I have been flogged, pecked, and even got a black eye, and I would be terrified to let a child into the chicken yard!

I have been "flogged" and he put a couple holes in me, kids never have been, they have a stick that sits outside the door they carry when they go in to just push the roos away, quite effective. They really enjoy going in the chicken yard and just hanging out with them. The older 5 have a pretty healthy respect for the roos as they have seen them try to get me when I'm in there alone. The babies never go in there alone. However thank you for your concern!

 

[sfgwife]

You have seven children.... and mean ass roos..... that is WAY enough reason for them to go to camp kenmore on pur property!

If your wife cannot understand that then rehome to roos for her peace of mind and never have another roo. They are hit or miss on agressiveness.

 

[Foghorn J. Leghorn]

Wish I had one right now, the benefits I had with my Foghorn Leghorn is nothing & nobody came in my barn. There are benefits!

I can help if you want 1.

 

[sylviethecochin]

If that were an issue, all the kids who like to hang from the monkey bars on the play ground would be suffering from pulmonary issues.

Actually, humans have a diaphragm that separates out the lungs and prevents the intestinal weight from putting too much pressure on the lungs. Birds don't have a diaphragm. They breathe by expanding their ribcages. This is why ascites and related symptoms are so dangerous to chickens, but not to humans--the swelling has no barrier and can crush the lungs.

So you can actually smother a (heavier) chicken by suspending it upside-down for too long.