Feeling awful for culling my rooster

[sbergstrom09]

Thank you, it was more fun at first but changed when they became aggressive. It’s still sad, I have to cull his brother tomorrow that’s for sure; he charged me multiple times again today so I know it’s right. I still feel sad because I had them this long but it’s better in the long run.

You loved the bird before he became aggressive. It is not good to love a bird that is attacking you. You will soon be glad they are gone, as they tend to ruin the joy of keeping chickens. You can remember them fondly.

I doubt you botched the first time, there is quite a bit of movement with the death throes.

It helps be to look at my chicken keeping as keeping a flock. Birds come into and out of the flock.

But I do often times wonder if people with tender sensibilities should even keep chickens, they seem so broken hearted and surprised when the end comes. In chickens it often comes. That is a lot of misery for a hobby that is suppose to be fun.

I am sorry that you are upset, but not that you took a dangerous animal and gave him a quick end.

Mrs K

 

[McChooky]

Last night I made a decision to cull my first rooster. He was about 2 1/2 years old and I hatched them from eggs to start my first flock. I made the decision because he wasn’t backing down from fighting with his brother (same age) and another rooster who is just over a year old. They got along pretty well, small fights for dominance but nothing that would last or be brutal. It started with the young rooster out of nowhere fighting with him for minutes at a time last week where we had to stop the fighting. We have the young rooster separated and are planning to cull him or give him to our neighbors. Then last night his brother and him were fighting nonstop, he was getting chased by his brother and I had to grab both of them to make them stop. When putting the hens away they started up again in the coop and I had a feeling he wouldn’t make it through the morning or if he did one of the two would be gone after getting back from work. His comb was a darker red and looked off, his breathing was off too. He was a much bigger rooster, about 8-10lbs or more. I used the broomstick method, he was calm when it was in place but it was hard to tell if it worked, I know they move after but I did the method again just to make sure he wasn’t in pain. He charged a few times but infrequently, more so recently. He has spurred us so it was becoming a safety issue. His brother is going to be culled this weekend, he bites, spurs and charges on a daily basis. I just feel awful that I had to take a life and even more if he was still alive after the first try. I also feel awful that he went first when it should have been his brother who is more aggressive. His brother is the main rooster for the flock and always has been. Does this get easier? I want to have meat birds but if it’s always this hard I don’t know if I can do it.

Quit beating yourself up over your rooster. At the end of the day it doesn't matter whether he went first or died on the 1st try. All that matters is he had a good life.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I agree with @Mrs.K, you probably did NOT botch your first attempt. How can I be so sure? Because when DH and I had to quickly cull a sick or injured bird (I forget now), using the broomstick method for the first time, my DH pulled so hard he accidentally decapitated her. And yes, there were death throes. But there was no doubt she was dead, you see? So please try not to feel bad. These things happen when you have chickens. If you want to be SURE, just pull hard and fast. You might have a bucket handy to put the bird in immediately. Blessings.

 

[Floof]

I don't have much to add other than I prefer to use tree loppers so it is instant and there's no second guessing. Can I ask, if you aren't planning to eat them, why not try to rehome them first? I personally eat my unwanted birds because it feels so wasteful to kill them and not even make a meal out of them...

 

[FrostRanger]

I don't have much to add other than I prefer to use tree loppers so it is instant and there's no second guessing. Can I ask, if you aren't planning to eat them, why not try to rehome them first? I personally eat my unwanted birds because it feels so wasteful to kill them and not even make a meal out of them...

The birds are human aggressive, it would be dangerous to rehome them and it would not be good for the hobby as a whole to let a human aggressive animal potentially breed

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I had to get rid of my beautiful boy the other day. He had started charging me and my toddler so that was the end. I sold him for $10 to someone who wanted to eat him. He was so peaceful and lovely as I carried him to the kennel and it made me feel awful. He was really a good looking dude and I so wanted him to work out. But if he wasn’t going to be someone else’s dinner he was going to get fed to the bears and I thought it better he make a meal for someone. This is the downside of chicken keeping and I can safely say you did well. Don’t beat yourself up!

 

[Floof]

The birds are human aggressive, it would be dangerous to rehome them and it would not be good for the hobby as a whole to let a human aggressive animal potentially breed

I was more thinking so someone else could eat him

 

[FrostRanger]

I was more thinking so someone else could eat him

Ah, totally fair then. That would be a good idea

 

[McChooky]

The 1st time my roosters head slipped but I got it right the 2nd try