Hector's World: Adventures and Mayhem at Mountain View Poultry (or Sequel to The Evolution of Atlas

[robhuncor]

One of my roosters that I hatched out in my incubator about 4 years ago attacked me a few nights ago. He has always been "difficult" and actually knocked out the eye of my nice mellow rooster. So he has been living in a bachelor pen the last year. He has always hated my husband and challenges him every time DH tries to let him out in the AM. He's always been fine with me but I didn't really trust him. So when I went to shut him up a few nights ago, his door had blown shut. I had to step into the run to open it and he went after me. He managed to get outside the gate and I was trapped. I tried to work my way over to the nearby hen's pen, got in and slammed the gate shut just as he hurled himself into it. He was totally berserk and had landed a good one on my leg. Its amazing how horribly painful it is when they hit you! I could feel the blood running down into my shoe so I knew it was bad. There was a broken shovel handle in there so I grabbed it and backed all the way up the hill to the back door, fending him off with the shovel handle. Once I got inside I couldn't believe the blood literally pumping out of my leg! The kitchen looked like a murder scene. I called DH for help and he nearly passed out at the sight. (He's useless in an emergency.) I think the spurs on that roo were 4 inches long, straight and thick.

Well, long story short, I put a big wadded up bandage on my leg to stop the bleeding and next day had to go to the doctor for a tetanus shot and antibiotics. But before I went, I calmly and coolly went out and did what needed to be done a long time ago - euthanized that black devil rooster. he is now fertilizing my garden - from under the dirt. I hate killing anything and haven't done it for years but this was necessary.

This is just a cautionary tale - I know Hector seems to be good most of the time but you and Tom have to be really careful! I learned the hard way. Almost a week later and my leg is still swollen, oozing and infected.

 

[speckledhen]

@robhuncor Robin, I'm so sorry! I hate that. If you recall, my Dutch, Hawkeye's son and Zane's brother, changed at 1 1/2 years old, suddenly, and only toward me. He finally progressed to flogging me and that was the end of his tenure here. You did the right thing. No rooster who inflicts that type of damage on any human handler should be allowed to live. We executed a Delaware, pre-Isaac, because of his ramped up aggression, but he was the last one we felt deserved to be stew here. So that was many years back.

Your Devil Rooster's spurs sound like Atlas's, thick and straight, but thankfully, Atlas is the most mellow boy toward me, ever. I lift him off the roost in the morning because it's painful for him to jump down now. He's a complete angel and so is Bash. Hector has always had a different personality. Most of the time, he acts like a feathered Labrador Retriever, bouncing around with his tongue hanging out, his version of it. But here are those times when I have a question about him...did he just go a bit too far? Is he threatening and not being goofy this time? It will crush me if Hector actually went on the attack and I had to euthanize him. I wouldn't be able to see through the tears when it happens, if it happens, because he has really not been bad, just super energetic and smart and dominant and whatever else you can think of to describe that big goober. Mostly, he is very obedient and loves attention. But what happened to Tom that day, I really wish I had seen with my own eyes. Even Tom didn't really see it, only heard Hector running and felt the impact. I'm not sure if he actually flogged him or hit him with his chest or what he did. But he got immediately smacked across the pen in a knee-jerk reaction, I'm told.

I am always cautious with Hector because I don't trust him like I trust Atlas or Bash. I give him the benefit of the doubt...until he does something similar to me. That will be a sad day. I mean, he's 3 years old! He's established here, a fixture, a rooster I've grown to love. I hope he does not disappoint me again.

 

[robhuncor]

There's something about the male personality. They are just characters. I've noticed that I can recognize all my chickens by the noises they make. They all sound unique. The black rooster was incredibly beautiful. He was a mix but I think mostly Wyandotte. Big and chunky with silver and gold in his hackles and wings. He had the most interesting really dark red comb - huge but fitted to his head with lots of "fingers" all over it and lovely big dark eyes. He would "hum" at me - the cutest soft sounds, while he was tidbitting. It just was so hard to reconcile that sweet voice with the evil beast he became!

 

[1muttsfan]

Biological imperative is a powerful force. Likely the ones that get aggressive see us as just another chicken, and react the way they would to any chicken challenger.

OMG that first picture is priceless...

 

[speckledhen]

Biological imperative is a powerful force. Likely the ones that get aggressive see us as just another chicken, and react the way they would to any chicken challenger.

OMG that first picture is priceless...

What you said about them seeing us as just a challenger really lines up with what I have seen. The smartest ones are the least likely to turn on their human keepers. They understand we are not a threat, that we are over them in the pecking order and that we are not "one of them". Obviously, there can be exceptions to that. But, I consider(ed) Isaac, Suede, Atlas, Bash and even Hector very intelligent. The Belgian D'Anver males are just plain dumb, every one of them. And they still threaten and bite and flog when they decide it's worth taking the chance.

I wish I'd just kept all those pics in that series, but chose just a couple. He definitely knows something is up with the "tree box". Smart boy, or maybe he has the best hearing ever. It may make an almost imperceptible high pitched whine when it takes a shot, something I can't hear.

 

[speckledhen]

Some vintage Hector footage for you, just a short clip. Someone commented on it today and I laughed as I watched it. I shudder to think what Bash would do now if he came face to face with the former "Little Tyrant".

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

tough guy chasing the kids around.

 

[speckledhen]

tough guy chasing the kids around.

He's still a tough guy....until he wants his chest rub at roost time. Well, he wants it in the morning when I'm cleaning and when he goes to roost. Big goober.

 

[speckledhen]

Hector now has 7 hens and he's actually doing quite well in there. I'm very proud of that boy. He's broken up fights quite a bit since his two were thrown in with five others, including his and Jill's daughters, Jane and Maddie, but he's done it and is being very good. Wendy the Witch, bully that she is, spends so much time running from Hector, she has little time to bully anyone. He doesn't seem to like her, but neither did Atlas. She's the only black hen in there with all those Barred Rocks.

 

[Cryss]

Hector now has 7 hens and he's actually doing quite well in there. I'm very proud of that boy. He's broken up fights quite a bit since his two were thrown in with five others, including his and Jill's daughters, Jane and Maddie, but he's done it and is being very good. Wendy the Witch, bully that she is, spends so much time running from Hector, she has little time to bully anyone. He doesn't seem to like her, but neither did Atlas. She's the only black hen in there with all those Barred Rocks.

Thanks for the update. I’m so happy he’s such a good rooster. Does this mean he hasn’t attacked anyone since?