How many roosters did you cull before getting a good one?

[User105877]

I've had well over a hundred roosters the past 30 some years. There have only been two that have tried flogging me more than a couple times. A bantam Cochin that was my grandpas that we called Meanie when I was 8. Them 15 years or so ago I had a Dom gamefowl that would probably make most on here cry lol. Now I've had a small handful of others try it a time or two, but put them in their place quickly without hesitation and holding back and they learn extremely quick.

 

[McChooky]

What an eye-opener! This is my first time with chickens There are 2 that will come up and try to peck on me when I went out to watch them and try to learn about them. They are young and have not even started to crow yet if they are cocks. they could not hurt me, so I just ignored them.
I keep a bottle of half vinegar and half water. I used it on my young pup to teach him where the property line was.
Should I use it on the 2 that come to peck on me? my atte

My oldest hens will peck me in the leg when they want treats and not above raising their voice to let me know they're unhappy (Dominiques) Thank goodness I only have 3 obnoxious spoiled brats

 

[lomine]

I've only had one that tried to "attack" me. It was a Silkie cockerel and he tried to fight my shoe. Tucked my shoe under him, lifted him a couple inches off the ground, and tossed him a couple feet away. He never bothered me again. None of the many other roosters or cockerels over the years have been human aggressive. I never cuddle or pet my birds, though I often like to watch them run around chasing bugs and what not.

Had one that started squaring off with my elderly, small dog that was just milling around the barnyard. He was also starting to attack my main rooster (my favorite from over the years) so he was culled shortly after.

I cull for the flock as a whole. Birds that cause stress or injury to another bird are culled, both male and female. I don't mean normal chicken spats, but the ones that relentlessly chase others or constantly mate/peck/bully. It took me a few years to learn this. It's not a fun or easy thing to do, but having a happy, peaceful flock afterwards lets me know I did the right thing for the flock.

 

[Nashv755]

I believe the vast majority of bad roosters come from people that unknowingly train them to be bad by ignoring bad behavior as "that's what roosters do". Think about it for a second. Why do some people almost never get a bad one and other seem to get all bad ones? When you raise them from chicks they don't have an adult rooster to learn from or keep them in check. So when they hit that teenager stage they see their owner as the flock leader. But a top rooster won't let lower rooster mount hens in front of him.

When lower roosters mount a hen infront of the flock leader it's actually a challenge to test the flock leader. If he gets away with it the flock leader is seen as scared, weak or unfit to lead and eventually the lower rooster will challenge the flock leader for the top spot in the pecking order.

When you raise them from chicks you are the flock leader like it or not. When one of mine mounts infront of me I treat them like the top rooster would and give them a light punt just to knock them off the hen. It's not being mean you're just speaking chicken. Another thing to keep in mind to do is don't avoid them if they are in your path. Walk like you'll step on them if they don't move and make them move.

Those 2 things will make a world of difference in how they behave as adults and mine still eat out of my hand and sit by my feet when I sit outside. Just because you scold them doesn't mean you don't treat them like the rest of the flock when they behave. You set the boundaries and If you're not worried about someone in the yard nether are they.

 

[jBabychickn]

How many roosters did you cull before getting a good one?​

None. Over 50 males so far. Different breeds. Different temperaments. Different keeping conditions. I've been flogged, spured and had some real hardcases. I've always managed to come to an arrangement so everyone lives.
I only kill to eat, or on those rare occasions when I have a rogue rooster who is abusing the hens.

You’re my Hero!! I cherish my roosters and with patience and training, they’ve all paid me back 10-fold by protecting my flock as well as being a nice pet overall.

 

[jBabychickn]

I believe the vast majority of bad roosters come from people that unknowingly train them to be bad by ignoring bad behavior as "that's what roosters do". Think about it for a second. Why do some people almost never get a bad one and other seem to get all bad ones? When you raise them from chicks they don't have an adult rooster to learn from or keep them in check. So when they hit that teenager stage they see their owner as the flock leader. But a top rooster won't let lower rooster mount hens in front of him.

When lower roosters mount a hen infront of the flock leader it's actually a challenge to test the flock leader. If he gets away with it the flock leader is seen as scared, weak or unfit to lead and eventually the lower rooster will challenge the flock leader for the top spot in the pecking order.

When you raise them from chicks you are the flock leader like it or not. When one of mine mounts infront of me I treat them like the top rooster would and give them a light punt just to knock them off the hen. It's not being mean you're just speaking chicken. Another thing to keep in mind to do is don't avoid them if they are in your path. Walk like you'll step on them if they don't move and make them move.

Those 2 things will make a world of difference in how they behave as adults and mine still eat out of my hand and sit by my feet when I sit outside. Just because you scold them doesn't mean you don't treat them like the rest of the flock when they behave. You set the boundaries and If you're not worried about someone in the yard nether are they.

Agreed. Our roosters are not allowed to mount hens in our presence, if they try they get dominated or disciplined by us until they learn not to. I think just this training trick does so much for the pecking order between human and Roo. — When I say disciplined, it could be something as simple as picking them up and carrying them around for 10min in front of their girls or holding their body down to the ground for a couple of min, depending upon how bad their behavior was. I’ve never had to do more than this….

 

[ChickyWhicky]

I have found the less I handle/coddle them growing up, the less human aggresive they are. In fact, once I know they are roosters I treat them a bit rough. Dont allow them near me and no touching. Make sure they move when I say move. Cant let those roosters boys think they run the show. If they do act up, they get picked up and carried around or they get held into the ground. I only tried this on one rooster who was mean mean.....
That being said, I have culled one due to bad behavior. Sometimes the methods dont work and they want to be dirtbags. Its not worth keeping a safety hazard around.

 

[Nashv755]

Agreed. Our roosters are not allowed to mount hens in our presence, if they try they get dominated or disciplined by us until they learn not to. I think just this training trick does so much for the pecking order between human and Roo. — When I say disciplined, it could be something as simple as picking them up and carrying them around for 10min in front of their girls or holding their body down to the ground for a couple of min, depending upon how bad their behavior was. I’ve never had to do more than this….

That's why if I started over I'd want to find a people aggressive rooster to see if I could break him from it. I think the usual methods you hear about like holding down or carrying is more of a temporary fix if the owners still allow them to mount the hens infront of them because that is a constant test to make sure the flock leader is a capable leader. I just haven't gotten a people aggressive rooster out of my flock yet and keep 50-100 free-range birds at any time. The last aggressive rooster I seen was the one grandaddy had 35 years ago and nobody could go outside without a stick and it would even chase the car pecking the tires

 

[jBabychickn]

That's why if I started over I'd want to find a people aggressive rooster to see if I could break him from it. I think the usual methods you hear about like holding down or carrying is more of a temporary fix if the owners still allow them to mount the hens infront of them because that is a constant test to make sure the flock leader is a capable leader. I just haven't gotten a people aggressive rooster out of my flock yet and keep 50-100 free-range birds at any time. The last aggressive rooster I seen was the one grandaddy had 35 years ago and nobody could go outside without a stick and it would even chase the car pecking the tires

My goodness; That would certainly be a sight to see! —

I do agree with you again; a cockerel and/or rooster will only forget about your disciplinary actions if there’s no consist follow-thru to the environment, which in our case was the inability to mount his hens while we were around. — I mean, IMO, it’s very off-putting to be outside having a BBQ or just sitting out back enjoying the day with friends/family and there goes a Rooster hunching on some poor Hen


Oh! And, I should add… Ya gotta have that boundary constantly “set & reset” because a Roo will still test that boundary and try to sneak in bad behavior every now and again no matter if they’ve already learned the appropriate behavior… That’s just a Roo!

Regardless, I’ll never have a free ranging flock without them. They are vital to the flock and the flocks dynamic. — My heart just leaps every time I see our senior Roo escort a new layer to and from her selected nesting box.
My heart leaps every time I see our Roo not eat his daily snack until his Girls are happy first. My heart leaps when my Hens are out dust-bathing and there’s our Roo standing tall, watching the perimeters as well as the skies, keeping them safe while they’re vulnerable. The list could go on…

 

[Magda12]

Any thread recommendations for those of us new to culling? Best ways to cull and process birds, esp for newbies.