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

[SamCO]

This is really interesting about not letting the rooster mount hens in front of you. Makes perfect sense and I will start that immediately. It does seem like they try to do it more when people are around. Maybe it is their way of showing they’re on top of the pecking order. I’ll be sure to have my kids do that too, so that the cockerels learn they’re not the boss off everyone.

Agreed it’s awkward when non-chicken people are over and a rowdy cockerel is chasing a screaming hen around until he forces his way on top of her. I don’t appreciate it and I’m much more accepting of animal behavior, pleasant or not.

 

[Nashv755]

This is really interesting about not letting the rooster mount hens in front of you. Makes perfect sense and I will start that immediately. It does seem like they try to do it more when people are around. Maybe it is their way of showing they’re on top of the pecking order. I’ll be sure to have my kids do that too, so that the cockerels learn they’re not the boss off everyone.

Agreed it’s awkward when non-chicken people are over and a rowdy cockerel is chasing a screaming hen around until he forces his way on top of her. I don’t appreciate it and I’m much more accepting of animal behavior, pleasant or not.

I've never tried it on one that has already started showing aggression to people. I'll take a guess that he may try to challenge you since he's been getting away with it. So you may need to hold him down or something if he comes at you. I definitely wouldn't put your kids up to it right now. See how he responds to you.

It's just kind of a theory that if he sees you as flock leader, he'll see your kids as part or "your" flock and I can't say I've heard of a rooster attacking the top roosters favorites. Chickens are really smart but really dumb at the same time. People have a hard enough time understanding chicken behavior. I imagine if chickens understood human behavior there would be a lot less bad roosters

 

[Krugerrand]

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

Check out this sticky in the Meat Bird section:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/meat-section-sticky-topic-index.248648/

 

[SueT]

My good roosters were raised by hens and in the flock. I think imprinting is the key. Chicks will imprint on a human who raises them, and it can confuse their identity. This often leads to aggressiveness. When raised by a hen, they imprint on her and understand who/what they are and are taught all the necessary chicken etiquette.
This is my previous good rooster (now late) and his son as a chick, who is now our current good rooster.

There was/is never a hint of aggression toward humans, nor toward other flock members. The cockerels are taught well by the hen. There is no need for the human to show them who’s boss. The human is seen as an unrelated benign species, not as another rooster.
Here is one of my hens teaching the next generation, and hopefully, our next rooster.

 

[Magda12]

Check out this sticky in the Meat Bird section:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/meat-section-sticky-topic-index.248648/

Thanks so much! That was really good and didn't bother me at all (I'm really nervous about the killing part), but it all looks pretty clinical. Here's hoping all my roosters are jerks so I feel even less bad about it

 

[jBabychickn]

This is really interesting about not letting the rooster mount hens in front of you. Makes perfect sense and I will start that immediately. It does seem like they try to do it more when people are around. Maybe it is their way of showing they’re on top of the pecking order. I’ll be sure to have my kids do that too, so that the cockerels learn they’re not the boss off everyone.

Agreed it’s awkward when non-chicken people are over and a rowdy cockerel is chasing a screaming hen around until he forces his way on top of her. I don’t appreciate it and I’m much more accepting of animal behavior, pleasant or not.

I would definitely learn and watch videos on how to properly restrain and hold a rooster down on the ground to dominate them.
I’d start out using only very short periods of time, so that you have room to increase it for the situations when you need to show more dominance… I doubt holding him and walking around with him for a few minutes would be enough of a behavior distraction since he’s already been allowed to mount hens in front of you guys, ya know what I mean...
Still, knowing me, I’d prolly give it at least one try just to see LOL!
I’d still be completely prepared to do the ground technique, for sure ….
GOOD LUCK!

Please DO keep me posted — Rooster behavior is so fascinating to me…
I just love them!
Nothing beats that feeling, watching a confused, naughty Roo flip into being a nice Gentleman! — …

 

[RebelFord81]

This is my 4 month old Waylon and I'm really hoping he's a gond one cause he's so pretty and so far he's very sweet I've had some nasty ameraucanas over the years so time will tell

 

[Jojosine]

Harvey our Cream Legbar rooster is very gentle (so far at the age of 1 year), but we have a girl who was extremely vicious when she had chicks and went for our faces every time we wanted to check on her babies. She is still laying eggs though, but I fear she will end up in the pot one day.

 

[Leatherworker]

All of my first three roosters (from a group of straight run bantams) were handled a lot. One was super skittish, one was polite and easy to handle, and one was aggressive to people. I didn’t cull any of them.

You just proved my thoughts as reading all this. I would rather be kind and handle then the other way. You handled them all and all were different. I have 11 pullets which have 11 different personality's. Its not just roosters. If you handle, you can get your hands on when needed and along with the good possibly of having a friendly good rooster.

 

[Member 671655]

None. Raised both of my Roos from an egg and they are beautiful bantam and amaeracana .