I think my mean rooster figured out I'm not messing around?

[kokopelli91]

I hope this is the right forum for this, please let me know if it's not.

This weekend I processed 4 out of our 6 roosters. All but one (my little crossbeak EE) were getting mean with each other, me, and the hens and not allowing anyone near the food or water that I had out for them constantly. I couldn't rehome them with their attitudes. I decided to process them even though they're not meat birds, and were only 18 weeks old. One EE we named Elvis is my favorite rooster and had gone after me after all the others had taken a chance, and I wasn't too keen on sending him to freezer camp, so I saved him for last. Before this weekend, he would hiss at me if I went in the run and try to walk behind me and would bite at the backs of my legs. I tried everything I've seen recommended - carrying him around every day for almost a month, upside down, putting him in confinement, etc and nothing seemed to work.

When I was getting the roosters ready I had them all in a small pen together so they couldn't get out and I could withhold food for a few hours. The only spot I could do the job was in the run, and it went pretty well for my first time. Got about 12 lbs of meat between the 4 I did. When it came time for Elvis I was already tired and it was getting a bit dark out, so I decided to give him a second chance. He'd had a front row seat to the other roosters meeting their fate, and ever since Saturday, he avoids me like the plague. I can walk in to the run and coop without him hissing and he actually runs about 20 feet away any time I go in. I gave them all some treats earlier and he wouldn't come within 5 feet of me. He's also been extremely sweet to the hens and the crossbeak EE, who was at the brunt of most of his aggression prior.

Has anyone else experienced this? I don't expect it to last forever, but it wouldn't bother me if it did either.

 

[sourland]

Perhaps the removal of the other cockerels has been a calming effect. Hope so for his sake.

 

[kokopelli91]

Perhaps the removal of the other cockerels has been a calming effect. Hope so for his sake.

I think that definitely plays a part in it.

 

[aart]

I think that definitely plays a part in it.

A big part...more than him maybe 'knowing' that you killed all his brothers.

Multiple males area PITA, removing some always makes a huge and immediate difference in the behaviors of the remaining male.

 

[PlentifulPrairie]

Too many roos in the coop, they're all fighting to be top dog.

However I know from firsthand experience you can have all roos in a coop if you interact with them from day one everyday. My parents ordered a straight run heritage mix of 30 chickens and got 29 roosters! My sister and I (I was about 10/now 35) played with those roos everyday and they seldomly would fight each other and I only experienced one mean one.. and he was dinner that evening. ...but they all became dinner since that was the initial reason they got them. So I don't believe when people say it's not possible to have multiple roos... But then again there wasn't a hen to interrupt things.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Too many roos in the coop, they're all fighting to be top dog.

However I know from firsthand experience you can have all roos in a coop if you interact with them from day one everyday. My parents ordered a straight run heritage mix of 30 chickens and got 29 roosters! My sister and I (I was about 10/now 35) played with those roos everyday and they seldomly would fight each other and I only experienced one mean one.. and he was dinner that evening. ...but they all became dinner since that was the initial reason they got them. So I don't believe when people say it's not possible to have multiple roos... But then again there wasn't a hen to interrupt things.

I’m not sure who was saying it’s not possible but it definitely is!

“Bachelor coops” are actually quite common and successful now and as long as they have no hens to fight over, they can get along great! A lot of people are doing it now. You were probably one of the first though!

The issues usually come when there ARE hens but not enough for each of them so they fight for them. Also if they aren’t raised together there can be issues too. I’ve had brothers be the best of friends and get along great, even with hens around, but at the same time, hate the rooster in the other coop! To the point I couldn’t let them free range together

So it depends. But yeah, the bachelor coop thing is an excellent idea if you end up with excess males.

 

[PlentifulPrairie]

I’m not sure who was saying it’s not possible but it definitely is!

“Bachelor coops” are actually quite common and successful now and as long as they have no hens to fight over, they can get along great! A lot of people are doing it now. You were probably one of the first though!

The issues usually come when there ARE hens but not enough for each of them so they fight for them. Also if they aren’t raised together there can be issues too. I’ve had brothers be the best of friends and get along great, even with hens around, but at the same time, hate the rooster in the other coop! To the point I couldn’t let them free range together

So it depends. But yeah, the bachelor coop thing is an excellent idea if you end up with excess males.

I didn't know that was a thing! I would often tell people about my childhood chickens and they'd say I was crazy and it wasn't possible!! I think I liked that flock more than my flock of 4 barred rocks hens and my straight run tasties 22 (meat birds) buff Orpingtons.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I didn't know that was a thing! I would often tell people about my childhood chickens and they'd say I was crazy and it wasn't possible!! I think I liked that flock more than my flock of 4 barred rocks hens and my straight run tasties 22 (meat birds) buff Orpingtons.

Yeah I think a lot of people have it in their heads that they’ll kill each other or whatever and I used to think that too but as you’ve found, it’s not true or at least not always. I think it is somewhat a relatively new thing though because previously I think people just ate the extras or something ? But yeah. And I totally understand that!! I was way more attached to all the roosters I’ve had than I am to most of the hens I have a few girls that have been around a while and are friendly that I like but otherwise, the roosters have always been my favorites and it’s always sad when I have to butcher them

 

[aart]

Yeah I think a lot of people have it in their heads that they’ll kill each other or whatever and I used to think that too but as you’ve found, it’s not true.

It's not always true, but it certainly is possible and not uncommon for them to fight unto bloodiness or even death. More common in smaller backyard scenarios.

 

[ShrekDawg]

It's not always true, but it certainly is possible and not uncommon for them to fight unto bloodiness or even death. More common in smaller backyard scenarios.

Oh yeah, it’s definitely possible! I didn’t mean to definitely say it isn’t and have edited my post. I guess I more meant and should have said people think they’ll ALWAYS kill each other and that part isn’t true but definitely is possible for that to happen.

I actually did kind of experience it first hand because two of my cockerels got along well until one day they didn’t. My little bantam rooster decided he HATED one of the bigger cockerels and was going to literally go out of his way to purposely start fights and harass him. I think he would have killed him if he could.

It started as just chasing them out of “his” territory and they each had their separate parts of the yard and were fine till one day the bantam decided that wasn’t good enough. After a couple scuffles and bloody combs/scary encounters, I started keeping them separate and only letting them out to free range when the other was put away. But even then, they would fight through the fence (thankfully couldn’t do any damage through it though) until I eventually butchered them both.

So it can definitely happen!

But mine weren’t kept in a bachelor coop, they each had their own girls. They were somewhat raised together though or at least near each other so I didn’t expect it but I think the baby reaching maturity prompted it maybe.

On the other hand, I’ve had brothers be completely fine and very bonded so I guess it depends.