I'm giving up on this whole rooster thing.

[Moochie]

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He's a year and four months old. Ahah me grabbing at him would cause me to lose a finger or two.
So uhm.. I can't kill a rooster with my own hands. Can I knock him out some way then do it, away from the other chickens ofcourse. I mean I can't look in their eyes and hear their screams... It would break me down inside. Ofcourse if I was angry enough I'd probably take him into the other yard on the otherside of the driveway and use whatever junk I can find and do away with him. I've done it with a bird that was pecking/dropping/stealing eggs. Cornered it and beat it to death with a shovel then let the chickens eat it.

I would not consider this the action of an animal lover. You say you couldn't kill your bird with your own hands in one sentence, and then admit to brutally killing one in the next?

Chickens are animals acting on instincts. We are their keepers. It is our responsibility to care for our animals in the best way possible. I have no problem with people raising birds for food, when they treat the bird with respect and give it a quick humane death, but it sounds like you are letting your emotions get in the way of seeing the situation objectively.
Just tell your parents you aren't doing the chicken thing anymore and walk away.

I didn't say chicken. I said BIRD. Like the various black birds around here. My gosh please don't use my words like that. You know you could have gotten my thread locked and a message from the admins could have been sent to me. I don't know what the birds are called I don't know their scientific names, I do know there are lots of wild finches but I've seen the bird it definately wasn't a finch! Sweet jesus that was a close one. I CAN"T KILL CHICKENS BY MY OWN HANDS. But if it's a pesky wild black bird I sure can! Well I beat it in the head multiple times with a stick.

 

[Moochie]

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I never said I beat a chicken to death what is your people's problem? I'm going to cry if I even picture such a thing. It is a black bird, that flys, it is bigger then the wild finches, it is smaller than the ravens, it's slimmer then ravens, it's shiny, and it was trying to steal my hens' eggs!! Ever since I killed it no more black birds have been coming around. It was a plus for my chickens aswell! Protien protien protien!!
Look I don't know any other way to get it through to my parents heads that this little nasty has got to go. Either I learn how to kill a chicken, remove feathers, gut him, and prepare a chicken dinner or I continue with Charlie randomly hurting my leg just cuz I walk in front of him or past him. I want my friend Liz to come over but Charlie might hurt her! What do I do then?

 

[Moochie]

Quote:
Ahem, please read the post. I did it with a bird. I didn't say chicken, I said bird. Chickens are birds but I don't call chickens birds I call random feathery fly things in which I don't know the name of birds. If they try to steal/peck/drop eggs I call them pests. If they are stealing chicken feed (which bothers me very much) I watch diligently because Moochie, the hen herself will chase them. It's funny and cute what can I say.
Don't twist ones' words. If you assume that I "beat a chicken to death" don't you suppose you'd ask first? Like I dunno ask "Please correct me if I took this wrong, but did you mean bird as in a chicken or a small bird?". Common sense.

 

[Moochie]

Chicken.Lytle :

If the rooster does not respond to your efforts to rehabilitate him, then you should consider his future, not living with you. Whether that means not living or not with you is up to you.

I recall the case of King Boots. He was a very expensive show dog. When the dog killed and ate the owner's mother, the owner (successfully) fought to keep the law from putting down the dog because it was such a valuable dog. Your emotional reaction to this story, your judgement of that owner, may inform your actions with regard to your rooster.

The dog ate the whole entire woman? Was she really small? The dog was huge? That sounds crazy I'm sorry but I don't believe a dog ate a human being.​

 

[spiritdance]

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Holding them upside down for a few works quite well, too. I just grab them by their feet, flip them upside down, and if they rear up their head to fight I grab them around the neck and put their head back down. Once they see they can't fight they'll hang there until I let them down. It's an amazing attitude adjustment! And if it's a bird that's picking at others, I'll walk through the flock with it like that. It seems to knock the offending bird down a few levels on the pecking order. In fact, I had to do this yesterday with a young bantam cochin cockerel who just recently began to think he's king of the yard. He was pecking and topknotting some smaller sexlinks that joined the flock last week. One walk through in the "position of shame" cured it. Today, he couldn't keep enough distance between himself and those sexlinks! I don't claim to be a "chicken psychologist," so I have no idea why this works. I discovered it completely by accident one day when I grabbed up a roo who had gotten on my last nerve. I intended to process him as soon as I finished filling the feeder, so I just toted him along with me as I did so. Then my DH called me to help him, and I had to let the roo go. I dropped him rather unceremoniously on his head, he jumped up and scooted to the corner of the yard, and lo and behold, his troublesome behavior largely stopped after that. I went back later to finish him and saw that the very chickens he had been harassing previously were challenging him and he was backing down. I thought perhaps it was just coincidence, so I've tried "the flip" repeatedly since then with excellent results. Only once or twice has it not worked - those miscreants found their way to the skillet post haste.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

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The dog ate the whole entire woman? Was she really small? The dog was huge? That sounds crazy I'm sorry but I don't believe a dog ate a human being.

Sorry Moochie, I did not read your entire initial post and my message was supposed to be a response to that. I'm sorry about the unfortunate collision with the other posts in the thread.

As for King Boots, it was quite a controversy in Michigan when it happened in the 80's. (Yes I am an old codger).
For reference:
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20089854,00.html

 

[BWchicken]

Sorry about misunderstanding, I took the negative comments out of my post. Please understand, we refer to our chickens as 'birds' often, so we honestly thought you had beaten your chicken to death. I'm so glad that wasn't true and I apologize for assuming.

But I have to be honest, even though it wasn't a chicken it still doesn't set quite right with me, seems kinda brutal. Not trying to be mean, that's just my opinion.

Now back to Charlie:
I do think there's hope for Charlie if you're willing to work with him. Don't be afraid to pick him up, just do it quick and hold on to him, carry him around for awhile, that has worked for me. You've gotten some really good advice so far, but be careful if you decide to use the 'hold him upside down' method. Holding a chicken upside down puts a lot of pressure on their lungs and can sometimes cause choking or aspiration. Don't fight with him or hit/kick him or use sticks the way you have been, that's not working it's just making him meaner. That may be why he doesn't spur anyone but you, he thinks you've been challenging him so when he sees you, he attacks. Do a little research, there are several ways to rehabilitate him without triggering his 'attack mode'.

But I think your best option is to go ahead and re-home him, that would solve your problem and he'd get to live another day. You mentioned there were a few places willing to take him. You don't have to kill him. You've said several times you can't kill him with your own hands so I really think you'd feel better about re-homing than killing.

 

[Lisa202]

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I have to agree. Beating a "bird" isn't ok either. I have Grackles everywhere...they scare the other birds away, eat all the birdfood, make a mess of the place and are generally not a welcomed bird. But I'll tell ya, I'd never beat one to death with a stick..or any other animal for that matter.

 

[ladybug99]

Hi Moochie.....
I have been having the same issues with my roo too. He is only 8 months old and he is doing the same stuff to me as yours is doing to you. I too considered culling him but you know what .. he is only doing what he is naturally suppose to do. And he only does it to me and no one else!! And it hurts me inside cause I raised him up since he was a wee baby chick.

this is what I did
First off I need to forget about all the great times we had when he was a baby.. because he is all grown up now and has a totally different adgenda in his life and I am not a part of it....

When ever I know I am going to be near him, especially in tight places, I have a broom.. not a stick a broom.. I swish it towards him every time he comes near me.. so now he is afraid of the broom and it only takes the movement of the broom for him to move away

Don't chase after him if he runs up at you... stand your ground stomp your feet and yell loudly at him and remember to swat that broom ...you have to mimick his behavior as he sees you as another rooster... don't let yourself get flustered... he can feel your fear and that makes you the lesser rooster in his mind

When you walk outside walk with confidence as he does.. don't go outside thinking ohhh he is gonna get me.. go outside with it in the back of your mind.. always keeping wary but go on with your day.. also don't make any sudden moves as he sees that as a threat to the flock

I have gotton mine to the point where he respects me, and my broom...but he does still challege me, but not as aggressively....I was told if you pick them up and walk them around they will be all cured of this behavior.. And all I thought was how in the world can I do that with this crazy bird flying at me....Finally after a few weeks I was able to actually get up the nerve to pick him up and carry him around.. I had on some pretty thick gloves and it seemed to work for now.. he has even left the dog alone

Sadly some roosters can not be rehabilitated and he may have to go especially if he is a danger to smaller children and visitors....it is a hrad decision to make

 

[Chihuahuamom444]

I had a MEAN little bantam for a few years, I tried everything they suggest for an aggrressive rooster and nothing worked. So many times I threatened him I was gonna kill him but of course I couldnt. Then one day he disappeared and I felt SO bad, I looked for him but something must have gotten him, who'd a thought?