Is it my fault the rooster doesn't like me?

[Volcanic Egger]

Just Sayin

I keep a water spray bottle around to chase off cats. We labeled it "Cat be Gone"

 

[CrazyTalk]

This comes back to the question of "What are your goals for this flock?"

For me, a bird that I have to worry about attacking me every time I don't have the stick, or every time I don't have the spray bottle is simply not acceptable. A bird like that is one whose genetics I absolutely do not want contributing to my flock. I don't want to give that bird's offspring to people, and I don't want to be responsible for bad birds. I don't want to worry about having to bottle train the next rooster. Almost every rooster hatched is culled - there's no reason to keep a bad one when it's so easy to get good ones.

So, are you breeding your birds? Are you selling chicks or hatching eggs? If you are, think about whether this birds offspring should be sold.

Frankly, I think culling against "Attacks people" is way more important than culling against "His barring isn't straight" or "his tailset isn't right," especially in the context of your typical backyard flock. If your goal is showing birds, then there are some other concerns, but, IMO, a bird's behavior should still be at the top of the list. Allowing dangerous livestock to breed is not a good thing.

 

[needageekette]

I tried the water bottle and it worked at first but it seemed in the long run to make him worse. I didn't plan on roosters when I ordered pullet chicks. After ending up with 4 roosters and 10 hens I had to make decisions on keeping or not keeping all or some of the roosters. I had to cull 2 so far and hope to keep the 2 remaining if they work out. As long as my family and the hens are comfortable with the remaining roosters - we will keep them. Now, I think the hens would be happier and safer with a good rooster.

My avatar is one of those roosters "Jack the Naked Neck Rooster". I love him and hope he will continue to be a nice rooster. It would break my heart to loose him so I am going to do what I can as a Backyard Chicken owner to be a good Backyard Chicken owner. I appreciate good advice from people with more experience.

 

[Free Feather]

I am not sure where everyone is getting that I was being mean or not helpful. I just thought that perhaps she cared about her chickens as individuals and genuinely loved them, for themselves and their personalities and not what they can be rendered into or what comes out of them. I see I misjudged how you felt for your birds. I will back off.

 

[needageekette]

Free Feather - I do care about my chickens - that was the reason I posted the question to begin with. You haven't been helpful. I am not interested in what you think or your judgment. So, please back off.

 

[enola]

Roosters at my place get a couple of chances to change...... After that they get invited to dinner....... Doing "what roosters do" does not include flogging me, not at my place.

 

[CrazyTalk]

I am not sure where everyone is getting that I was being mean or not helpful. I just thought that perhaps she cared about her chickens as individuals and genuinely loved them, for themselves and their personalities and not what they can be rendered into or what comes out of them. I see I misjudged how you felt for your birds. I will back off.

Free Feather, the bolded is insulting to most of the members on this board. The problem here isn't anyone's lack of care or love for their animals, its the continued insults for anyone who chooses to deal with things differently than you do. There's nothing immoral in putting down a dangerous animal.

 

[enola]

There are many different levels of love in the human/animal world. Some people love their animals like they love their family members. I won't state my opinion of that, I would probably ruffle feathers.

I love my house dogs A LOT. But, not as much as my children and grandchildren. I love my horse, but, probably not as much as my dogs.

My chickens are livestock. I love them collectively as a group. When the hens are not productive any more, they become soup. When my roosters are no longer fertile ( or they are stupid enough to flog me ) they become soup.

Everyone on this site has the right to love their chickens the way they want to. If you own chickens, you don't even have to love them. That is your right, too. No one on this site has the right to condemn any one else for how (or why) some one else decides to cull their roosters.

My suggestion to members who don't like the tone of threads or the subject, would be to stop reading it and move on to the next thread that is interesting.

To the OP, don't be discouraged by negative comments. Skip them, it makes figuring out your problem so much easier. Welcome to BYC!

 

[needageekette]

Thanks - I will do as you suggested - On a happy note - I uploaded some pictures of my chickens

 

[enola]

Can we see your pictures?