It Did Not Go Well

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

We have a large 18 month old RIR rooster that had to go. He was ok for awhile after rooster reform school, but has recently decided to be mean to all his girls, and wait for opportune moments to attack us. He would drag the hens around by their heads, and be just plain nasty to them. So we finally made up our minds to get rid of him and by that I mean send him to "the big chicken coop in the sky."

DH was all set. The plan was to whack him a good one to stun him and then wring his neck. DH is a goose hunter and has lots of experience with large birds and we both felt this would be the best way to dispatch of him.

DH went to the coop to get him off the roost just after sunset. So far so good.
DH took him out behind the shed after we both explained why this must be done to him. Two minutes later, the roo comes staggering out from behind the shed as fast as his legs will carry him, screaming his head off!
Somehow, the stunning part didn't work quite as long as we had hoped and he managed to get away while DH was getting him situated.

We now have a mean, ANGRY roo that is on to us, bagocking his fowl head off and we can't get within 10 feet of him. After chasing him around for 10 minutes, we realized that that was futile so we stopped to regroup and discuss our options. Shooting him is out because we live on a hilltop and there are too many neighbors. Our fishing net is not on the premises, the only hope we would have of catching him.

Meanwhile, the roo is still bagocking and screaming- probably calling in every coyote for 5 miles around. The 2 large owls that live on our hilltop have come in close to investigate.

After full darkness has set in, we hear him go crashing into the woods. We both feel terrible, but we decide to leave him out and see if we can find him in the morning.

I hope we can't find him in the morning.

This was not our finest chicken raising hour.

P.S. Amidst all the bagocking, screaming, and growling the hens didn't make one peep back to him. That surprised me. I thought they would call back to him from the coop. Must have been enjoying a bully free evening!

 

[pgpoultry]

He will probably come back at first light

........Be afraid, be VERY afraid......


Seriously, though, the ones you don't want to turn up always do!

Good Luck,

Sandie

 

[dawg53]

Maybe a coyote or the owls will get him. Let us know what happens if you would.

 

[sonew123]

Its not funny..But I can picture it as It happened to me like that in a way. I had had enough of my jerkwad roo-he attacked me for the last time. picture this 6am Im in llaala land half asleep with a cup of joe...I can hear the let me out voices.. I let all the chickens out and within a minute he came flying at me with his monsterous claws and spurs. Mind you, all I was wearing was a bathrobe! After getting the crud kicked out of me for a moment-I chased him down. Held him upside down..Walk oover to my new huge tree trimming shear-flopped him on the "stump" said my goodbyes and with one clean snip he was gone. It was now 6:10 am and peace settled over the land! Jerk.. I felt bad because he produced some magnificant chicks but not worth the terror he put on everyone!

update??

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

5 am this morning and I wake up to a familiar sound. A crowing rooster and he's pacing the chicken yard fence.

We will have to figure out how to catch him........

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

I went out to try and help corner him by the fence. He came at me, not scared of me in the least. DH though. I have never heard a chicken bagock in such terror. He took off running across the yard. Where we live is very open. The only place to really corner him anywhere is by the chicken yard fence. Other than that, he can sprint for yards and yards.

I came in, flip flops and shorts probably wasn't the best choice of apparel, and told DH to just do whatever he thinks is best.

We are on a time crunch. Our DS will be up at 7 am. Our youngest son agreed that getting rid of him was the right thing to do IF we did it quickly and he would feel no pain. It might be a little late for that.

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
ugh-what about at night-pulling him off the roost-kids in bed-theyll never know except this time no stunning-one fast wack! grab him by his legs and hold him upside down they chill right out when held like that!

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

He took off into the woods again, but this time heading down the hill to our neighbors place. They have chickens as well. Not good. Sent DS#1 down the hill to see if he can at least chase him back up to our house. I don't want him near anybody else's flock!!

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

My son and hubby were able to corner him in some heavy brush on the hill and finish the job. Thank goodness that's over! I'm sure everyone in the neighborhood could hear him bagocking his head off and hear my son and DH crashing through the brush on the hillside. It only took two hours.

Lesson learned. Next time it will be much easier........right?!?!??

On the bright side, the hens are enjoying a relaxing morning of sunbathing, preening what little feathers they have left, and eating lots of BOSS. They seem much happier!

 

[theoldchick]

Goodness! Sounds like a horror movie gone bad! Glad you got the deed done.