Killer Rooster?? I Need Sherlock Colmbs.

[WNCFREERANGER]

Ok, so I have a very large B.O. rooster and a flock of 42 hens of different heavy breeds and all are doing well except for all the rain/ snow we have been getting. Within the past couple months I have had 2 hens drop dead. Both showed no signs of anything wrong on the outside, and as far as I could tell with the first one, on the inside as well. But here is my best guess and I'd like to see if anyone else has had similar problems.
I think my Rooster is a "rapist rooster". I hate it because he is a beautiful rooster. Apollo is so large he cannot hardly stand on their backs w/o beating the crud out of them (more than usual I think). I suspected he may have broken these last to hens necks or smack their heads into the wheel well of the "cluck wagon"(our portable eggmobile) while doing his rooster thing. Both of these hens were found within close prox. of the CW and by the treading marks on the latter's back and worn belly feathers I could tell she was favored by him. I just stumbled upon this term "Rapist rooster" coined by Temple Granstin descibing a genecting problem where roosters don't do the mating dance and are known to kill or hurt hens. Until I read that I never realized that I've never seen him do the dance my other roosters would do.
I hope sombody can shed some light on this, Apollo needs a good defense lawyer to present a case because the jury is pulling for death sentence.

 

[CoopCrazy]

Poor girls .. If they were mine and he was the culprit he would have to head to freezer camp....

 

[harewizard]

Quote:
Umm, Could you have meant Temple Grandin?

Welcome to BYC.

Lisa

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I think to be a good chicken mommy part of my job is protecting my creatures from predators.
Sounds like your roo is acting like a predator. I'm treat him as one. Pretty doesn't matter.
Terry in TN

 

[davony's chicks]

I say make a stew of him! It sounds like he is the culprit!

I too am have been struggling with the decision to kill a couple of mean Rhode Island Red Hens! They trash all the eggs and bully on other hens. I think I have decide after this morning when I found out they had destroyed all of my broody Black Cochin's eggs! She is such a good mom and thankfully she does not seem to be hurt but they distroyed all of her eggs and they are going to be butchered today.
I have never butchered a chicken yet but I am going to take a crash course on BYC today!

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I'd like to hear some real evidence. Just not doing the dance doesn't mean he killed them. Have you witnessed him injuring the hens at all? Were they missing feathers? Would he chase them down relentlessly or did they co-operate? I can't convict your Roo without more proof.

 

[spankyleatherlips]

Chicke Brau Shosh

 

[spamee34]

Well the dance thing is not that big of a deal. My wyondott rooster has been mating for a two month's and just recently learned to do the dance , but if he is too big and you fear he is hurting your hens you should rehome him or butcher him for your own peace of mind. If you want a good rooster my experience is to find an older rooster like two or three yrs old or older the good ole boys are the best cause if ya have an older more experienced rooster when the young one's come up and turn of age they can teach them how NOT to act with the ladies. Those older roosters are generally the key to having a good rooster.

 

[WNCFREERANGER]

Quote:
I agree to a degree. That is why I'm looking for corraborating(sp?) evidence b/c it could have been another hen, freak accident, shock, heart attack or I dunno what. This and one other Black Aussy have nearly bare bellies (from being pinned to the ground repeatedly I think) but no signs of mites or picking and more than a few have broken feathers from treading. He is big as I said which is why I saved him originally, but he is so clumbsy and forceful, yet in other ways he seems nice to the girls. I dunno if it qualifies as Temple Grandin's rapist rooster, but he sort of ambushes the girls grabs hold roughly, usually at neck feathers and STOMPS sometimes pulling lots of feathers and never any dance like my other roosters did before I decided on this one. This is what makes me think he is the culprit.
But has anyone had a rooster Kill a hen while mating??? I guess that is my question. I think his doom is sealed either way.