Nasty Rooster

[KauaiCherie]

I live on in Kauai where wild chickens and roosters are a common site. We have pure bread laying hens and had a wild rooster move in about 2 years ago. Our yard is fully enclosed. Julio (we named him) has been a welcome addition until last week. He is a beautiful rooster, with long spurs I would guess maybe 3 years old very mellow until recent. Our flock has been reduced to 5 girls last year and he seemed happy and content with that. We had two Rhode island red hens that were not so nice and found one of them dead last weekend. We think he might have killed her but didn't see it. Now he has attacked a 2 month old female duck- she ended up with two puncture holes below here wings(she is ok). We have four juvenile ducks or (duck puppies) that cruise the quarter acre area with the chickens. They are a new addition to the yard. He seems to have gone a bit crazy and the vet suggested we cut his spurs or relocate him to another area.(he is wild) I am on the fence with what to do. If we cut his spurs that leaves him vulnerable to other wild roosters. He kind of cruises during the day to the neighboring yards- full of wild roosters/hens. I figure if he leaves the property then we will be combating other roosters trying to come in. Any ideas?

 

[DuckPro]

I'm stuck, sorry, I'm no help.

 

[keesmom]

Now he has attacked a 2 month old female duck- she ended up with two puncture holes below here wings(she is ok). We have four juvenile ducks or (duck puppies) that cruise the quarter acre area with the chickens.

Did you see him attack the duckling? Two puncture wounds under the wings are not where I would expect to see injuries if he had. It does fit with something trying to grab the duckling for dinner though.

I know you don't have natural predators, but what about non-native ones? Feral cats?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'll ask the same question, how sure are you that it was the rooster. Did you notice any wounds on that RIR hen? Those puncture wounds on the duckling do not sound like a mongoose but would be consistent with a bird of prey or maybe a cat. It would take a really big cat to take a grown RIR hen but maybe a 2 month old duckling. On the mainland I'd consider a bobcat but not where you are.

I imagine the rooster is entering by flying into your enclosed yard. Feral chickens are usually fairly small and can normally fly really well. I don't know how high your fences are or if he is just walking in an open gate but there is no guarantee another rooster would enter if he is removed. Besides, what would you consider bad about another rooster taking his place if one did? If it is him doing the damage, I think removing him is a valid option. To me it is the best solution.

When he returns from walking around, is he bloody and beat up? Is he really fighting those other feral roosters? If he is fighting to the death with other roosters his spurs are a very good weapon, removing them would be a handicap. A rooster walking around entering other rooster's territory is not normal behavior. Usually a rooster carves out a specific territory and defends that but doesn't necessarily go out of his way to fight for fighting's sake. In the wild you don't see a flock with several mature roosters, you see several flocks, each with one rooster having his own territory. They generally don't interfere with each other that much unless one invades his territory. That's part of what crowing is about, telling others to stay out. A mature rooster will kick cockerels out of his flock when they reach an age that he sees them as rivals, so you might see a flock of cockerels roaming together.

If the rooster is the one causing the damage and you are sure it is his spurs and not his claws doing the damage, I think trimming his spurs is another valid option if you really want to keep him. It's not an automatic death sentence.

I can't come up with any other options either. Removing him would make sure he did not cause any further damage. Trimming his spurs and claws would not guarantee he would not cause further harm if he really is attacking the ducklings. He can do a lot of damage with his beak, even kill.

 

[chickens really]

Possible the Rooster jumped the Duckling and dug his spurs into the Duckling..Is the Duckling still downy?....
I would relocate the Rooster....

 

[Askme42]

I live on in Kauai where wild chickens and roosters are a common site. We have pure bread laying hens and had a wild rooster move in about 2 years ago. Our yard is fully enclosed. Julio (we named him) has been a welcome addition until last week. He is a beautiful rooster, with long spurs I would guess maybe 3 years old very mellow until recent. Our flock has been reduced to 5 girls last year and he seemed happy and content with that. We had two Rhode island red hens that were not so nice and found one of them dead last weekend. We think he might have killed her but didn't see it. Now he has attacked a 2 month old female duck- she ended up with two puncture holes below here wings(she is ok). We have four juvenile ducks or (duck puppies) that cruise the quarter acre area with the chickens. They are a new addition to the yard. He seems to have gone a bit crazy and the vet suggested we cut his spurs or relocate him to another area.(he is wild) I am on the fence with what to do. If we cut his spurs that leaves him vulnerable to other wild roosters. He kind of cruises during the day to the neighboring yards- full of wild roosters/hens. I figure if he leaves the property then we will be combating other roosters trying to come in. Any ideas?

I went to Kauai this June. Beautiful place.


It was crazy there are chickens everywhere!!!!!