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Oi vey, if I had met you about a year ago I would have ageed with you in every way. We would have had very much to talk about.
I have had a number of roosters in the past few years that I have tried to work with, so, so very hard. I cannot put it into words. Let me try to list the ways...
1.) Hold down said roo until he submits
2.) Grab by the tail/body/etc as he goes to attack
3.) Fight back with feet, hacky-sac style
4.) Chase down until he flees
5.) Grab rooster firmly and walk around with him until he calms down
6.) Running away (not one of my most glorious hours...)
7.) 'Mating with hens' (Having them squat for me, obviously)
8.) Kicking roosters off hens when they go to mate
9.) Water guns
10.) Threaten with 'the stick'
You might find flaws or things I have missed, but I can say with much confidence and experience that none of them would have made any difference for these particular roosters. I owned one that was so bad, he attacked my young brother. There was no hope for him, and trust me, I loved him very much. Raised him from chickhood. The others were lucky. They were given to a good friend who free-ranged them for life. I had inflicted very much on these roosters, so much, that they withstood it all only to leave me with but one option: to part with them forever. It did break my heart, though some of the methods I had met them with sound cruel (and they were) but I tried to 'reason' with them, so they could continue leading a nice life. I am not proud of being physical with an animal; and to this day I tell anyone who would listen that being aggressive will usually not work, and will, most likely, make the issue worse. Sometimes I think I did the most damage by showing them they had the right to fight back. Other times I think that they wouldn't have stopped. I did not kill these roosters, but someone else may have. And I accept that. Think of it as giving up if you must, but I think of it as trying my vey best to cope with the roosters, only to have been met, long after I gave them up, with a small bantam rooster with no owner. I took this rooster in, and now I have a proper roo, one who has never dared to threaten me or my hens. And for that, he is deserving of my home and my respect. I hope he stays with me for a long time.
I am going to have to try this
It just may work for my mean roo
So sad....absolutely sad. Yeah, I'm saying it as a newbie to chickens. Please hear this. Please, please, please hear this.
The problem isn't the methods people are using and/or advocating.
Its a matter of DOMINANCE VS NARCISSISM. There is no magic bullet theory here. The roo, by instinct, wishes to become the head honcho by asserting his dominance over you. And time and time again the roosters win... because they instinctively understand the game being played, while the vast majority of humans do not. Sit around and watch the Dog Whisperer. Its the same principles. Go to a bar and watch the bouncers. Its not about kicking butt, because that would be narcissistic. It would make them out to be thugs and a holes. They stand around and keep watching. They will make a few jokes, but will always be watching. A good bouncer like me will know who is most likely to start trouble before it begins. You see a narcissist, a wanna be thug come in like he's something special. Watch him. Make sure he knows you're watching him. You are the one person he doesn't want to mess with. You don't say anything, its just in the way you carry yourself. Virtually all animals respond to the same dominance.
Think of your dad. Some dads can spank and raise wonderful children, while others raise other a holes like them. Some never lay a hand on their kids, and they turn out great. Others raise little hellions no matter the method. That's right, its not the method, but the way the person meting out that method carries themself. There's no need to be the a hole narcissist to your rooster, your kids, or any one else. If you carry yourself with dominance, you won't have to toot your own horn. You become the one person that every one knows WILL NOT BACK DOWN, if you know you are in the right. But should you have to assert yourself, its on. The funny thing is... children will instinctively love you. Animals will instinctively follow you, and be loyal. Most women can't resist being around dominance, once they've seen it. It isn't what the world teaches people anymore. Governments want narcissists, not dominance. women are taught to go after ambitious, driven men. Um, yeah, narcissists. Apply this to your pets and your flocks.
I gotta say this, not to start a flame war, but its gotta be said. How will you feel when someone comes to take your children away... you know, they just have bad genetics.
If you or your family is in danger, then get rid of the offenders. If you have had several bad roosters, then don't get any more until you learn how to deal with them, and more importantly deal with yourself. If you plan on eating them anyway, great. If not, send them to someone who will let them be what nature's God intended them to be, proud, defensive, dominant flock leaders capable of leading better than virtually all humans combined.
BTW, several people quoted the original. This isnt directed at any one person. I just keep seeing the same problem come up time and time again, with the same responses.
