Need advice: I adore my rooster...but should I get rid of him?

[OtisChick326]

To provide a bit of history, my rooster, BBQ, is a Buff Orpington and almost 1.5 years old, I have 14 hens, same age and mix of Buff Orpingtons and Silver Laced Wyandottes. His name is BBQ because when they were still chicks, he was the first to be clearly a rooster and was a bit of a jerk, so he was to be the first to go. As time went on, we ended up with 3 other roosters in addition to BBQ. Over those however many weeks, BBQ totally won me over and although still a bit of a jerk, had a really fun personality (little punk) so when the big day came to "remove" the roosters, I couldn't let him go, and that was probably where I went wrong. Everything had been going great, and BBQ is "mommy's little baby" as we jokingly refer to him. Ask anyone else, and he is in fact, a JERK. He has never attacked anyone but will puff up at my husband and others that come around the coop.

Now, my dilemma: BBQ has recently been getting too rough with our ladies. Most of our girls were missing feathers on their backs, but then I found a wound under one of the hen's wings that was clearly caused by his spur while mating, so they all have had saddles on since. I have witnessed him being way too rough with them still, and finally the other day decided that he had to go and removed him from the coop and informed my husband while sobbing (over a chicken!) that it was time.

Dolores, my prettiest lady, and BBQ's main squeeze, seems to be getting the worst of it, and now has feathers missing all over. The pictures show she and BBQ back in April, and 2 that were taken this morning, in which she is already looking better being separated from him for the past couple days.

Now that I have time to think, I am really struggling with getting rid of him or not. He has been banished and it is really breaking my heart to be honest. He is now free range during the day, and then gets one half of the run in the evening with the ladies on the other side. He seems confused, and that is what is making it difficult. Am I just prolonging the inevitable, and doing more harm to him by keeping him on his own until I can figure it out? Obviously, I understand this is part of owning livestock, and clearly, I have failed in treating them as "just chickens" Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

To provide a bit of history, my rooster, BBQ, is a Buff Orpington and almost 1.5 years old, I have 14 hens, same age and mix of Buff Orpingtons and Silver Laced Wyandottes. His name is BBQ because when they were still chicks, he was the first to be clearly a rooster and was a bit of a jerk, so he was to be the first to go. As time went on, we ended up with 3 other roosters in addition to BBQ. Over those however many weeks, BBQ totally won me over and although still a bit of a jerk, had a really fun personality (little punk) so when the big day came to "remove" the roosters, I couldn't let him go, and that was probably where I went wrong. Everything had been going great, and BBQ is "mommy's little baby" as we jokingly refer to him. Ask anyone else, and he is in fact, a JERK. He has never attacked anyone but will puff up at my husband and others that come around the coop.

Now, my dilemma: BBQ has recently been getting too rough with our ladies. Most of our girls were missing feathers on their backs, but then I found a wound under one of the hen's wings that was clearly caused by his spur while mating, so they all have had saddles on since. I have witnessed him being way too rough with them still, and finally the other day decided that he had to go and removed him from the coop and informed my husband while sobbing (over a chicken!) that it was time.

Dolores, my prettiest lady, and BBQ's main squeeze, seems to be getting the worst of it, and now has feathers missing all over. The pictures show she and BBQ back in April, and 2 that were taken this morning, in which she is already looking better being separated from him for the past couple days.

Now that I have time to think, I am really struggling with getting rid of him or not. He has been banished and it is really breaking my heart to be honest. He is now free range during the day, and then gets one half of the run in the evening with the ladies on the other side. He seems confused, and that is what is making it difficult. Am I just prolonging the inevitable, and doing more harm to him by keeping him on his own until I can figure it out? Obviously, I understand this is part of owning livestock, and clearly, I have failed in treating them as "just chickens" Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I had a rooster and i loved him so much! But he was also a jerk to everyone but me and was hurting my hens. I cried and cried but I did rehome him to a great home where he runs around with a ton of hens. After I rehomed him I was still sad but I felt so much better and now I have a fat little Cochin rooster who is much better with the hens. If it was me I would rehome him my rooster was frustrated when I tried separating him from the hens. Although if yours is happy being by himself maybe you could keep him?

 

[FrostRanger]

If it's his spurs that are the problem, you can trim them or sand them down.

That said, if he's a jerk I would not keep him. Given his temperment is less than desireable (even though he's never attacked) and he's a brute while mating, that'd be 2 major points against him in my book, I'd personally cull for either one of those things by themselves.

If you want to try spur trimming and see if that helps go ahead, but you could honestly do better as far as roosters go

 

[BigBlueHen53]

To quote @Mrs. K , "always solve for peace in the flock." The needs of the flock should always take precedence over your emotions.

 

[Mrs. K]

Not sure where you are, but in the north we are looking towards molt and every hen over a year old is looking like Cinderella before the fairy godmother got there. Feathers are old and soon will be falling out to be replaced and look beautiful. So there is that.

Has he been well cared for? Yes. A quick moment and it is over. Easy no, but nothing to be guilty for.

I solve for peace in the flock.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@OtisChick326 it's not easy, but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet, so to speak, and do the right thing, not the easy thing. It sounds like you know what needs to be done, you're just having a hard time finding the courage to do it.