I kind of fell into the chicken business, and i love it now. It all started with 2 little chicks that i had no clue how to care for. Needless to say, i loved them, tended them, and so on and so forth. Eventually, transferred them my grandfathers unused coop, but one was killed. The last surviving, Mr.Chicken as he is named, is a huge but beautiful Buff Orpington Rooster now... I love him with all my heart - up untill he was 7 or 8 months old, he let me pick him up, love on him, he would even sit on my shoulder. Hes just over one year now. He was calm (except for when i came to see him - he would have a fit wanting me to love on him) but now, hes not even the same being. I originally added 3 hens, thinking maybe that would be enough for him. 1 rhode island red, 1 cuckoo maran, and 1 barred rock. He has been riding javas back to death - so much the feathers have all gone on her back and are starting to on her wings. She runs in fear of him, and he chases her. Lately, we have found first the bared rock, then the cuckoo maran dead in the coop - reasons, we dont know. Everything had seemed so perfect, but suddenly, he has become so aggresive that no one can even get near him, or get in the coop safely without him attempting to flog them, or being overtly aggressive. Then, he started to chase Java (the only remaining hen) away from food when she was eating. We added 2 hens and 4 poullets in the flock today, and at first everything was fine, and he was calm. Suddenly, the started attacking them so much i feared that he might kill them, so i chased him out of the coop. I put food out for him and everything, but i am afraid the dogs around the area will attack him. But if i do, i know he will hurt the others like he has hurt java, and possibly the other 2. I dont know what to do - i love him so, but i cannot allow him to hurt the new girls, which are amazingly calm and gentle. Im currently raising anouther rooster and hen, but they are only about a month old. The rooster chick is his baby with one of the original three. He already seems flighty. I dont know what to do now. I dont want him or the girls to be hurt. Should i give up and find anouther home for him? Should i wait untill he is older and put him back with the girls? I dont know what happened. He spent some time alone, before the girls and i thought maybe thats what caused it? I would do almost anything to have my old rooster back.