Need help with bipolar rooser

[DawnM]

We have an EE x Giant Cochin rooster that is just now hitting puberty. We have 5 hens and one is his sister. She just started laying eggs so I'm assuming he's hitting sexual maturity as well. He has picked out her and one of the Barred Rocks to go after very aggressively, I'm assuming to mate. The other 3 hens are not happy with this, especially the lead hen. The rooster and her have gotten into violent fights while she tries to protect her girls and he tries to go after them. He even ripped the front part of her comb off this morning. He's slated to be slaughtered today because to us he's just not worth it if he stresses any of the girls out. The Barred Rock he picks on tries to jump on our shoulders every time we go outside and she just sits there and shivers.

Does anyone have any advice or should we just get rid of him. He's a beautiful bird but so is his sister. This morning he even tried to go through my daughter to go after the Rocks (the lead hen and the one he picks on are the Barred Rocks.) The Rhode Island Red and Black Star tease him by chasing him but don't actually attack and he doesn't bother them. Usually he is pretty fearful of people and avoids being close to anyone. Just looking for more experienced advice before we turn him into Easter dinner.

I forgot to add, we have had them since they were 6 weeks old last November and everyone has been at peace until now. The older hens were a year old last month.

 

[coop1111]

I would wait a little longer. Soon the rooster will be top of the pecking order and they won't fight like that anymore. It doesn't take very many times before they stop usually.

 

[mercedes]

Seriously,if he gets into "violent fights" with another chicken,especially a hen,he needs to go!!!It does not matter how beautiful he is,he will only get meaner the older he gets.He will not stop until he either kills or seriously injures your hens,and at some point he will come after you or your daughter.If you feel you need to have a rooster,get a nice one and enjoy this one for dinner.

 

[Judy]

No rooster who is not nice to all his girls is tolerated here.

 

[DawnM]

It was violent, at least in my opinion. The lead hen was trying to protect a flockmate and lost part of her comb. It was by the front door and theres blood on the door and porch step. I think I would give it more time but the more docile hen runs to us and shakes when he's in the yard. I guess I could put her in the banty coop with the little guys but that doesn't stop the fights outside in the yard. Our coop if very small, a converted cedar doghouse, because they 100% free range during the day. I would feel better if he wasn't there but my daughter has sentimental value. I do know that if he's willing to try to go through someone that at some point he will go for someone. I was voting for butcher, I just wanted to make sure before I can't go back again.

 

[azygous]

If you've "slated" the roo for slaughter, why is it you're asking for help? Do you feel an attachment to him? Are you wishing there was some way to spare his life and have him turn into a nice roo?

Of course, there's no magic cure for problem roosters, but after successfully dealing with three problem roos myself, I'm a firm believer that bad roos can be rehabbed. It takes a deep commitment and the willingness and patience to work with him, but the results can be stunning.

My first roo Stan, a SLWyandotte, began flogging me the minute his hormones turned on. After a year of discipline and daily boxing matches, he settled down, became very compliant, and even enjoyed being lap cuddled.

This year, I ended up with two problem roos, Penrod, a lumbering Brahma is a biter, and Darrel, a Black Cochin is so frightened and timid he would have a meltdown when I would try to touch him. The traditional methods of dealing with bad roos weren't working - hazing and dominating - so I was at a loss as to what else I could try. I even offered Penrod up as Christmas dinner to anyone willing to kill him.

Then I saw a post about a problem rooster with a rather astonishing reply by a gentleman who goes by olychickenguy. He has a blog on chicken psychology. http://olychickenguy.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html I e-mailed him with my problem and asked for his advice. He's graciously been helping me with both boys and the progress is stunning!

Penrod is developing respect, is becoming much tamer, and rarely bites now. Darrel is now eating from my hand and permits me to touch him and, with a bit of reassuring, permits me to pick him up.

When I had asked for help on this forum, I was strongly urged to cull both roos, one because a dangerous rooster must not be tolerated, and the other because his genes weren't the sort to keep in the gene pool. I'm very thankful that I didn't follow this advice.

The choice is yours, but it's important for you to know you do have that choice.

 

[DawnM]

Azygous, my daughter is attached to him and won when she started crying hysterically about losing him. Everyone else knows better than to get attached to roosters. I may ask the rooster guy for advice. He spends nights in the house inside a little dog house in a spare room so I guess he's just going to be converted to a full time house rooster. We live in the suburbs so crowing roosters at night/morning aren't ok. He's never once showed any aggression to people besides the incident where he tried to get the hen through my daughter.

We put him in the yard without the hen he picks on. He was just fine with the others. When we put her back outside, he charged her almost before she hit the ground. I don't know what his problem is with her. She's not the top of the pecking order and she's always gotten along fine with chickens, even new ones. The others are really not happy with him when he goes after her and thats when the bloody fights start. I'm thinking he's picking on her because he knows he can. I don't know what to do about it but around here we side with the hens. If they aren't happy we aren't fed.

I guess at this point we'll just take it day by day.