Official BYC Poll: What Do You Do With Your Aggressive Roosters?

[BYC Project Manager]

Male chickens (roosters) are naturally more aggressive than females, it's just the natural order of things. It is his job to defend his flock against threats from predators and other roosters that might be looking to mate with his hens. It's his responsibility to care for the flock and its needs and that includes mating with as many hens as possible to ensure the success of his flock. Roosters are wired to protect the hens.

While roosters are a beautiful (and loud) addition to every flock, fear of an aggressive rooster can make many people back down. So we have to ask: What Do You Do With Your Aggressive Roosters?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

Further Reading:

• Dealing With & Taming Aggressive Roosters
• Dealing with Roosters: Roo Behavior
• The Naturally Good Rooster
• Understanding Your Rooster
• Methods For Dealing With Roosters
• Selecting Good Flock Roosters
• The Pros & Cons of Roosters

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

 

[MissE]

I have never had an aggressive rooster as an adult. The ones we had when I was a kid were invited for dinner. I would do the same thing now if I end up with an aggressive one.

 

[3KillerBs]

I haven't had any aggressive roosters yet. My in-town rooster was a mild-mannered Light Brahma. The "Red Boys", my packing peanuts, were eaten at the age where they started to get annoying so potential aggression hadn't shown up yet.

I am getting some straight-run chicks this year and plan to eat any aggressive cockerels.

 

[Ted Brown]

I segregate roosters into a cage adjacent to my main run. Also have a breeding area where I put hens with a particular male.

 

[Oncoming Storm]

I put them in “jail” for a month or so if they’re super aggressive towards the other birds. My one mega aggressive roo we had (which was our first experience with a rooster lol) was so bad that we’d go in the coop with one of those cheep plastic wiffle ball bats to defend ourselves. He got better as a free ranged. The ground rules kind of became you run at me and I run at you.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

When I was real little we would butcher them. Now that I have my own chickens I have only had one mean rooster. A little Silver Duckwing. As long as he was not at the top of the pecking order he was good. For 2 years he should come a flog my leg or my hand when giving them their food. Finally this year he calmed down and was very nice. I pretty much didn't pay attention to him when he did it.

 

[MadamContrary]

I have hand raised many cockerels this year, haven't had and bad ones yet but, I also can't keep them long term so I re-home as they start crowing. If one was truly aggressive I would cull and make a lovely meal, because I would feel bad passing on a bird with issues, especially if someone intended to breed him.

 

[KikiDeAnime]

Ever since we started raising chickens, we've always gotten lucky with human-friendly roosters over the years.

 

[natyvidal]

I had a nasty rooster. Tried to train him not to attack people but he would not learn. After almost three years he attacked my 3 year old nephew. That was it! He ended in my Brunswick stew!

 

[HKG]

Aggresive to humans or to the hens?