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

[Poultry mum]

I currently have 4 roosters… Audrey who many of you know the story behind, arthur who is a silkie, and Houdini and teriyaki who are gold and silver Sebrights.
they Are all different ages different breeds different personalities but they are all very loving especially towards the humans of the flock. Yes Arthur and Houdini occasionally fight over the same 2 girls and yes Audrey has had to show Arthur who the domiant rooster is the only way roosters know how…let’s just say Arthur no longer turns his back to Audrey.
but teriyaki has his girls and the other boys don’t bother them and Audrey has his girls who get left alone by the other boys…
my Muscovy Females are more aggressive than my roosters/cockerels

 

[Beer can]

I have zero tolerance for nasty roosters and I've had a some.
I have heard it's genetic and I agree.
All mean roosters I've had were hatchery birds.
I got a mixed order from Sandhill Preservation Center, ended up with one Langshan rooster, four Red Sussex roos, two White Jersey Giant roos. Had them all together with a bunch of hens. Had no probs, one of the giants was the alpha male he would chase off the others quite often but there really was never any fights and no over breeding of the hens. No birds lost feathers. They were never aggressive towards people either and I don't make pets out of my birds. My thought is Sandhill must breed for good temperament.

 

[-Kiwi-]

I usually try to rehome mine, but while I wait they go to "rooster jail", a separate pen for them. There are currently three roos in there. These ones aren't too aggressive, I just have too many for my girls.

 

[Vixen55]

All of the roosters we've had have been aggressive. I had to go out to the coop with a broom for protection from our last one! He was a little banty and only about 10 inches high, but he had a long sharp spur! Best part was watching my 13 year old grandson running and squealing like a girl from him!! Sadly a raccoon got him in March. Lol the roo not my grandson!!

 

[CreveChris]

All of the roosters we've had have been aggressive. I had to go out to the coop with a broom for protection from our last one! He was a little banty and only about 10 inches high, but he had a long sharp spur! Best part was watching my 13 year old grandson running and squealing like a girl from him!! Sadly a raccoon got him in March.

As a child, my husband was attacked by a rooster who jumped on his head. His grandfather said it was too valuable a rooster to get rid of, which is why I cannot have any aggression in roosters. So far my 5th rooster is the first possible keeper. The rest have been rehomed with the 4th leaving this week.

I'm breeding the aggression out. All of them have been gorgeous, but the sweetest rooster is from my sweetest hen. I bred him on purpose but thought he was a pullet until he crowed.

He's also sporting the best crest I've ever seen in this breed, not that I know enough to say he's a show bird. His father was very fat and his mother can barely see due to her fabulous Crevecoeur crest. So I am intrigued by the genetics of roosters, to be sure.

 

[LaFleche]

 

[Bigbluefrog]

*Other. Yeah, start with hand raising. Maybe even try taming/training. Mine got a grave. I have nothing against eating them. Just with aggression it becomes a little more time sensitive than with a simple harvest.

I got mine given to me at age 6 months. He is very timid, but one day his favorite hen was squawking and he came after me like no tomorrow. I blocked his attack, I should of caught him and held him. After I turned and walked away he came after me again. So I got a broom - no I didn’t hit him but was ready to block any attack and walked around his run and said come on- I am top person here. He ran away. Roosters are designed to protect, he thought I was attacking his girl, and roosters need to dominate- well by me backing away he thought he was king- we just let him know we were more dominant. No problem anymore. If he wasn’t correctable I would not hesitate to remove him. Cull him, if no one was willing to take him. I think my rooster if hand raised would be better. It is really tough to catch a rooster - I am not that young

 

[Brooks_]

I got mine given to me at age 6 months. He is very timid, but one day his favorite hen was squawking and he came after me like no tomorrow. I blocked his attack, I should of caught him and held him. After I turned and walked away he came after me again. So I got a broom - no I didn’t hit him but was ready to block any attack and walked around his run and said come on- I am top person here. He ran away. Roosters are designed to protect, he thought I was attacking his girl, and roosters need to dominate- well by me backing away he thought he was king- we just let him know we were more dominant. No problem anymore. If he wasn’t correctable I would not hesitate to remove him. Cull him, if no one was willing to take him. I think my rooster if hand raised would be better. It is really tough to catch a rooster - I am not that young

When they're in attack mode, they're kinda easy to catch.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I literally butchered one last night. He was 9 months old. Raised from a chick. Still didn't stop his natural instincts to attack me or anyone else who came around the barn. I will not keep ANY aggressive animals at our house so he had to go. I didn't INTEND to make chicken for dinner last night but that's exactly what we ended up having....

He was exceptionally tough to eat though. He wasn't overcooked but it's like his tendons and ligaments were thickly corded so the meat resisted being taken off the bone. We joked that even in death he was still being difficult....

 

[fran6]

I tried being nice, I tried being nasty (which was quite satisfying I confess) but things only got better after I did what this guy does.