Oh, I have a good roo, but rough with the girls

[jerseygirl1]

I hate to have him processed, he's really a great big boy and not nasty, but he's too big for the hens (he's taken up with - of course - all the bantam hens) and he is jsut so rough on them.
He's 24 weeks - and HUGE, but I feel so bad, he's never been aggressive at all...................maybe some of the newer pullets will have an influence on him. I feel horrible, and I didn't name him for this reason, but he's a good guy...................

 

[midget_farms]

If the hens can take the attention for a couple of months he should grow out of the aggression. Its a teenager thing.

 

[CMV]

Bachelor pad? With conjugal visits? He will improve his technique with age, but if he's too big then he's too big and there's not much way around that. Too bad.

Good luck. Sorry for your tough decision.

 

[Uzuri]

I ended up having to get rid of mine for just that reason -- he was a turkey-sized Welsummer, big fella, not too over-burdened with brains, and not particularly aggressive (except that he hated a certain pair of boots I owned). He'd pull out feathers, and stress them, and then the girls got into the habit of picking because he started bald spots. What a mess.

Anyway, gave him away to someone who wanted to introduce the dark egg genes and started the girls with peepers. Things are now much more peaceful in the henhouse.

I'd give yours some time, though. He may cool off. I just couldn't wait any longer (mine was a year old when I gave him up).

 

[Mervin]

Quote:
I'm wondering where yours came from. I had the same problem with a Wellie this fall. He didn't go after any boots, but the pulling feathers thing. After he went after my daughter, he went hot tubbing with some carrots and celery.

 

[Morgan7782]

If he is so sweet and you really cannot keep him maybe try to rehome him? I expect it would be a little easier to rehome a young(ish) sweet boy who just needs some bigger girls lol than a mean sonofagun

 

[teach1rusl]

If your roo is a LF and your hens/pullets bantam breeds, there's a good chance that more than one of them will end up being injured. As others have suggested, you could pen him separately or try to rehome him. There is a chance he could be eaten in a rehoming situation, but at least his life went toward someone being fed... Sorry - the life for most roos is pretty short.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Agreed. Practice makes perfect.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Quote:
Agreed. Practice makes perfect.

Thanks, that's what I am hoping for - he's a really good roo

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Agreed. Practice makes perfect.

Yup.