zebraffe4231
Chirping
- May 21, 2015
- 74
- 9
- 66
Okay so I have 5 hens and 1 rooster and I adore all of them. They are just under a year old (a year in June). These birds are pets and I honestly treat them better than I do most people. Also I am vegan and I will NEVER consider culling this rooster.
But basically the rooster is actually crazy. He used to be completely fine and I would pet him and hold him and he would always go and sit on my shoulder until winter hit. He got frostbite so I had to keep him inside for a few days while he healed. When I put him back with the flock he was a completely different bird. He flogged me every single time I went in the coop. One time he got my face and sliced my entire cheek open and there was blood everywhere (no stitches but it was bad). I've tried a lot of different methods to tame him a bit and things have gotten much better. He is still pretty aggressive towards me but not all the time. I just bring a tennis racket down to defend myself. Also I will not let anyone else go down there because there is a 100% chance he will attack them.
But basically out of my 5 hens, 2 of them have completely bare backs and broken wing feathers and balding heads and it is just terrible. I got saddles for both of them and they do seem to help with the pain. I can now see a small patch of skin on another hen and the other two's feathers are getting thin. So tonight I went down to close up the coop and the saddle had fallen off of Belle, one of the hens. It is not the first time that this has happened to her so as soon as I opened the door she jumped onto my arm because she wanted it back on (pretty sure its because she is in pain without it) . I put it on her and put her back inside. The rooster jumped down and started freaking out when I opened the door. He immediately grabbed Belle and attempted to mount her as she is screaming trying to run away from him which ripped her saddle off. Two other hens jumped down and ran over to help her and I, unable to watch, shoved him off. I was standing down there for about five minutes watching him go after the hens who were no joke running over to me for protection. I had no idea that it was this bad. The girls are living in terror and all scream out and run whenever he tries to grab them. I cannot bear to see them in pain and I just don't even know what to do. He is actually raping them.
I can handle him attacking me but the girls are being raped and they are unhappy and in pain. I cannot get any more hens. I will not cull the rooster. I don't feel like it's fair to lock him up. I do love him and I want what is best for him but I can't have the hens in danger. Somebody who knows more than me PLEASE tell me what to do.
But basically the rooster is actually crazy. He used to be completely fine and I would pet him and hold him and he would always go and sit on my shoulder until winter hit. He got frostbite so I had to keep him inside for a few days while he healed. When I put him back with the flock he was a completely different bird. He flogged me every single time I went in the coop. One time he got my face and sliced my entire cheek open and there was blood everywhere (no stitches but it was bad). I've tried a lot of different methods to tame him a bit and things have gotten much better. He is still pretty aggressive towards me but not all the time. I just bring a tennis racket down to defend myself. Also I will not let anyone else go down there because there is a 100% chance he will attack them.
But basically out of my 5 hens, 2 of them have completely bare backs and broken wing feathers and balding heads and it is just terrible. I got saddles for both of them and they do seem to help with the pain. I can now see a small patch of skin on another hen and the other two's feathers are getting thin. So tonight I went down to close up the coop and the saddle had fallen off of Belle, one of the hens. It is not the first time that this has happened to her so as soon as I opened the door she jumped onto my arm because she wanted it back on (pretty sure its because she is in pain without it) . I put it on her and put her back inside. The rooster jumped down and started freaking out when I opened the door. He immediately grabbed Belle and attempted to mount her as she is screaming trying to run away from him which ripped her saddle off. Two other hens jumped down and ran over to help her and I, unable to watch, shoved him off. I was standing down there for about five minutes watching him go after the hens who were no joke running over to me for protection. I had no idea that it was this bad. The girls are living in terror and all scream out and run whenever he tries to grab them. I cannot bear to see them in pain and I just don't even know what to do. He is actually raping them.
I can handle him attacking me but the girls are being raped and they are unhappy and in pain. I cannot get any more hens. I will not cull the rooster. I don't feel like it's fair to lock him up. I do love him and I want what is best for him but I can't have the hens in danger. Somebody who knows more than me PLEASE tell me what to do.