rogue rooster trying to kill me.

[Redhead Rae]

Roosters are aggressive plain and simple. You’re asking them to be something they’re not. That’s like culling a Runner duck that won’t fly. It makes more sense to keep them separate. That’s what’s better for the rooster but rarely is what’s better for the bird what actually happens.

I don’t expect there to not be squabbling and pecking order fights in my rooster flock, I just won’t tolerate overly aggressive roosters that won’t let the others eat or beat another rooster bloody or half to death after the other has submitted.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I don’t expect there to not be squabbling and pecking order fights in my rooster flock, I just won’t tolerate overly aggressive roosters that won’t let the others eat or beat another rooster bloody or half to death after the other has submitted.

You are putting them together though. Roosters are programmed to be aggressive. To each their own. You can’t hardly criticize anyone else for what they do if you kill a rooster for going after another rooster inside of a pen that you put together.

 

[roosterhavoc]

You’re asking a rooster to understand what’s in your head. The bird that is beating the others senseless is removing the competition. He has no idea what your plans are. If he did and could change his ways I’m sure he would prop his feet up and hang out waiting to be fed.

 

[BansheeWildRose]

Well that was entertaining.

 

[Redhead Rae]

You are putting them together though. Roosters are programmed to be aggressive. To each their own. You can’t hardly criticize anyone else for what they do if you kill a rooster for going after another rooster inside of a pen that you put together.

I don’t let it get that far. If there is trouble, I isolate the rooster that is too aggressive for my liking and cull it humanely first chance I get and keep the docile ones. I currently have 5 roosters in my bachelor pad and the alpha rooster actually breaks up fights and keeps the peace. He’s got a place on my farm for as long as he is breathing.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I don’t let it get that far. If there is trouble, I isolate the rooster that is too aggressive for my liking and cull it humanely first chance I get and keep the docile ones. I currently have 5 roosters in my bachelor pad and the alpha rooster actually breaks up fights and keeps the peace. He’s got a place on my farm for as long as he is breathing.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not begrudging you for culling an aggressive rooster. I’m just saying culling a rooster for his natural aggressive behavior towards another bird is not the same as culling a bird for for being people aggressive.
Rooster flocks are about as unnatural as it gets. Roosters that lack dominance rarely have the best breeding traits unless of course someone is trying to turn them into hens.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I only keep one rooster and I EAT the rest. Problem solved.

 

[Fishkeeper]

What’s the reasoning for culling a rooster in a bachelor flock? Please don’t say its because they are too aggressive because that would be ridiculously hypocritical.

Sometimes they ARE too aggressive. If you have 10 roosters who mostly get along with each other, and one who relentlessly flogs the others whenever he can, you have to make that aggressive one stop. To take him out and keep him in a pen on his own would be cruel, they're social. Removing and reintroducing him might help. If it doesn't, if you have a rooster who's too aggressive to live in a bachelor flock no matter what, the only humane thing to do is cull it.

It is the natural behavior of a rooster to be somewhat aggressive, yes. That doesn't mean you should allow it. It's inhumane to let roosters continue to fight each other and stress each other out, no matter how natural that behavior is. You have to find a way to make them stop, and sometimes they won't stop. Some roosters are just very aggressive.

If you have 11 roosters and 11 hens, you should only put 1 rooster with those 11 hens. You therefore have to figure out what to do with those 10 other roosters. You could get 100 hens, yes, but that means that someone else has to figure out what to do with the corresponding 100 roosters. You could also try putting those 10 roosters in a bachelor flock. If that doesn't work, or if you don't have the space or inclination to have a bachelor flock, the humane thing to do is cull them. Not leave them to fend for themselves, not leave them to perform their natural behaviors and stress your hens to death. Cull them.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Sometimes they ARE too aggressive. If you have 10 roosters who mostly get along with each other, and one who relentlessly flogs the others whenever he can, you have to make that aggressive one stop. To take him out and keep him in a pen on his own would be cruel, they're social. Removing and reintroducing him might help. If it doesn't, if you have a rooster who's too aggressive to live in a bachelor flock no matter what, the only humane thing to do is cull it.

It is the natural behavior of a rooster to be somewhat aggressive, yes. That doesn't mean you should allow it. It's inhumane to let roosters continue to fight each other and stress each other out, no matter how natural that behavior is. You have to find a way to make them stop, and sometimes they won't stop. Some roosters are just very aggressive.

If you have 11 roosters and 11 hens, you should only put 1 rooster with those 11 hens. You therefore have to figure out what to do with those 10 other roosters. You could get 100 hens, yes, but that means that someone else has to figure out what to do with the corresponding 100 roosters. You could also try putting those 10 roosters in a bachelor flock. If that doesn't work, or if you don't have the space or inclination to have a bachelor flock, the humane thing to do is cull them. Not leave them to fend for themselves, not leave them to perform their natural behaviors and stress your hens to death. Cull them.

Keeping a rooster in his own pen is cruel??? Keeping multiple roosters together while they somewhat assault each other isn’t? They’re social with hens, yes. Oh so now you’re capable of changing their natural behavior? Lol
The rooster to hen ratio is based on fertility and has absolutely zero to do with barebacking or injuring hens. Many people have pens with 1 rooster with 1 hen with zero issues. A lot depends on breed and individual roosters and hens.
A roosters aggressiveness towards another rooster can be prevented by penning them separately or like you say “humanely killing” them.
Personally I don’t care what anyone does with their chickens. I just find the reasons for culling roosters interesting especially when being kept with other roosters. It’s what works for the keeper to make their system of breeding easier and possibly cheaper. Just admit it’s not the roosters fault for acting how he was genetically programmed. Humans can’t change it even though evidently some think they can. Lol

 

[Kris5902]

My question is how do people being vegetarian cause that?

They don’t and there’s nothing wrong with being vegetarian... I’ve dated a few (long term) but they did it for health not to save the poor food animals. I personally have huge issues with mainstream meat industry, but not meat. I married a butcher, we have an abbatior (licensed) on our farm.

I just re read @Redhead Rae's post and she never said "vegetarian".

Nope, that was me! And I specified vegetarians based on “animal welfare morality” issues... she just brought up some of the points that avoiding culling your Roos doesn’t necessarily help protect animal welfare!

“I can’t eat my roosters! they are like little children to me! Tell a welfare mom with 12 kids to kill and eat them then! (I’m too lazy to find and quote that one back at the beginning of this, but it’s there)” this attitude has no place in breeding or getting straight run chickens. It creates problems like the OP is facing. Too many cockerels, not enough hens, not feeling daft going into ones own yard for fear of an aggressive cockerel, and hens dying (probably from being repeatedly raped by 12 rough idiot cockerels) next comes them fighting and injuring each other.