rogue rooster trying to kill me.

[Bamabexchicks]

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.



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.

We are on the same side of this issue. I studied long and hard on getting a rooster, I didnt want a hand raised cockrel, an only child, or someone's baby. Imo that creates roos that think you are another chicken that he has to dominate. I dont want to get an animal that I might have to cull. I dont have a problem with people culling and processing birds, but that's not what I want him for.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

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

Keeping a bachelor flock is not cruel!
As someone who personally has a bachelor flock, I can say that they get along very well. It is a small flock, but I’ve never had any problems. Of course there’s a little squabble once in awhile, but it happens in regular flocks as well.

Maybe you just need to see a bachelor flock to believe it.

 

[Chickassan]

Honestly this isn't anything you have to worry about much unless you do like this lady did.
She was dealing out some major chicken society no-no's.
And she made her own monster "Creepy Tony".
He wasn't out to dominate, he still isn't.

We are on the same side of this issue. I studied long and hard on getting a rooster, I didnt want a hand raised cockrel, an only child, or someone's baby. Imo that creates roos that think you are another chicken that he has to dominate. I dont want to get an animal that I might have to cull. I dont have a problem with people culling and processing birds, but that's not what I want him for.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Keeping a bachelor flock is not cruel!
As someone who personally has a bachelor flock, I can say that they get along very well. It is a small flock, but I’ve never had any problems. Of course there’s a little squabble once in awhile, but it happens in regular flocks as well.

Maybe you just need to see a bachelor flock to believe it.

Tell that to the rooster being assaulted by the more dominant roosters in the group! I’ve seen it with my own eyes because I’ve done it. I don’t need to see anyone else’s bachelor pen. Put a camera on your flock and watch them all the time. Those roosters have raging hormones and they’re all males usually with hens in sight.
Again everyone seems to be missing the point of what I was saying. I don’t care what you do with your roosters. I’m just saying some are culling them because they are showing natural behavior. The keeper has set up a completely unnatural scenario and keeps things in line their way. Does anyone ever wonder why so many end up with mean roosters? I believe a lot of it has to do with piss poor breeding. Selecting the wrong birds from the get go.
I believe some of the most aggressive roosters to other roosters are some of the absolute best with the hens. They are dominant and don’t need to run down hens to mate them. The hens lay down for them. Instead people breed the pathetic examples of a rooster that get zero respect from most hens and some even whipped by them.

 

[Fishkeeper]

You know that not every bachelor flock results in one rooster being beat up on, right? That's an example of an unsuccessful flock. One that might need to be managed differently, or have one or more birds removed. It's not as easy as a flock of hens, but it can be managed with the right birds. For some people, it may be worth trying.
And there are plenty of roosters that aren't aggressive to much of anything, but are still respected plenty by the hens. The 'polite' roosters that tidbit and dance nicely but aren't aggressive to others. What personality will appeal most to your hens can depend a lot on the hens.
I'm also pretty sure that if you have a 'wimpy' rooster that the hens don't respect, that gets picked on by the hens, that is not the rooster that someone is being attacked by.

 

[seminolewind]

I have one bachelor flock of silkie roos. 4 of them. Yes they squabble now and then but silkies are family oriented so chances are the roos will live together. I've had good luck with Jersey roos with the flock as well but not a bachelor pad.

The awful truth is that roos are worth nothing. Actually finding someone that will process them is a blessing- roos can end up being tortured in ways that make processing look like the best choice. Sad but true.

On a good note, some countries in Europe are actually working with sexing prior to hatching! Which means cutting down on the number of roos being born. It is done, it's past experimental. I hope to see it here in the next 1-3 years. (the US is not quick to utilize new modern methods. Europe has us beat.)

 

[Kris5902]

I’ve got a mixed bachelor pen, there are still some birds that need to be removed from it due to undesirable traits, not just “aggression”. Every day it gets further away from the hens and a little more manageable, it’s not 100% perfect, but I’m working on it. I do spend most of the day nearby it, so I know who needs removed...

I also separated my 10 pullets from 14/15 of the cockerels when the guys started to get “frisky” because that’s not a natural, safe, or manageable ratio for anyone involved! The issue here isn’t just the boys behaviors, the monster Tony, or even natural hormones, instincts, and tendencies. It’s the caretaker not being willing to take necessary actions to prevent harm. Because no matter how we try to explain it 12/12 cockerels/pullets or Roos/hens is very bad news.

You need to be willing to remove the boys somehow to maintain a healthy flock, otherwise don’t buy straight run or hatch. We aren’t talking babies, kittens, or puppies, (or neutered pets) these are intact males with hormones drives and instincts that as @roosterhavoc points out are natural and normal. Keeper reaction also seems to be worsening the situation.

Making mistakes and getting in over your head is excuseable to some extent, but refusing to remedy a harmful situation for animals that rely on you for care is never ok.

 

[seminolewind]

I've had good luck with pinless peepers on young overzealous roos. I have also had some success with wrapping one foot into a "cast" that slows him down.

 

[ColtHandorf]

It looks this this thread has been edited mercilessly, but I would like to point out one thing...

@roosterhavoc - While you make excellent points judging by your avatar picture I'm assuming you work mostly with game fowl? Is it possible that some varieties of chickens English Orpingtons for example, or Cochins have less aggressive tendencies than other breeds? Much like hens in the Mediterranean Class have generally had the "broodiness" behavior bred out of them. I believe that's the point of selective breeding after all. So to say all roosters are aggressive is probably not the most accurate statement. Rather you could say the roosters you've encountered in the varieties you work with behave in a certain manner. After all we should all remember we wrote the books, not chickens. They change the rules as they see fit just to keep us on our toes.

I have kept multiple roosters together in large breeding flock situations in the past without issues. I have never kept a Bachelor Flock, but I fully intend on integrating the young Silver-laced Orpington cockerel I got this weekend with Sterling the male in my avatar picture within a month so he grows up with my existing rooster as a benevolent overlord. Sterling shows no aggression towards me, any people, dogs, or the pair of geese that live with him. He has only ever hackled when he was staying at a friends while we moved and her four bantam roosters decided to gang up on him. It looked a bit like the last scene in Jurassic World with the velociraptors circling and leaping onto the Indominus Rex. Sterling may have been slower, but he weighed more. The confrontation was settled with minimal damage and they learned their place while he was there.

 

[roosterhavoc]

It looks this this thread has been edited mercilessly, but I would like to point out one thing...

@roosterhavoc - While you make excellent points judging by your avatar picture I'm assuming you work mostly with game fowl? Is it possible that some varieties of chickens English Orpingtons for example, or Cochins have less aggressive tendencies than other breeds? Much like hens in the Mediterranean Class have generally had the "broodiness" behavior bred out of them. I believe that's the point of selective breeding after all. So to say all roosters are aggressive is probably not the most accurate statement. Rather you could say the roosters you've encountered in the varieties you work with behave in a certain manner. After all we should all remember we wrote the books, not chickens. They change the rules as they see fit just to keep us on our toes.

I have kept multiple roosters together in large breeding flock situations in the past without issues. I have never kept a Bachelor Flock, but I fully intend on integrating the young Silver-laced Orpington cockerel I got this weekend with Sterling the male in my avatar picture within a month so he grows up with my existing rooster as a benevolent overlord. Sterling shows no aggression towards me, any people, dogs, or the pair of geese that live with him. He has only ever hackled when he was staying at a friends while we moved and her four bantam roosters decided to gang up on him. It looked a bit like the last scene in Jurassic World with the velociraptors circling and leaping onto the Indominus Rex. Sterling may have been slower, but he weighed more. The confrontation was settled with minimal damage and they learned their place while he was there.

Yes I raise gamefowl but I have raised many other kinds of chickens too. Roosters all have the instincts to be aggressive. Sure some have been selectively bred against those traits for better or worse which would be a matter of opinion.