Rogue Rooster

[bsruther]

For about three months, we've been trying to get our Rooster to understand that he's not in charge, but he just didn't get it. He would assert himself and I'd either grab him by the feet and hold him upside down for a few minutes or whack his butt with a stick. He would be ok for a few weeks, then he would go right back to being aggressive and he would always stand up to my wife or any stranger that came near the coop. Every time I put the fear into him, it would also cause the Hens to be afraid of me, making them tense every time I'd go out there. This past weekend, I was inside the run, doing some cleaning and had my back to him. He came at me from under the coop and clawed at my calves. Luckily I had long pants on, or he would have left some nasty scratches. I turned around and kicked him in the chest and he came back at me again, twice. I got the broomstick that I keep out there and gave him the thrashing of his life. We had been talking about getting rid of him for a while, but hadn't gotten around to it. The wife wanted to give him to a neighbor, down the road, but he would just be their problem then and I couldn't do that. My wife didn't want me to get rid of him while she was home so, when she went back to work this morning, I took care of it. Today was the day he crowed his last crow. I usually have difficulty even thinking about killing an animal, but for some reason, I had no problem getting rid of this Rooster.
After he was gone, the hens didn't even miss a beat. Everything seems to be calm and carefree in the run now.
The thing I'm wondering now is, since he's gone, will the pecking order of the hens change?

 

[Judy]

Well, someone always has to be in charge. Maybe #2 will just move up. Was he your only roo? If so, a hen will most likely start acting a bit more like a roo, might even climb on top of some other hens, at least for a while.

Your hens may be thanking you, too. I won't keep a mean roo, either. The chicken world does not need their genes.

 

[Rebel Rooster]

 

[chicmom]

I don't blame you one bit! I had a really mean rooster, who was very similar to yours....always attacking....and I re-homed him with a warning that he was dangerous.

Just recently, I had another rooster that I hatched out with some eggs I purchased online. Anyhow, this rooster got meaner and meaner as he matured. He terrorized his little flock of five, which included another very sweet rooster that I adore. Night before last, when I locked them up for the evening, he started just flogging the other rooster (who is very submissive), and he was really just beating the crap out of one of the small hens. Well, I grabbed him up during one of his attacks, and threw him out of the coop. The next day he was gone. Only a pile of feathers remained and I was a happy camper. I don't feel one ounce guilty.

My little flock is just soooo happy and relaxed. Glad he's gone!

 

[bigstack]

I just thined down 16 roo's! My ladies are so Happy!!! I processed 8 then a month later I gave away 8 more. The 4 roo's left just moved up into the place left open. Pretty much every one just moved up in place as far as I can tell. There has been no extra fighting. The girls are so much more happy! They were taking a beating before! I felt so bad for them. But I was waiting to see who I wanted to keep. Next time I wont take as long. I started with the meanest ones first then moved on to quality. I kept the most gentle and the ones who were especially good with the girls. And 2 for their temperment and quality (breed standard)

You did the right thing! There is NO reason to keep a mean roo!

God Bless!

 

[bsruther]

The hens don't even seem to miss him. They used to bite my fingers, when I'd stick them through the fence, now they don't.
It was good to go through the experience of having a Rooster and observing his behavior with the hens, but he was beginning to have a negative effect on the flock. If he would have been a tame Rooster, he probably would have lived a long happy life. But a Rooster that acted the way he did, is not going to get free meals or free room and board.

 

[sourland]

Congratulations on a good common sense animal husbandry solution. And good for not passing on your problem to someone else.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Exactly.