Roo attacks his favorite girl with her apron on

[speckledhen]

Our hand raised Barred Rock rooster has gone completely crazy. The fox has picked off his girls one by one while free ranging. When the fox got the last girl he was done, he became so aggressive we had pen him up and search for more hens. Bought four adults hens and he's in love again but now he's more aggressive I've had them for 3 months and can't let them out without him attacking everything, everyone. Took on one of the adult cats came back with fur in his mouth and the cat running for his life. Attacks the Mule with me in it. We keep makng appointments to have him put down then change our minds. He is awfully rough with the girls also. There is one white hen that for some reason he pecks all the time. Don't get me wrong he loves them, feeds them first, makes sure everyone is in bed at dark but he brutal. He does have to go for safety reasons.

My suggestion is not to get another roo, you're taking your chances.

That is understandable, really. He has had a super stressful predator situation and he's completely on edge. Doesn't mean you should tolerate it, especially if he's become extra rough with the hens as well as aggressive to humans, too.

 

[RedDrgn]

Chickens, as a rule, don't like change. So when you altered one of his girls, he flipped. When our roo started wearing on the back of his favorite girl, we added an apron. HE didn't care, but two of her flockmates had a fit. One would run from her and the other would attack her and drive her away from the rest. It took a few days and then they both got used to it and stopped. Fortunately, no one got hurt. When we had to remove his favorite girl for several weeks for medical care, he started wearing on his second favorite. When we added an apron to her, he eyed her askance, but did nothing. No one else even bothered with her.

Why'd they flip the first time and not the second? Who knows. You never know what will effect them or how. Roos are particularly perceptive to changes and if they think that anything is a threat or a rival, it's on! So if he's still not settled and you still have him, separate him from the flock. I'd either isolate him entirely for a full week and them start reintroduction from the inside of a dog crate the following week (keep him in the crate in the run or around the coop so everyone can be seen, but not touch) and then start free ranging them together thereafter and see how it goes. If he's whipping on his girls after that, I'd eat him. If you don't have the patience to do that, then I'd skip to the eating part, especially if he keeps having a go at people.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

a good rooster puts himself in harms way for the hens...why is he the only one left? Cause he RAN that's why...he is not a good rooster, off with his head!!!