Rooster is out of control.

[FunClucks]

He is not a good fit for you or your family. Sorry you got a bad roo. He needs to go.

Even if all of his other traits were great, if the only thing he did that you didn't like was crow all day, he would still be a bad fit with your family and need to go. Your peace of mind and your mental health is important. His constant crowing is imperiling that. Sometimes you don't know how tolerant or intolerant you are of something until you try it. Sorry this roo didn't work out.

Wait a year, then if you decide you want to try again for a rooster, you could see if you get one in a new batch or chicks, or try and hatch one from a broody hen. Mature hens can teach a juvenile rooster how to get on as he grows up. You may go through a few roos before you find a good one. If you want a rooster, you have to be prepared for it to take a few tries.

Keeping a bad roo takes all the joy out of chicken keeping - not worth it in my book. Your chickens and yourself will be so much happier once he's gone.

 

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

Update if anyone cares: we hung in there and are glad we did. He is a VERY sweet boy now. Loves his girls, although he has favorites. Finds them snacks constantly, doesn’t leave their side, fixes nesting boxes for them, watchful for cats an hawks, makes sure they all get in the coop at night, etc. Still timid around people, but overall, he has really come around. We did try a no crow collar but took it off as the one we got cut into him a bit. He doesn’t crow as often anymore, thank god lol.

 

[FunClucks]

Update if anyone cares: we hung in there and are glad we did. He is a VERY sweet boy now. Loves his girls, although he has favorites. Finds them snacks constantly, doesn’t leave their side, fixes nesting boxes for them, watchful for cats an hawks, makes sure they all get in the coop at night, etc. Still timid around people, but overall, he has really come around. We did try a no crow collar but took it off as the one we got cut into him a bit. He doesn’t crow as often anymore, thank god lol.

So glad that worked out for you guys!!! How did he turn things around? Anything you guys did that seemed to help? Asking for those of us who get in a similar situation and would like to have a positive outcome.

 

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

So glad that worked out for you guys!!! How did he turn things around? Anything you guys did that seemed to help? Asking for those of us who get in a similar situation and would like to have a positive outcome.

Thank you! If I saw him being aggressive with the girls, I’d stick him back in the large dog crate with the girls in the run, so they were still being (safely) socialized. Or I would pick him up and carry him around with me for a while. I think the crowing calmed down once he realized he was the only man around, and he got more comfortable with his new environment. I feel like he may have gone from feeling like he was in “survival mode” and constant competition with other roosters and lack of hens, to really having his own flock and space. I’m also fortunate enough to work from home, so I frequently go out and spend time with them. Most of my chickens were hand raised, so they are pretty curious and social. I feed them snacks once a day, and if he was aggressive at that time, no snacks for him. This has become a routine, which is more to work on his people skills lol. He is no longer terrified of people, just doesn’t like to be touched. I think it has also helped that two of my girls have started to lay, and we took in another one who was already laying, so he’s got a few girls that are actually interested in him now, and he’s not as sexually frustrated LMFAO. The changes in behavior took about a month to really be consistent, and we haven’t had a problem since! He still does that weird little dance, I think sometimes it’s for mating purposes, and sometimes it’s a dominance thing. His two favorites are two that are laying, so he will occasionally do that dance to the others to command space for his favorites, usually for snacks. The rest he really did on his own, and I can’t take credit for. Overall, I think we lucked out with a good boy from a not so good home, and he just needed a chance. A sentiment I relate to both with my childhood, and the fact that I have rescued Pit bulls from not so good situations. That instilled both compassion and stubbornness to give up on my part, Sometimes it takes a lot to see through the aggression or bad behavior, but with patience, it ends up being 100% worth it!

 

[Folly's place]

He's turned out well, having more mature pullets and a hen or two, and no competition. Wonderful! And he's not human aggressive, the most important part of this story. Glad you stuck with it, and he didn't cause any actual injuries to those pullets while he settled in.
Mary

 

[kWEEN_k0BRA]

He's turned out well, having more mature pullets and a hen or two, and no competition. Wonderful! And he's not human aggressive, the most important part of this story. Glad you stuck with it, and he didn't cause any actual injuries to those pullets while he settled in.
Mary

Thanks Mary! They cut his spurs before, so I think that helped. We are letting them grow now, since he has been a good boy and deserves some tools to help defend, if need be.