Rooster issue/ethical question

[Yard Farmer]

I'm not quite ready to kill chickens yet. I know it's a reality I'll have to face one day but they are mostly pets right now. You're right about finding another rooster, there's always free ones on Craigslist. I guess it just never occurred to me to get another one.

I get that, that's a larger step in chicken care. I was there myself.

You could just post him for free and just give people the heads up he's aggressive. Someone will most likely pick him up to eat him anyway.

 

[HummerHaven]

I get that, that's a larger step in chicken care. I was there myself.

You could just post him for free and just give people the heads up he's aggressive. Someone will most likely pick him up to eat him anyway.

Yeah I think that's the plan now. I have no problem with someone else eating him but I just don't think I could kill him myself. I really appreciate your helping me realize he needs to go, so thank you!

 

[Mrs. K]

Really chickens do not form long lasting bonds. They quickly forget birds from their flock if separated. Hormones really mix relationships.

Your enjoyment of the flock will greatly improve once you send him on his way.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Sorry long story, tldr at bottom

Our beautiful rooster Roo Too has always been a bit stand-offish and sometimes mean spirited but I always attributed that to his natural protective nature...until recently. I had a somewhat good relationship with him when he was a chick (although I favored his brother who was a big puppy) but as he matured he became more "rooster" I guess and when we added 5 more pullets to our little flock last year (who it turns out were mostly feral) he became much more skittish. When his brother showed signs of being sick last year he killed him.
I tried not to blame him and to see it as a protect the flock act but now I'm not sure. We had 3 chicks originally, 2 roosters 1 hen. Roo Too and Hen Solo were day old chicks together, both Olive Eggers. They were very close, even after the free range farm pullets came. But gradually this winter I noticed he wasn't very nice to her. Once I saw wounds on her I pulled her immediately and placed her in the hospital tent/ their old brooder in our basement. It was a couple of months ago now and she healed up nicely. At no time did she look/behave sick.
About a month ago I felt it was warm enough to start to reintegrate her into the flock. We had the run bisected and when I put her in she went up to the mesh and he tried to peck her through it. Ok, fair enough maybe the flock forgot her. So for the next few weeks I woke up early to escort her from the back side of the coop (our coop is a big shed that we split with a half wall of wood/chicken wire for the top half a little over 2/3 for chickens) to her half of the run and back in the evening. They all saw each other at day and heard each other at night. He never stopped trying to get her through the mesh.
My bright idea to finally reintroduce her was to clean the coop/dip the birds for mites and have them all go in together that night. I figured the shared trauma would help them bond. I thought it worked. But yesterday I caught him raking her back with his spurs! It looked like he was trying to kill her. So this time we removed him.
He is now sleeping in the back while all the hens are happily sharing the main coop and full run. During the day he is free range (I don't worry about a hawk getting him!) My husband wants to get rid of him as he's aggressive but I don't want to shove our problem onto someone else, plus I feel like we need a rooster for protection for the hens especially when/if we ever free range.
So is there anything else I can do? Why is he only going after his Egg Mate and not the other hens? Any advice would be appreciated!

TLDR: My rooster is targeting one hen in particular for annihilation, should I get rid of him or what? Would giving him away knowing he's aggressive be wrong?

Soup time

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

Soup time

 

[Yard Farmer]

Yeah I think that's the plan now. I have no problem with someone else eating him but I just don't think I could kill him myself. I really appreciate your helping me realize he needs to go, so thank you!

Of course, wishing you the best of luck!

I hope you can find a new good rooster.

 

[HummerHaven]

Really chickens do not form long lasting bonds. They quickly forget birds from their flock if separated. Hormones really mix relationships.

Your enjoyment of the flock will greatly improve once you send him on his way.

Yeah I thought so, that's why I gave them 2 weeks to see each other through the mesh.
That's my hope! Thank you!

 

[KayisforKale]

Sorry long story, tldr at bottom

Our beautiful rooster Roo Too has always been a bit stand-offish and sometimes mean spirited but I always attributed that to his natural protective nature...until recently. I had a somewhat good relationship with him when he was a chick (although I favored his brother who was a big puppy) but as he matured he became more "rooster" I guess and when we added 5 more pullets to our little flock last year (who it turns out were mostly feral) he became much more skittish. When his brother showed signs of being sick last year he killed him.
I tried not to blame him and to see it as a protect the flock act but now I'm not sure. We had 3 chicks originally, 2 roosters 1 hen. Roo Too and Hen Solo were day old chicks together, both Olive Eggers. They were very close, even after the free range farm pullets came. But gradually this winter I noticed he wasn't very nice to her. Once I saw wounds on her I pulled her immediately and placed her in the hospital tent/ their old brooder in our basement. It was a couple of months ago now and she healed up nicely. At no time did she look/behave sick.
About a month ago I felt it was warm enough to start to reintegrate her into the flock. We had the run bisected and when I put her in she went up to the mesh and he tried to peck her through it. Ok, fair enough maybe the flock forgot her. So for the next few weeks I woke up early to escort her from the back side of the coop (our coop is a big shed that we split with a half wall of wood/chicken wire for the top half a little over 2/3 for chickens) to her half of the run and back in the evening. They all saw each other at day and heard each other at night. He never stopped trying to get her through the mesh.
My bright idea to finally reintroduce her was to clean the coop/dip the birds for mites and have them all go in together that night. I figured the shared trauma would help them bond. I thought it worked. But yesterday I caught him raking her back with his spurs! It looked like he was trying to kill her. So this time we removed him.
He is now sleeping in the back while all the hens are happily sharing the main coop and full run. During the day he is free range (I don't worry about a hawk getting him!) My husband wants to get rid of him as he's aggressive but I don't want to shove our problem onto someone else, plus I feel like we need a rooster for protection for the hens especially when/if we ever free range.
So is there anything else I can do? Why is he only going after his Egg Mate and not the other hens? Any advice would be appreciated!

TLDR: My rooster is targeting one hen in particular for annihilation, should I get rid of him or what? Would giving him away knowing he's aggressive be wrong?

As someone who likes to give roosters a fighting chance, and I abhor constant recommendations to cull, I need to say that culling would be best in this situation. I recommend getting rid of him in the way you deem best, and adopting a different rooster.