rooster went after our daughter

[flowerchild59]

Craigs List him, stew pot him or rehome him........what ever it takes to get rid of him. Most roos will do it again and hopefully it won't be worse next time.

 

[marilyn15]

Thanks for the info and advice. It is always imperative that my children's safety come first. I did post earlier we have come to a good agreement on keeping Romeo locked up and the only time he can free range with the hens is if the kids are not in the yard. So we are going to try that, but if need be especially if he keeps tearing our hens up he is gone. And we actually let him get three new chicks about 3 weeks ago, all different breeds, he picked them out himself, and they are all different and unique looking.....so he will be fine either way. He said his sister's safety was most important!



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[marilyn15]

I agree, my husband said he was doing his job. See my previous posts, I explained what we are doing. No one will be in harms way now. And if he continues to be aggressive with our hens he is rehomed for sure! He is very lucky my husband did not ring his neck right then and there. I am so thankful it was just a surface scratch.

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[ThePolishPrincess]

I think that's a fair decision.

Doesn't managing a rooster always become hard after you name them?

Best of luck with your family and your Romeo.

 

[ChicKat]

While you are deciding the rooster's fate, would you consider removing the spurs?

There was another post here---where the person found a youtube video of how to do the de-spurring with a plyers, although it sounds awful, the rooster barely flinched. If I can quickly find it--I will be back and edit.

For your tiny tot's sake, IMO it would be a bit safer while the rooster is attending 'reform school'.

Here's the thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6532690#p6532690

Back again Here is Youtube removing spurs

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6532690#p6532690

Here is the original one that I saw....and I think that this gentleman gives a superb demo

good luck!

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

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Easy Peasy.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Children make erratic movements that trigger the rooster to defend his flock. With your daughter being that young, I would either keep him locked up or rehome him. While your rooster did nothing wrong, he was just doing what is ingrained in him, you have no way of keeping your daughter from being a child. She's going to run, play, jump, etc and you just don't know when it could happen again. And it happens so fast. I'm 5'8" and I've been hit as high as waist level - he could very easily get her face.

If you are going to keep him and keep him locked up, I'd definitely take out his spurs or at least round them so they aren't pointy. I've taken those dremel like dog toenail trimmers to the rooster that nailed me.

 

[SarahBeth9394]

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Shelly your bottom line says it all. You should not keep a rooster that is aggressive. This sounds more like a good time to teach the boy that very lesson. Give him a say my eyeball. He needs to learn that unfortunately some animals can be aggressive and aren't good as pets and that the safety of the family comes first. This is just one of those life lessons that isn't fun.

 

[pixiedouglas]

Chicken.Lytle :

Normally I recommend that people learn how to haze an aggressive rooster. It involves speed-walking after the rooster for an extended time. Think about how you would feel if a black SUV followed you while you were trying to get away from it.

However, since a small child is involved, I am more inclined to cull or rehome the rooster.

just had to say I tried the stalking method with our cockeral when he wouldn't accept a new pullet in the flock, after that incident not only did he accept her, I've seen him defend her from the other girls! when I come around he watches ME sideways not the other way around. I felt a little silly, but I wanted to make a point with him since I have two little ones running around my yard who was boss. I was actually really impressed how different his behavior was after I started doing that to him.

that being said, I agree... there's lots of roosters in the world, it's not worth your baby being hurt

 

[pixiedouglas]

Chicken.Lytle since you recommended the stalking method can I ask your opinion on a variation? Say if OP was to try that, what if she held her daughter while stalking the rooster? Would the rooster then consider the daughter to also be boss? I was just thinking of a Dog Whisperer episode I watched where Cesar Milan coached a new mom to hold her baby when training her dog so that the dog would understand the baby was also his boss and wondered if that would work with a rooster.