Should I get rid of my rooster?

[Dixiedoodle]

I gave my roo away. He attacked me and I was gonna have him for dinner but my sil wanted him for their barn..No small kids, about 50 hens instead of 7hens and he loves it there... SINCE he has been gone, My girls are much more content, they aren't screaming and running every two minutes--they were (before this molt thing started) looking so much prettier...no bald heads, broken wing feathers, hanging out in funny directions... They now pay much more attention to me, when I go in there they don't run like crazy, they will actually eat out of my hands... I am glad my rooster is gone.. FOR now, I'll buy my fertile eggs when I need them...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Quote:
One of the wise ones on this forum put together this article. You might try it. I have managed to convince a rooster that I was not fair game, but he still considered my wife and visitors fair game. I personally never trust a rooster that has attacked people, especially around small children. Since you have others you could try, I'd sure try another one.

Gritsar’s Reform School
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=4810

 

[gryeyes]

This is just what *I* do with mine, who is a great rooster with an occasional uppity moment.

Whenever Carl flaps a wing at me or pecks my leg as I'm walking, I stop and turn and walk deliberately AT him. Right up next to him, to make him back up. If he sidesteps me, I keep turning and walking toward him. I do this until he actualy turns away, which is a "give up" action. I don't chase him. I don't follow him any more, just continue walking past him. IF he makes another move toward me, which is very very rare, I start the walking at him process again.

Basically, I'm making him back down. I'm the Boss of Him.

When hand-feeding treats to the flock, I always toss some where he can check it out. If he comes up to eat from my hands, I let him, which he will do and then step back to let the ladies eat right away. He's a very good roo, a gentleman to his ladies (now that he's grown up), and he settles hen squabbles. He is very alert and appropriately warns the flock when necessary. I think he's really handsome. He doesn't mind the bantam roos in the flock, but he won't let them mount the hens if he sees them doing so. He's got two favorite hens and it's SO cute to watch him snuggle with them, dust bathe with them, and just wander the yard with one of them beside him.

He sometimes tries to make me one of his hens by bringing me an oddly-shaped pebble, a special twig, or a pretty leaf, making that "Come Hither, My Sweet" call and offering them to me. I never accept them because I am NOT one of his hens - I am the Boss of Him. (But I do think it's adorable behavior.)

I have more trouble with my bantam roosters and *sigh* may have to re-home some of them.

 

[gritsar]

I love my adult roo, my cockerels too. The thing is, if it's just pecking order stuff I let them sort it out, so long as nobody's drawing blood. I left a young cockerel to fend for himself yesterday, with hilarious results:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=407203&p=1

IMHO, interfering with pecking order issues only prolongs the inevitable. They have to learn the rules of the flock. I believe you may have upset the balance by messing around with the roosts. If that's all the roo is doing is fussing with the hens, I'd give him another week to settle back down. Also, consider hen saddles for the feather loss. Once a young cockerel gets more skilled at mating, the feather loss often comes to an end. I have a hen that wore an saddle for a full year, but my roo finally figured out how to mate her without tearing her feathers up.

Attacking humans is a whole 'nother ball game and I don't tolerate it. They get one chance at reform. After that they are history. All three of my boys are good roos. Impy is a bit testosterone crazed right now, so I cut him some slack. NONE OF MY ROOS are allowed to be anywhere near my 4 y.o. step-grandson. A childs face and eyesight are too precious to risk.