Should I get rid of my rooster?

[crazeetxn]

Morning all -

We've had our chickens now for 3 weeks now so yeah, we're new. I belive they're a couple years old (1 Black giant, 1 Prod Red Rooster, 2 cornish, 1 Americana, 6 production red hens).

While having the rooster is neat, listening to him crow anyway

he's becoming a bit of a pain or it may just be natural. But I think he pecks too much.

I redid their roost last night to make it higher than the nest boxes to encourage them to use it more. All of them took to it until he got up there. I spaced the perches 18" apart to prevent pecking, but that didn't work so much. He jumped up on the first perch and made two of them move. Then he jumped up on the second one, knocked one off, then pecked the others till they moved or jumped down. I understand the "pecking order" and being the man, but this is ridiculous.

Some of them moved to the nesting box perches and he decided he wanted to go over there and harass them

Most of my hens have missing feathers which I've learned is probably due to him. I've seen him in action, and yeah, I can understand the feather loss. I don't need fertilized eggs, just eatin' eggs

As much as I'd like to keep him, I think he stresses my girls too much and he's starting to wear his welcome thin.

I've seen the debeaking method, pine tar, blu-kote, etc., but I'm sure it's in his nature and it will continue.

What's ya'll's opinion?

Thanks for the inputs,

Troy

 

[CMV]

I'd eat him if he was a bother. I'd definitely eat him before I'd de-beak him, which is just cruel and unnatural. I had hens for years with no rooster, and it was nice. No loud crowing, no bare backed hens, no worries about a covert attack when egg collecting, just a peaceful flock and lots of delicious eggs.

If I didn't want to hatch out some chicks next year I wouldn't have a rooster at all. They are a pain.

Good luck.

 

[Mahonri]

There are good roos and not so good roos.

Sounds like he needs to go to freezer camp.

 

[joebryant]

I think that I'd give him more time to establish himself with the ten hens; however, if he goes after you with relish and you think he wants to seriously hurt you, do him in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you don't want to hatch your own eggs, you do not need a rooster. To me, a good rooster is great, but a bad one is not worth keeping around. If you want a rooster, you should be able to get another one pretty easily.

This type of stuff should have been sorted out within the first week. Your changing around the roosts may have cranked it back up a bit, but it sounds like it was going on before you rearranged the roosts. I'll often defend a rooster, especially an adolescent when all he is doing is following his instincts or when the hens are the real problem, but in this case, the rooster sounds like he is not worth defending. I would not keep him around.

 

[Ed62]

As much as I like our cockerel, if he acted as bad as yours, he'd be long gone. Welcome aboard.

Ed

 

[dsqard]

I would give him a little more time to see if the pecking order settles down. I like listening to my rooster crow too but I also agree that putting up with a mean rooster is not needed. There are plenty of good ones out there getting eaten because you just don't need more than one most times. If he is still being nasty in a week then I would reconsider keeping him. I was lucky when I bought my rooster, he was already three and a well behaved roo. He did peck a little at the pullets that I bought with him at first but once they settled down that stopped. It only took about a week.

 

[crazeetxn]

Quote:
Guaranteed he'd be done in if he goes after the hands that feed him!!!

Maybe I did mess them up a little rearranging the roost so I'll see if I can keep him off the chopping block for a week or so. If his attitude hasn't changed then his place of residency will...

I appreciate everyone's inputs on this...man this a great forum

 

[OregonChickenGal]

If you don't want fertilized eggs, you don't need a roo. I've never had one, and my hens are very content.

 

[Colorado birdbrain]

I'd like to know if anyone can tell me whether and how a rooster can be dealt with besides just eating him! I've got an otherwise very good rooster, a Black Austrlorp about 7 1/2 months old. He's good with his 11 hens, but just last week jumped me on the back of my leg. I turned on him and gave him a swift kick and he's been keeping his distance since. I'd like to teach him that I'm not a threat but have no idea whether that was just an isolated incident or whether this is his new developing personality. This is my first year raising chickens, and I do have three other roosters held in isolation pens awaiting the butcher's block, so I could give one of them a tryout instead if the concensus is that there's no hope for this one.