Tea Time.... Relax with us and have a cup of hot tea!

[TeaChick]

Not related to tea, but I am having a bit of a situation with my cockerel. He is 8 months old and displaying aggressive behavior for a month now. Because he is very short and cute (he's a bantam mix), I have been treating the aggression as a normal hormonal change that all teenagers go through. I deal with him in a way that doesn't trigger aggression and treat him with indifference. If he attacks me, I pick him up and carry him around while doing chicken chores. That is enough for him to stop the aggression for the whole day. I am not aggressive or forceful with him, just matter of fact. DH isn't liking the situation, as he doesn't pick chickens up and has to put a snow shovel in front of him for the roo to stop the attacks. To make matters more complicated for him, the hens don't like him and don't let him near them. He has one brooder buddy (a pullet ) and they are always together, but she doesn't seem to seek his company now as much as he does. He sleeps with her in a dog crate and pecks at her in the morning before they are let out. That's the time he is most angry. I told DH to wait till the weather is warmer and the little guy can go out to forage. Winter is boring for chickens and they might display aggression issues. But that was until yesterday, when DD went inside the run to visit the chickens. The cockerel jumped to her arm when I turned my back. That I didn't like one bit. She wasn't hurt only because she had her winter coat on. Now I am facing with a tough choice to make. Should give him away to a friend that will make nice chicken stew out of him or keep the little guy locked up in a pen? I don't want anybody to get hurt and it looks like his behavior will not improve. I don't want to rehome an aggressive rooster either. It's not fair for the new owners to have to deal with this behavior. But I also believe he has the right to live his life without having to be killed for his behavior, since he wasn't raised for consumption. Decisions, decisions...

Personally, I wouldn't keep a chicken in close confinement, especially by himself. Maybe, I would do it if I could give him a buddy and I really liked him (say for mating or something else to further my chicken plans).
About the aggression, I wouldn't keep an aggressive rooster either. I have three NH roos who are hitting that teenaged stage where they're beginning to try to mate (usually unsuccessfully right now) and one of them (my favorite, the one that couldn't fly out of the coop until a month after the others and who always came up to me and is so so pretty....I digress) anyway, he pecked my boot the other day, so I pushed him with my foot (it was a sturdy I'm ahead of you in the pecking order type of push; it was not a hard or injurous kick). Not five minutes later, he did something to the backs of my legs. I've been attacked by a rooster before and I've been pecked through jeans; it wasn't either one of those things, so I'm guessing he was trying to mate with the backs of my legs. I chased him around trying to push him again, but he evaded me. He behaved the rest of the day, but maybe b/c I kept my eye on him. The next day, he pecked me again and tried to mate with my shoe/leg from the side this time. He got another good push with my boot. I've kept my eye on him, warned the kids (he attacked one of them, minorly, not really an attack, really just a peck, but I told them what to do [stare him down]), and I hope he straightens out. Neither of the other roosters that's maturing is attacking like that. The other two attempt or do dance with me and they try to give me food. I just ignore them (b/c they're not doing anything I don't want them to do, so I treat them with indifference). Bootsy, the aggressive juvenile rooster, may be in my soup pot sooner than later. I won't keep an aggressive rooster. Period.
Ignoring the chicken tells them that you don't mind him/her doing what they're doing. Picking them up shows them that you're the boss. If I had to pick up a rooster everyday to keep him from attacking me or the kids, he'd be in the freezer before he could cluck twice.
Now, that's just me. Everyone has their own way of dealing with these things. There's an article about living with roosters and dealing with unwanted cockerels.

 

[poult]

I really strongly don't put a bird down unless that was my intention from day 1 or they are very sick/injured.I would even take that rooster off your hands for you if I didn't already have two & probably more in the way since I have four eggs in the incubator.I don't have kids though so I'm the only person who deals with bad behavior I really don't care if they attack me due to the fact their spurs due so minimal damage and mine usually grow out of it after a year or so.If you can't stand his bad behavior I understand what's next but I would search for a home anyways first & let them no he is aggressive & you might just find him a home like I said before I would for you if I didn't already have two & more on the way :/ I wish you & him the best of luck.I know I'm odd for being so kind to such stinkers but my love for birds no matter how bad they are is never ending.

 

[poodlechicks]

Thank you for your support, guys!
I know, it's so hard to decide. I raise chickens for the eggs and I ended up with this accidental rooster. I would be hypocritical to say that I don't kill chickens b/c I buy chicken meat at the supermarket and local farms, so indirectly I do kill them. And I have a lot of respect for people who give their poultry a good life before using them for meat. I just don't raise them for that purpose. To keep him by himself is not the greatest thing, I know. But I can't let him roam free in the orchard and be afraid he is going to attack my children or any other children that come visit. The little guy is not even welcome by the hens. I don't see his behavior improving with time even though I do a lot of "training" with him to try to curb his behavior. It's no use that he stops attacking me and keeps attacking DH and my children. It is hard to rheum a rooster period, let alone an aggressive one. People don't want to pass this trait to his offspring and don't want to deal with aggression in the flock. I know a few people that own chickens and don't have children. I am trying to find a new home for him, but I doubt he won't end up in the soup pot eventually.

I drank the most delicious mate tea today. So strong! I loved it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[poult]

Yeah I'm an indirect killer too I will be raising some for meat soon though but that's what I was saying about unless that's what I was going to do from day 1 I don't kill them.One thing I absolute hate is that I butchered a turkey & i told some family members that & they looked at me like I'm a serial killer.Hey guess what? How did you think your chicken sandwich got here? It was a chicken & got it's head chopped off just for you. Anyways I really hope you find him a home may I see pics of this little stinker? What breed is he?

That tea sounds good! I have to get some new tea!

 

[poodlechicks]

x2, pout! Some people seem to be so disconnected they don't put together that meat comes from animals. Hello?!

BTW, thanks for offering him a home. I'm sure it would be a great one for him

I'll try to take a picture of Leo, the terror. He is really changing the mood of my hens. And I don't mean for the better

I got him from a friend to keep my assisted hatch's company. He was a day old under a broody hen and another dozen of day olds of different breeds. My friend said he was a mix and that she had no idea what he was, since she has so many different breeds. She has some bantams ( I think they are bantams because they are so petite) that have feathered feet and what looks like a feather helmet on their heads. It's not like the polish or sultan feathers. They are sleek and smooth. She also has EEs, silkies, RIRs and araucanas. Leo is short, but a bit bigger than a bantam. He is mahogany brown with black/greenish tail feathers and what looks like a cushion/pea comb mix. He has yellow, feathered legs. He is quite handsome, but I have no idea what he could be.

The mate tea I drank was a brand from Brazil. My friend gave me a box. It is delicious!

 

[TeaChick]

I started raising chickens for eggs. Several months later, I got two roosters and that's when my hatching addition, I mean habits took off. My general chicken culling plans have been to cull non-laying hens and extra roosters.

I just found H&B tea in Publix. I got English B-fast. I'm trying it w/ coconut sugar, but it's sitting in the kitchen, b/c I forgot to bring it to my desk when I left the kitchen. Now, I'm shouting to DD. Excuse me, please.

 

[poodlechicks]

Now, I'm shouting to DD. Excuse me, please.

did you get the sugar? How did it taste? I tried date sugar a long time ago. It's delicious, but it's so strong it leaves everything tasting like dates. It's still very delicious, though.

Do you process your chickens or take them somewhere?

 

[poult]

x2, pout! Some people seem to be so disconnected they don't put together that meat comes from animals. Hello?!  BTW, thanks for offering him a home. I'm sure it would be a great one for him

I'll try to take a picture of Leo, the terror. He is really  changing the mood of my hens. And I don't mean for the better 
 I got him from a friend to keep my assisted hatch's company. He was a day old under a broody hen and another dozen of day olds of different breeds. My friend said he was a mix and that she had no idea what he was, since she has so many different breeds. She has some bantams ( I think they are bantams because they are so petite) that have feathered feet and what looks like a feather helmet on their heads. It's not like the polish or sultan feathers. They are sleek and smooth. She also has EEs, silkies, RIRs and araucanas. Leo is short, but a bit bigger than a bantam. He is mahogany brown with black/greenish tail feathers and what looks like a cushion/pea comb mix. He has yellow, feathered legs. He is quite handsome, but I have no idea what he could be.

The mate tea I drank was a brand from Brazil. My friend gave me a box. It is delicious!

no prob I wish I could take home every animal in need of a home but I can't obviously

He sounds very pretty!!!

Wow that's awesome!

I started raising chickens for eggs.  Several months later, I got two roosters and that's when my hatching addition, I mean habits took off.  My general chicken culling plans have been to cull non-laying hens and extra roosters.

I just found H&B tea in Publix.  I got English B-fast.  I'm trying it w/ coconut sugar, but it's sitting in the kitchen, b/c I forgot to bring it to my desk when I left the kitchen.  Now, I'm shouting to DD.  Excuse me, please.

I hear you!

 did you get the sugar? How did it taste? I tried date sugar a long time ago. It's delicious, but it's so strong it leaves everything tasting like dates. It's still very delicious, though.

Do you process your chickens or take them somewhere?

I bought a butchering kit from McMurray Hatchery has so many different kinds of knives I don't even see why I have so many!

 

[TeaChick]

did you get the sugar? How did it taste? I tried date sugar a long time ago. It's delicious, but it's so strong it leaves everything tasting like dates. It's still very delicious, though.

Do you process your chickens or take them somewhere?

Yeah, the coconut sugar was really good. It didn't make the tea taste like coconut. It has kind of a brown sugar smell to it, but that didn't really come across in the tea. I liked it; I'll be putting it in my tea (and coffee) instead of white cane sugar now. =)

I process them myself. I used to watch my dad process animals (goats, chickens, ducks, quail/dove, rabbits, whatever we or our neighbor had that we were going to eat), so I watched a few YouTube videos to refresh my memory and I did pretty well last summer. Right now, I'm in the market for a pot large enough to dip the chickens in so that I don't have to skin them; although, plucking may be just as much fun as skinning. lol Anyway, my largest kitchen pot isn't large enough to put a large chicken into and I want a pot I can put over a fire outside near my processing area.
What about you? Do you do yours?

 

[3goodeggs]

I bought some coconut sugar too, and was a tad disappointed that it had no coconut flavor.
I am not real sure what to do with it. I do not drink my tea or coffee with sweetener. It is brown sugar-ish, and yet... something else. almost caramelized sugar tasting.

It is a good thing it doesn't taste like coconut or I would just eat it from the bag with a spoon.