Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad rooster.

[Morrigan]

I can also say, that how ever difficult it is to butcher a problem rooster, the peace and joy you and your hens will experience in his absence will leave you with no regrets.

 

[chicksandchores]

I can also say, that how ever difficult it is to butcher a problem rooster, the peace and joy you and your hens will experience in his absence will leave you with no regrets.

Thank you! I certainly hope so. He’s honestly a terror to the ladies; he has to take every chance he can get behind Henry, the alpha’s back, so most of his “courting” consists of running at them, head and wings down with his chest puffed up in what seems like full predator mode, before he eventually catches one and jumps on her aggressively despite her squawking and hollering. I think they’ll be a little more at peace without that experience!

 

[chicksandchores]

Update: While tomorrow was initially going to be the kill date, I've decided to try one last-ditch effort to make him shape up and I'm going to give him one week to improve. If he does, he gets to stay. If he doesn't, or if he starts out improving and then goes back to the same old mess, I will quickly eliminate him. Thank you all for your input and support!

 

[TwentyOneChickens]

Update: While tomorrow was initially going to be the kill date, I've decided to try one last-ditch effort to make him shape up and I'm going to give him one week to improve. If he does, he gets to stay. If he doesn't, or if he starts out improving and then goes back to the same old mess, I will quickly eliminate him. Thank you all for your input and support!

Best wishes for Debbie <3

 

[Morrigan]

Please report back. If you are able to rehabilitate him to your satisfaction, I would be interested in how you did it.

 

[chicksandchores]

Please report back. If you are able to rehabilitate him to your satisfaction, I would be interested in how you did it.

I haven't actually seen this thread myself, only this bit I'm about to paste. I was introduced to this concept on another thread about an aggressive rooster that I was participating in (and by participating I mean getting told I'm terribly abusive to this hateful rooster because I kick him in response to being spurred and throw things in his general direction to get him to stay away from me after an attack, despite and feeding him treats and such.... ). Another user suggested I follow this in order to get him to calm down rather than kicking him as it only makes him more aggressive. I truly hope it works.

By Beekissed:
I'm going to give you a clue on "rooster speak"....holding him down doesn't mean anything to him. If you'll watch how roosters interact between dominant ones and subordinate ones, there is rarely any, if ever, holding a bird down for a long time when there is an altercation. There is very quick flogging, gripping by the back of the head and flinging him away or getting him down and giving some savage pecking to the back of the head or neck. No holding him down and nothing else. That's a rooster on a hen maneuver, not rooster on rooster.

Because your rooster is attacking you, you are the subordinate in this picture. You are getting dominated by your bird simply because you are walking where a subordinate isn't supposed to be walking when a dominant is in the area. What you never see is a dominant rooster getting attacked by a subordinate rooster unless there is going to be a definite shift in power, at which time the sub will challenge the dom and win...or lose. So far you are losing and not even challenging.

If you want to win this battle, you must go on the offensive, not the defensive. He who attacks first, and is still claiming the area when the other guy leaves it, is the winner. Some people never have to go on the offensive because their movements in the coop are so decisive that they move and act like a dominant and a 2 ft. rooster is smart enough to recognize a dominant attitude and behavior...which is likely why he's never attacked your husband. Most men move more decisively than do women and children and they rarely step around a bird, but walk through them.

Carrying him around also doesn't mean anything to him...it just doesn't translate at all. His environment is that coop and run floor and that's where you need to speak to him, in a language he understands. Because they are quick on their feet and can evade you, you need a training tool like a long, limber, supple rod of some kind...cutting a nice switch from a shrub or tree that will lengthen your reach by 5 ft. really helps in this. Don't use a rake or broom because they are too clumsy and stiff and can put the hurts on the guy when you don't really mean to.

When you enter your coop, walk with decisive movements and walk directly towards your rooster. Move him away from the feeder and the rest of the flock and keep a slow, determined pressure on him until he leaves the coop. The stick will help you guide him. Then...wait patiently while he gets his bird mind around what just happened. He will try to come back in the coop...let him. When he gets a good bit into that coop, take your switch and give him a good smack on the fluffy feathers under his tail if you can aim it well. If you cannot, just smack the floor near him very hard and fast until he hops and runs and keep at it until he leaves the coop once again. Repeat this process until he is too wary to come back in the coop.

Feed your hens. When he tries to come to the feeder, you "attack" him with the switch...smack the wall by the pop door just as he tries to enter. If he makes it inside, pursue him with the stick either smacking the floor or tapping him on the back or the head until he leaves in a hurry. Make him stay outside while you sit there and enjoy watching your hens eat. Use the stick to keep him from the flock..just him. Don't worry about the hens running and getting excited when this is happening...they will get over it. This is for the future of your flock and your management of it.

When the hens have had a good tucker....leave the coop and let him come back in. Go out later and walk through that flock and use your legs to scatter birds if they get in your way...top roosters do not step to one side for any other bird in the flock. You shouldn't either. Take your stick and startle him with a smack on the floor next to him when he is least expecting it...make that bird jump and RUN. Make him so nervous around you that he is always looking over his shoulder and trying to get out of your way. THAT'S how he needs to be from now on in your lives together. Forget about pets or cuddles...this is a language and behavior he understands. You can hand feed him and such later...right now you need to establish that when you move, he moves...away. When you turn your back, he doesn't move towards you...ever.

Then test him...take your stick along, move around in the coop, bend over with your back turned to him, feed, water, etc....but keep one eye on that rooster. If he even makes one tiny step in your direction or in your "zone", go on the attack and run him clear on out of the coop. Then keep him out while everyone else is eating.

THAT'S how a dominant rooster treats a subordinate. They don't let them crow, mate or even eat in their space. If the subordinate knows his place and watches over his shoulder a lot, he may get to come and eat while the other rooster is at the feeder...but he doesn't ever relax if he knows what is good for him. At any given time the dominant will run him off of that feed and he knows it, so he eats with one eye toward the door. If he feels the need to crow, it's not usually where the dom can reach him...maybe across the yard.

If your rooster crows while you are there, move towards him and keep on the pressure until he stops. He doesn't get to crow while you are there. He can crow later...not while you are there.

It all sounds time consuming but it really isn't...shouldn't take more than minutes for each lesson and you can learn a lot as you go along. And it can be fun if you venture into it with the right attitude....this is rooster training that really works if you do it correctly. This can work on strange roosters, multiple roosters and even old roosters...they can all learn. You rule the coop...now act like it. Carrying is for babies...you have a full grown rooster on your hands, not a baby.

 

[MichelleBelle]

I'm sorry you have to deal with this situation. I also had to cull some aggressive roosters. The final straw was when they attacked my youngest son. I just couldn't risk him being injured, and after trying to re-home them unsuccessfully, I made the decision to butcher them. It was tough because I'd had them since they were baby chicks. I was relieved not to have to deal with their misbehavior afterwards, as difficult as it was. With subsequent roosters, I did not hand feed and give much affection, and my current rooster keeps his distance and knows I'm not to be messed with.

If you do decide to butcher, make sure you have a REALLY sharp knife, and that you get the knife directly against the neck skin between the feathers if you're going to cut the carotid artery. For roosters, it's a lot quicker to skin them than pluck the feathers. Best of luck to you no matter what you decide.

 

[Cfallon5094]

Maybe he's bad because he doesn't want to be called Debbie

I haven't had experience with roosters but I know they're pretty mean. I researched and apparently you should pick them up more, especially in front of hens.

Sorry, I don't have much of an answer, but he's a beautiful roo!

 

[Cfallon5094]

OMG!!! I laughed so hard I almost peed myself! Thank you for that!

 

[IronFeather]

View attachment 1733557
Meet Debbie. We thought he was a girl when he was young because he was a little behind the other cockerels in coloring and such, hence the name Debbie. Debbie is, to put it lightly, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad rooster. He’s the beta of the flock and has, thus far, attacked me (his favorite person to try to spur), both of my sisters, my boyfriend, my sister’s boyfriend, and my cousin whom he had never met before. He luckily has very short and dull spurs, however my patience has grown thinner with time. Today he has finally done the one thing I said would guarantee his demise: he broke skin. I was giving scratch to everyone, with some poultry conditioner added because my old highschool’s ag day is coming up and my sister and I plan to take some of my chooks to show the kids. All I did was walk around him, I wasn’t even looking at him, and he attacked feet first. He got me good enough to leave scraped and welts and one place he did, in fact, break skin. Debbie has been doing this since a couple months after the flock was well established and five of the other roosters were sold off, which was in July or August of last year. I’m sick of it. I don’t necessarily want to kill him but in that moment I did and had I been able to catch him, I would have. I don’t know what to do. I’ll kill him if I have to, I’ll rehome him if someone wants him, I just can’t deal with him anymore. I’m at my wits end. This is a rooster I hand-feed treats (like raspberries and blueberries and such) and he STILL attacks me! Any advice?

"Let's put him inna pot."