The rooster had to go :(

[akirkley]

Our flock is officially rooster-less as of yesterday. Our rooster was a good protector (I guess? We've only lost 1 hen). But he also attempted to protect the flock from us and our 2 year old too many times. Our birds are only 6 months old. Will my hens adapt ok to not having him around? Should we try and get a new rooster? They do free range some, 3-4 hours a day at the most.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

They'll adapt. If the cock bird was threatening your 2 year old you did the right thing.

When the bird is nearly as big as the child they can be a genuine danger to little ones.

 

[akirkley]

That was our main concern. We have a 2 year old and I'm 9 months pregnant, so we will have 2 small children running around soon. Our rooster didn't have spurs yet, but I know they were coming. Better off him dead than my toddler in the hospital.

 

[bobbi-j]

You absolutely did the right thing. Your hens will be just fine. There really is no need to have a rooster around if you don't want to hatch and raise your own chicks.

 

[Wallygator]

Yeah sorry to hear that loss.. but yeah no you don't need a rooster but for extra protection if you free range a lot you would probably want a roo

 

[Wallygator]

... We're not talking about that and chickens are like family wud u be sad if anyone in ur family died.... It's almost like that.. And language

 

[galanie]

Hens don't need a rooster all that badly. They are perfectly capable of seeing threats themselves and putting out the alarm/running for shelter. You did the right thing.

 

[Mrs. K]

You may lose hens while free ranging, but I highly recommend no rooster until your children are about 5-6 years old. It is too big of risk, and many many children have been scared and soured for life by the pet rooster, that turned in an instant to some wild monster.

 

[macyllehub]

We have 4 children and are not done with our family growing either - nor do we feel that we cannot have roosters around our small children. BUT - our chickens are not really pets. They are well cared for and lack for nothing, but they aren't like the dog where my kids want to pet them and play with them. They understand that chickens need left alone to relax and enjoy life. They are for food, not for pets. We have enough land that there is no reason for our kids to need to be in their safe spaces (we completely free range, but our two separate flocks have their own claimed areas).

I'm sorry your guy didn't work out, and I wouldn't think twice about taking out a chicken who was aggressive at all. I just wanted to respond because I do think roosters, long term chicken raising and children are all capable of co-existence

 

[bobbi-j]

We have 4 children and are not done with our family growing either - nor do we feel that we cannot have roosters around our small children. BUT - our chickens are not really pets. They are well cared for and lack for nothing, but they aren't like the dog where my kids want to pet them and play with them. They understand that chickens need left alone to relax and enjoy life. They are for food, not for pets. We have enough land that there is no reason for our kids to need to be in their safe spaces (we completely free range, but our two separate flocks have their own claimed areas).

I'm sorry your guy didn't work out, and I wouldn't think twice about taking out a chicken who was aggressive at all. I just wanted to respond because I do think roosters, long term chicken raising and children are all capable of co-existence

I agree, it can be done. But I think that people also need to use caution when they have roosters and very small children because a rooster can do severe damage to a child in an instant. People who have never raised chickens are sometimes surprised when their pet rooster becomes aggressive, because they've never heard of such a thing. I had no idea what was going on the first time a roo flogged me. I didn't know what was happening or why it happened. It would never have occurred to me that a rooster would attack my children. Fortunately, that never happened. I know that if it did, it would have been a dead bird.