The Sussex thread!

[Outpost JWB]

Comments on the aggressive roosters

I have a SS rooster. His name is Sue. Had Sue since birth. He is the keeper of about 45 hens currently. Always been a very gentle and good rooster. One day last year, I had my arms full carrying a huge bowl of feed. He was walking right beside me calling the hens as usual. For whatever reason, that day, he decided to flog me. I was so startled I dropped the feed bucket. I was super mad! The next day, same thing happened. I didn't know why. I currently have 109 chickens and at least 20 of them are roosters. Roosters will flog you, bite you, protect their flock, fight each other, and fight hens. They can be bullies and I have butchered more than one due to aggression. Back to my story......The 2nd day when Sue flogged me I set the bowl down, ran after him, caught him and I put him in a dog crate. That was his new home for 2 weeks. He was in the coop with his hens, but did not free range, or have access to them. I did this to hopefully "reset his attitude". Happy to say IT WORKED!

With so many chickens, our chickens are not "pets" like some people prefer. We raise ours for eggs and meat. They are not handled daily, or even weekly. If they were pets, Sue would be one of them. I WISH I could get some SS hens for him. I have had such a hard time finding them. But he is the father of SS/Ausro mix, SS/RIR mix and more. They are all beautiful and of good temperament. Hope this helps with your rooster issues.

This is Sue. Not the best pic, cheap phone!


Here is a SS/RIR mix hen. She is the most talkative thing!


This is the SS/Austrolorp mix. I think she looks like a Silver Sussex. We have 3 that are this mix. They are awesome egg layers and very friendly. They all have the green sheen from the Austrolorp breed.

 

[campingshaws]

Thanks for the tip JWB. I've got a young roo at the moment, in a tractor in the chicken yard. He's an RIR and I don't want him mixing with my hens. Anyway, the first day he was in the yard loose, I watched my SS roo bow up and chase him around. So now if he gets too close, I do the same things: bow up, flap my arms, chase him a little. I'm not able to catch him when he's in the open.

I have little kids, so I'd rather have no rooster than one who is going to attack my kids for holding the hens. I understand it's nature, this is just his first incident. But my chicken friend with a BR roo said the same thing happened to him last week. So I'm hoping it's just spring hormones and he'll settle back down.

 

[Outpost JWB]

Yes, the spring hormones has caused mine to go out of control this past week. We are lessening our # of roosters later this week. Should have happened last fall. Not enough hours in the day sometimes.

I also have a 9yr old daughter & would not put up with a rooster attacking her. Me, different story. Forgot to add to my story above that after thinking it all through, I could rationalize the actions of my rooster. It was daylight savings time switch and what had happened is that they were all happy free ranging & I was forcing everyone back to the coop because it was 8pm. But it was still daylight in their eyes. I didn't think about it until much later, but I was following my routine and it was inadvertently changing theirs. Sue was not happy about the change.

 

[gevshiba]

Yes, the spring hormones has caused mine to go out of control this past week. We are lessening our # of roosters later this week. Should have happened last fall. Not enough hours in the day sometimes.

I also have a 9yr old daughter & would not put up with a rooster attacking her. Me, different story. Forgot to add to my story above that after thinking it all through, I could rationalize the actions of my rooster. It was daylight savings time switch and what had happened is that they were all happy free ranging & I was forcing everyone back to the coop because it was 8pm. But it was still daylight in their eyes. I didn't think about it until much later, but I was following my routine and it was inadvertently changing theirs. Sue was not happy about the change.

I understand my rooster is protecting his hens, but he can't seem to get that I'm in charge. I bring the feed. I'm tired of watching my back, so his days are numbered.

 

[rainbowhatchery]

we started breeding coronation sussex this year, lovely birds.

 

[Johnn]

Dorothy out with the sheep!

 

[Ronster]

Great photo!

 

[Ronster]

Now that's what I'm talking about!
As wonderful as my SS hens are, the roo; Arthur, is positively a menace! He attacks every time someone enters the pen. This may require some blood-letting.
Anyone with a solution other than eliminating him from the land of the living?

 

[rainbowhatchery]

thats a really cool picture

 

[Sunflowergirl]

thats a really cool picture

x2!!!