Tonight was the first time I had to shoot one of my chickens.

[Ifowldown]

Tonight I was out side with my 3 year old and 6 year old boys. I opened up the chicken pen area to let them free range a little while I was cleaning out their water bowl behind the coop. I heard my 3 year suddenly start screaming, and run around the corner to see what was going on. My 6 year old said one of the roosters was chasing him and jumping at him. I have 3 light brahma roosters that are about 23 weeks old. So far, none of them have shown any aggression towards any of us. I try to calm my 3 year old and notice about 3 scratches on his back, and one light scratch across his cheek, about an inch below his eye.

I asked my 6 year old which rooster did it, and he pointed to one, and after they mingled for awhile, he pointed to a different one. They are all very similar, and I was certain, he didn't know which one for sure attacked him. All three roosters were in a little group, so I told my 6 year old to walk over by them. I was close by and ready if something happened. As he got about two feet away, one of the roosters started posturing and came towards him. It was probably the biggest rooster, and the one that seems to also be the most aggressive with the hens. I pushed my boy back and tried to grab the birds neck. He turned and ran. I went inside, got the Taurus judge revolver and put in a .410 birdshot load. I then went back out and shot the attacker in the head. I am still not 100% certain that it was the one that attacked my 3 year old, but I did see it try and attack my 6 year old, so either way he was gone. I will have to keep watching the other two to see how they act around the kids. The other roosters made a big fuss after I shot the one. They ran around the yard clucking for 15 minutes. My daughter was a little upset, so I had to explain why I did it. It was a little hard to kill it thinking back to how we raised them from day old chicks, but I am not going to risk anything when it comes to my kids. If I have to get rid of all 3, I will.

I got it plucked, cleaned up and in the fridge. I actually just got a new food smoker yesterday that I was going to use to smoke some salmon from a recent trip to Alaska. I guess I will be using to it smoke a chicken as well. Does anyone have a good smoked chicken recipe?

 

[oneofseven]

You did the right thing.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Quote:
A couple of times a year when cornish game hens go on sale we pick up a half dozen or so and my husband smokes them in his smoker. I think we usually use hickory chips. When the hens are done, we simply freeze them individually. Then when we need a fantastic appetizer, we defrost one of the smoked cornish game hens, peal it off the bone, discarding the bones and skin (which is too strongly smoky) chop it up and mix in some mayonnaise. It makes the most incredible salad/spread to put on crackers. My husband is a really fine cook and I'm not half bad either but this dish gets more rave reviews than others that take tons of work and many ingredients. They are great to have in the freezer because if you get that last minute invitation, or last minute dinner guest you can whip up something that tastes incredible.

I hope your rooster and smoker experience ends on a positive note.

 

[KandiandJerry]

I agree that you did the right thing...he could have put his eye out.....or a gash in his head or something....hope he is o.k. I bet it scared him to death and you too... I remember me and my brother which is two years younger than me getting flogged by a hen with chicks and I wasn't but about 4 or 5 years old....we ran all the way to the house crying and screaming.....

 

[tclegg]

I know it was hard--but of course, your babies--had to come first...do not worry..You did the right thing....

 

[Orange Ribbon]

By granny, I've been tempted to shoot one of my roosters for over a week now. I have a pen with nothing but roosters in it which I have for sale, but what I have left will go in the freezer. I have one rascal that has been getting out of that pen every time I turn around. I even have the coop netted over, and that sucker will find a spot to fly out every time I let them out of their house. I closed up all the gaps I could find the other day, and daggone if he didn't find a spot I never thought a squirrel could even get through! I let my other chickens free range, and when he gets out with them he is meaner than you know what to the hens. He pulls the feathers plumb out of the back of their necks trying to mount them. Thankfully I have two big barred rocks and an EE rooster that chases him off most of the time. I tried to catch him Sunday and the sucker jumped on my arm and scratched me good. Hurt like the dickens. I pulled out my pistol and was going to shoot him right then, but the wife asked me not to since she didn't feel like doing any plucking right then. LOL. We went over the netting again and tied up every little place we could find, caught him that night when he went into the hen house and put him back in the rooster pen. So far he hasn't gotten out again. But if he does I'm going to blast that devil to smithereens.

Sorry what you had to go through Ifowldown. If my bird had attacked someone else there would have been no question about putting it down. I'm surprised that a Brahma was so mean though. Now, I'm not real familiar with that breed, but I did just pick up three (a rooster and two hens) at a chicken swap a few weeks ago. These are Light Brahmas too, fully grown, and that rooster is so laid back a kid can pick him up and he doesn't even try to get away. I reckon anything can be mean though. I agree you did the right thing. I bet he will be especially good when you eat him! HA!

 

[huey king of kingpin]

you should have sold him not shot him in the head

 

[chinadollgreen]

We hatch out about 4 hatches a year and we sell some and raise some. The roosters we raise are for food. The meanest ones go in the pan first. I have one coming up that we are going to try to keep because my "Randy" is getting old and he is just a big baby. I don't have the heart to eat him. He was my first rooster. But if he went after one of my grandbabies he is dead. Go you

 

[Mother_Hen2011]

Just had to do the samething today. This morning. Tried re entering a roo into my hens and BAM he attacked them.. And not in a friendly I will mount you kinda way either. So told my dh to take him a shoot him... it was the hardest thing Ive ever done.(Im an animal lover and these are my personal pets. We didnt eat him but he is getting a beautiful grave. He never attacked us but he couldnt be with my flock so he had to go.) I have one other rooster Im about ready to shoot. He attacked my daughter! Jumped up and pecked her arm and made her bleed a bit. He is locked up and cant get out. I water and feed him everyday. After seeing my dh shoot Nermal with a .22 birdshot.. Im not so sure I want to kill another one. By golly he deserves it. Hes attacked me my 3 year old and my dh... I might just have to tell my dh to shoot him while I go to the store or something. Maybe I wont be so heartbroken..

 

[TDM]

Okay. Next time you will realize that really young children and livestock don't mix.