Vote - to cull or not to cull

[Mamalana]

I have a 4 month old white face Spanish/black copper maran cockerel who has started going after our children and adult land partners. I hatched him, so he hasn't ever come after me. He stalks them, does his wing dance and then tries to peck them. His spurs are still small and dull. He is good with the hens and has gained his own little flock. He finds them food, protects them and does his roosterly duties.

We have a 1 year old who he runs from and has never challenged, a 4 year old, 5 year old, a 6 year old who are afraid of him. We also have a 13 year old with special needs who is not afraid, but has been chased. Just today, he faced off with 7 year old, she kept trying to kick him away, but he didn't back down, so I grabbed him and put him in an isolation cage. Then I had the children feed him and talk nicely to him. Not even an hour later he went after the 5 year old and his mom.

Cull or not to cull?

 

[Mamalana]

 

[-Chanticleer-]

View attachment 3614445

Cull. Before he hurts someone bad.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Cull.

He is already showing he can and will challenge the children. It's not worth the risk.

 

[Kiki]

Cull

 

[NatJ]

I also vote that you cull that cockerel.

 

[Bananabread]

I would not hesitate to cull either. If you're not interested in chicken dinner or able to cull yourself you can list on CL for free and likely get multiple people ready to make a meal of him.

 

[Mamalana]

We already culled his brother who was more aggressive. I was hoping that he would calm down without his partner in crime with him.

 

[Mamalana]

The brother made a delicious soup.

 

[Mamalana]

Its just been such a tough year for my chicken adventures.

I incubated 12 eggs, 5 hatched. Of those 5, 4 were cockerels. So, I bought 10 straight runs chicks, 7 were cockerels and one of the pullets had such a bad scissor beak, she died. So out of 15 chicks we had 3 pullets. I bought 4 pullets on a whim while at Tractor Supply.

We bought a property that came with 34 laying hens and a rooster, all malnourished. Learned a lot and I still have another 6 cockerels to decide what to do with.

Now, my favorite cockerel (also the first born and my first chick ever hatched) is getting aggressive, destined, as it seems, for freezer camp. Bitter chicken days.