We had to butcher our top roo today :-(

[BarkerChickens]

Our top roo (a Jersey Giant) was a awesome bird, but not a good roo. He was clumsy and would regularly slip off the hens, taking feathers with him (so we have about 50% of hens with bald spots

), would try to give the hens sticks instead of food and he wasn't the best protector in the world (he'd call the hens under trees if something flew overhead, but when a predator entered our yard one day, he stayed in the coop and hid while the predator attacked a hen (she lived thankfully). Mind you, three hens came out to rescue her...roo stayed on the roost.

Well, the latest straw is that he would go after DH and after months of trying all sorts of Rooster Reform method (which worked in the past with other roos), it wasn't getting better. Then, yesterday we had our neighbor and her 2 youngest boys over (5 and 7-ish) and he tried to go after the kids. Our other roo is good with the hens and not as much of a liability as our big roo, so we decided that he had to go.

Our hens will probably be happier and my husband will be able to work in the yard without being stalked. Plus, we won't need to worry about the liability if he had injured someone.

I am sad since I really liked him, but I think it was the for the best.

 

[Brindlebtch]

I'm so sorry you had to do that, but I think you are right - it was the right thing to do.

 

[sourland]

You absolutely did the right thing. Human agressive roosters and kids are a bad mix. Entirely too much chance for serious injury. Congratulations on making a tough decision.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Thanks for the support. We have 2 of his offspring running around now (4.5 weeks old sex-links...mom's a BR). Another 10 eggs are under a broody JG, of which some are his and some are the Faverolle roos. Maybe one his offspring will have some of his good qualities, but leave the bad ones behind.