What do I do??

[KikiDeAnime]

My mom wants me to butcher the hens that killed our cockerel because she thinks they'll start killing any birds we add later on. I told her I'm not doing that since it was only a cockerel they killed. Plus they're still laying so I see no reason to butcher laying hens. My dad is in agreement with me since they're my birds.
I'm honestly at a loss on what I should do.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

So what happened exactly? Why did the hens kill your cockerel? Was he a lot younger? Was he introduced immediately? What was your hen to cockerel ratio?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

That's a tough one.

Can you tell us a bit more about what happened? How old was the cockerel and how many hens?
Could space have been an issue?

 

[KikiDeAnime]

That's a tough one.

Can you tell us a bit more about what happened? How old was the cockerel and how many hens?
Could space have been an issue?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-sergeant-hei-hei-2020-2021.1441826/

 

[KikiDeAnime]

So what happened exactly? Why did the hens kill your cockerel? Was he a lot younger? Was he introduced immediately? What was your hen to cockerel ratio?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rip-sergeant-hei-hei-2020-2021.1441826/

 

[Ruby Rogue]

Go a little slower with the integration next time. Sorry about your rooster. There is no reason to cull your hens.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

So I'm guessing he had been removed for a while because of an injury?

"I decided to let him be out with the flock during free ranging time while I supervised since his legs were still healing."

If that's the case, I wouldn't butcher your hens. They're just being chickens--they can do a lot of damage to a chicken they don't consider to be part of the flock (and even to those that they do).

 

[KikiDeAnime]

So I'm guessing he had been removed for a while because of an injury?

"I decided to let him be out with the flock during free ranging time while I supervised since his legs were still healing."

If that's the case, I wouldn't butcher your hens. They're just being chickens--they can do a lot of damage to a chicken they don't consider to be part of the flock (and even to those that they do).

They had finally gotten use to him. We had him since June 2020

 

[bobbi-j]

So, he'd had cuts on his legs that weren't healed. You're pretty sure the cuts came from the hens. You put him out with the hens today with open wounds on his legs. The last you saw he was mating with one of the hens. The next thing you know, 5 hens are attacking him and he's dead on the ground. I'm just trying to sort out the information so far. Is it possible he was killed by a predator, and they were attacking his body? I have never in all my years of chicken keeping had hens attack and kill another chicken. I know it happens, but I don't think it's very common. Chickens prey on weaker birds. They aren't warm, fuzzy and nurturing, that's for sure. I wouldn't butcher the hens unless I knew for sure what happened.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

They had finally gotten use to him. We had him since June 2020

But you had taken him out for a while, right? If you take any chicken out of the flock for more than a day or two, it's best to play it safe and slowly reintegrate them.