When To Re-home a Rooster

[CallMeMealworm]

I have a Splash/Copper Marans rooster who I don't want to re-home, but I am starting to think it might be best. I'm looking for advice and input.

He was hand raised. He's 9 months old and probably because it's breeding season, he's been Hell on Wheels for the rest of the flock.

He is hard on the hens, and he guards areas close to food and water from the whole flock but his favorite hen.

He's chased and been aggressive to smaller birds (bantam sized), he's chased my kids, and he pushes the flock to one corner of the pasture and basically won't let them out of that corner.

What can I do with this rooster? Today I was going to keep the rest of the flock in the enclosed run and let him free range, but unfortunately my husband let the bantams out before talking to me and this bird is really going after them.

Should I keep him? If so, what am I supposed to do with him? He can't free range with the rest of the flock and I don't really have anywhere to put him.

I don't know if I want to rehome him unless it's to someone who has a bachelor pad or someone who has large fowls exclusively and no kids running around.

So I'm wondering what I can do, I guess.

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

I have a Splash/Copper Marans rooster who I don't want to re-home, but I am starting to think it might be best. I'm looking for advice and input.

He was hand raised. He's 9 months old and probably because it's breeding season, he's been Hell on Wheels for the rest of the flock.

He is hard on the hens, and he guards areas close to food and water from the whole flock but his favorite hen.

He's chased and been aggressive to smaller birds (bantam sized), he's chased my kids, and he pushes the flock to one corner of the pasture and basically won't let them out of that corner.

What can I do with this rooster? Today I was going to keep the rest of the flock in the enclosed run and let him free range, but unfortunately my husband let the bantams out before talking to me and this bird is really going after them.

Should I keep him? If so, what am I supposed to do with him? He can't free range with the rest of the flock and I don't really have anywhere to put him.

I don't know if I want to rehome him unless it's to someone who has a bachelor pad or someone who has large fowls exclusively and no kids running around.

So I'm wondering what I can do, I guess.

You can try finding him a home like that, but the chances are slim. There is a rooster rehoming thread on the board if you decide to go that route.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

When it comes to males like that, they usually have 2 options: isolated pen with conjugal visits or the pot.

It's not good to rehome a male like that, even with a warning because often people will see a pretty male and suddenly not hear the attitude warning. Then they get mad the rooster they got from you isn't a perfect gentleman

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm sorry, but it's one of the sad realities about keeping chickens that the natural home of a badly-behaved rooster is the freezer.

VERY few people are ever willing to take on someone else's problem cockerel -- except when it's the offer of a free meal.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Solve for the peace of of the flock, but especially for kids' safety.

I could talk a lot about a mature rooster often behaves differently than an immature rooster. But by nine months he's pretty much showing his colors. They are not pretty. I would not count on him outgrowing how he behaves around other chickens.

The more restrictions you put on rehoming him the harder it is. Once he is no longer in your possession you no longer control him. Even if you get someone to say he will have his own flock forever, a week later you may find that a coyote got him. Once he is not yours, he is not yours. If you can't handle that you can't.

The other option is to house him by himself or maybe try to find some other chickens that can be kept in an enclosure permanently away from the others. Permanently and securely locked up. Forever.

Personally I put my kids' safety above any chicken. I know I'm being blunt and unfeeling but I really don't see what the decision is. I can understand if you don't want to eat him and you can try to find him a permanent home, but he would soon be gone, one way or another. I'd do that for the peace of the flock as a whole, let alone for my kids' safety.

 

[Brooks_]

except when it's the offer of a free meal.

I've had trouble there as well.

 

[LaFleche]

I have a Splash/Copper Marans rooster who I don't want to re-home, but I am starting to think it might be best. I'm looking for advice and input.

He was hand raised. He's 9 months old and probably because it's breeding season, he's been Hell on Wheels for the rest of the flock.

He is hard on the hens, and he guards areas close to food and water from the whole flock but his favorite hen.

He's chased and been aggressive to smaller birds (bantam sized), he's chased my kids, and he pushes the flock to one corner of the pasture and basically won't let them out of that corner.

What can I do with this rooster? Today I was going to keep the rest of the flock in the enclosed run and let him free range, but unfortunately my husband let the bantams out before talking to me and this bird is really going after them.

Should I keep him? If so, what am I supposed to do with him? He can't free range with the rest of the flock and I don't really have anywhere to put him.

I don't know if I want to rehome him unless it's to someone who has a bachelor pad or someone who has large fowls exclusively and no kids running around.

So I'm wondering what I can do, I guess.

High time for this antisocial guy to serve as dinner.

I would never try to pass on a problem bird to someone else, even less a dangerous rooster/cockerel that already went after children. You don't want someone else's children to lose an eye or worse.

Put him in a crate and don't let him out until its his time to

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

Solve for the peace of of the flock, but especially for kids' safety.

I could talk a lot about a mature rooster often behaves differently than an immature rooster. But by nine months he's pretty much showing his colors. They are not pretty. I would not count on him outgrowing how he behaves around other chickens.

The more restrictions you put on rehoming him the harder it is. Once he is no longer in your possession you no longer control him. Even if you get someone to say he will have his own flock forever, a week later you may find that a coyote got him. Once he is not yours, he is not yours. If you can't handle that you can't.

The other option is to house him by himself or maybe try to find some other chickens that can be kept in an enclosure permanently away from the others. Permanently and securely locked up. Forever.

Personally I put my kids' safety above any chicken. I know I'm being blunt and unfeeling but I really don't see what the decision is. I can understand if you don't want to eat him and you can try to find him a permanent home, but he would soon be gone, one way or another. I'd do that for the peace of the flock as a whole, let alone for my kids' safety.

Exactly. When we were kids, my grandmother had a beautiful rooster that would attack my brother mercilessly when we would visit. She and my mom would have to run interference just so he could get into the house. When my brother started crying that he hated grandma's house because of the rooster, she invited us over for rooster dinner. No chicken was worth having her grandson hate visiting her.

 

[Coops Dad]

At 9 months, he's really got a long way to go in being a rooster. This is like a teenage boy out of the house for the first time. He might mellow into a good bird in the next 6-8 months... or he might not. Since you have kids, take the opportunity to show them that every bite of meat means something had to die first. Butcher, dress, rest in the fridge for a couple of days, then into the oven as the guest of honor at dinnertime.

 

[Coffee N Chickens]

There are good cockerels out there. Luck was with me when I bought these 4 birds. The cockerel is a sweetie who likes having his feathers stroked and is completely nonaggressive. There are nice roos out there that need homes. Your life would be easier with a different roo.