CrystalAnon
Songster
Yup!! We culled one rooster (I did miss that big silly oaf) and gave away the second (didn’t miss him at all… he and I did not get along). Kept the third (Total sweetheart, friendly & cares about the hens especially his favorites). The roos were all the same breed (Moss Eggers) & age.
Our 8 gals didn’t seem to miss the other two roosters at all. Actually they were way more relaxed when they didn’t have a three-roo tag-team battling for their “affections”.
I assume if our rooster disappeared they would have some minor pecking order business to figure out, but I don’t think it would cause a major issue for long.
Chickens are so dang adaptable!
I will say this though… roosters are very aware of your state of mind & how you react when they challenge you. As friendly as my rooster is… he does challenge me at times. He’s never attacked me or my husband or any of my own family members who have visited. He did however go after my mother-in-law. He even drew a bit of blood. But she was exuding docility/fear & aggression at the same time. She would shrink away from him when he would approach her. She didn’t ever ignore him… her focus would be on him & none of the other chickens when he was near. And when he got close one too many times for her liking, she kicked him. That set him off. And as soon as he started getting aggressive back, she shrunk away again. He prob thought… “I got this aggressor on the ropes! I gotta keep at it until the aggressor is beat.”
I learned from my very aggressive rooster… when you’re challenged by a rooster, you do not shrink back. You do not back away. You face him, or completely ignore him like he’s not even there. I let Polko peck at me if that”s what he wants to do. It’s never been a harmful or painful peck. He’s just testing me. (He hasn’t done this in quite a while.) Sometimes I even get down on his level and pet him, if he’s close enough. He doesn’t really like it, but it’s not aggressive & it gets him to step away from me, which is a naturally submissive move for them. You talk to him like it’s nothing, or say nothing. I say, “Hey buddy. What are you doing buddy? How’s my shoe taste Polko?” You don’t get shrill, or yell at him. You def don’t kick or hit him. Show him no aggression or fear. Kindness is way more powerful.
I found with my aggressive rooster… he would NOT back down, ever. I did the dominance thing where I would catch him, put him on his side & pet him until he chilled out. Or walk around the yard with him in my arms. Or hang him upside down for a bit. It would work okay for that day. The next day he would act the same way again & it would start all over. Him & I went rounds. I am very thankful to that roo for the lessons he taught me.
