Will my pullet mourn?

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Hey y’all,

I have 1-2 Pullets that our main cockrel always courts around the yard, dances for and happily mates with them with their approval.
They even roost together at night.
Unfortunately this cockrel has become over confident in his roll and decided to attempt to flog my daughter twice.
He has successfully flogged her once where he knocked her down completely and was on top of her til I punted him. (Not really that crazy I didn’t kick him hard)
I wrote it off to her hovering near the food dish and the other males stressing the females trying to mate them and he took it out on the closest thing - her.
This isn’t the first cockrel to attack her and 2 have met the chopping block for outright chasing her down and attacking her.
I hear good cockerels know not to attack humans even if they are small.
During his attempt today she wasn’t near the hens or chicks. She was standing with me while we watched them eat from afar and he started creeping our way slowly side stepping towards us and “eating”.
She turned around to say something to me and he ran up and jumped at her but my foot stopped him from making it to her. Then he tried again.
He had always been so good but is becoming over confident in his role so we’ve found someone to rehome him to.
However I’m worried due to his close bond with the ladies that they will mourn his “loss”.
I don’t want to make this hard on my flock but I can’t have a chicken attack my daughter either.

I don’t want to believe I could “correct” this behavior because my daughter is only 2 and there is no way she’s capable of correcting him herself.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They might be confused for a few days if he simply disappeara, or skittish for a few days if they witness his culling, but they'll get over it soon enough

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

Aww I'm sorry you're having a hard time. It sounds like he is great for the hens but if he's hunting your daughter than it's not a safe situation. The girls will be fine, they may be a bit flighty for a bit as they adjust to the life without him but they'll be themselves sooner than if a person lost someone. He's a mate of convenience for them after all he is simply the one that's there for the ladies now.

 

[Sally PB]

but is becoming over confident in his role so we’ve found someone to rehome him to.

but I can’t have a chicken attack my daughter either.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell the new owner the reason you are getting rid of him. They may have a small child that the rooster decides to attack.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell the new owner the reason you are getting rid of him. They may have a small child that the rooster decides to attack.

Yes absolutely. He doesn’t have any children and a bunch of Pullets. We will absolutely make sure he knows what happened too just so he can be aware.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

Aww I'm sorry you're having a hard time. It sounds like he is great for the hens but if he's hunting your daughter than it's not a safe situation. The girls will be fine, they may be a bit flighty for a bit as they adjust to the life without him but they'll be themselves sooner than if a person lost someone. He's a mate of convenience for them after all he is simply the one that's there for the ladies now.

You think our shy cockerels will take over or just have a lead pullet?

 

[esme13]

If you have other cockerels , than they will try to take on the dominant role. How many males do you have? Usually the older hens will teach the young immature cockerel how to behave. I’m sorry about the one who attacked your daughter. I would do the same in removing an aggressor from the flock. A good cockerel /rooster should not attack, even in their presence. We have kept 1 adult rooster because of his personality. And what I looked for was a rooster who did not attempt to flog me at grabbing my hens. He runs away… and doesn’t bother anyone, even the dogs. Hoping for the best for you! Because once you find that awesome rooster it becomes fun for the family.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Chickens have some object permanence - but not much. Enough to know you keep the feed in the barn, but not enough to run around the fence to get at the food you just put down, if the barn blocks their view of it...

What does this have to do with an absent Roo? They might notice the absence, briefly, but they won't mourn. I've processed roos in front of my hens - fed them the bits that I didn't keep for myself - and the only mourning they did was when I ran out of bits to feed them.

Its a mistake to imagine human emotions, human motivations, on our little dinosaurs. They simply aren't wired for it.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

If you have other cockerels , than they will try to take on the dominant role. How many males do you have? Usually the older hens will teach the young immature cockerel how to behave. I’m sorry about the one who attacked your daughter. I would do the same in removing an aggressor from the flock. A good cockerel /rooster should not attack, even in their presence. We have kept 1 adult rooster because of his personality. And what I looked for was a rooster who did not attempt to flog me at grabbing my hens. He runs away… and doesn’t bother anyone, even the dogs. Hoping for the best for you! Because once you find that awesome rooster it becomes fun for the family.

We have 4 currently and plan to get down to just 1.
Our cockerels and pullets are all the same age so no older hens to put them in their place although I see some pullets put 1 in its place.
We have a really shy boy who doesn’t come around the humans and is good with the chicks and hasn’t even tried to get with the ladies. This is who I think we will be keeping since he’s been the literal best. He ignores everyone and everything and is kinda a loner so I’m hoping he fills into the roll.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I was reading posts about chickens that mourned the loss of a flock mate and they sometimes never recovered. I know not all animals have the same level of emotions as humans but they definitely understand more then we give them credit for.

Chickens have some object permanence - but not much. Enough to know you keep the feed in the barn, but not enough to run around the fence to get at the food you just put down, if the barn blocks their view of it...

What does this have to do with an absent Roo? They might notice the absence, briefly, but they won't mourn. I've processed roos in front of my hens - fed them the bits that I didn't keep for myself - and the only mourning they did was when I ran out of bits to feed them.

Its a mistake to imagine human emotions, human motivations, on our little dinosaurs. They simply aren't wired for it.