Young Rooster Aggressive to Hens

[Twilia]

Its wrong to think twice to axe a mean one! Get teh axe and save a friendly one instead, everything else is just a waste of time.

You think. Which may be biased anyways based on your bad experiences; Wrong is killing without respect. and I sometimes think people are more of a waste of my time.
BYC is too narrow minded and old fashioned. Not everyone wants to kill their bird just because of his mood. But the Only advice I have heard is "kill him". What is a person to do if nobody has any flipping experience TRYNG to deal with the problem, and the bird is valuable to them? What then? Deal with it? No, because there is a better way.
I suggest my method of taming because it simply works. Right now, I have 16 of my rehab cocks and they are the best. Aggression isn't a forever condition; it is a phase, a mood really. Unresolved conflict is the problem, not the roo. My 13 y-o niece helps me rehab these unwanted cocks and she can handle even the meanest, because she isn't no tenderfoot. Afterwards there is no clue that these animals had tempers. If you are scared of a bird, then cocks aren't for you.

Stay safe: )

 

[Mrs. K]

Well the OP - is not complaining that the rooster is mean to her, but to her hens. I am not sure your plan is going to work. Often times, hens attacked as described, become more timid, hide out more, eat less and the more they do that, it seems to bring on more attacks.

And I have kept bachelor pads, what I have found, is that they are a "sometimes, sort of, for a while type of arrangement." What works today, may or may not work tomorrow. I am not an advocate of cock fights, cock fights are cock fights whether they occur naturally or inspired by people. Sometimes roosters never fight, sometimes they will to the death. What to do then?

Most of us on here, are not narrow minded and old fashioned. We have had a lot of experience. We are giving advice that we have had work in our own flocks. We are trying to explain that birds can be dangerous to children, and to anyone else, if they get aggressive, which your article also states. Most of us have dealt with an aggressively mean rooster too long, before we gave up. When we removed him, we enjoyed our flocks again.

I have had a lot of roosters over the years. Some have been good, some have been very good and some have been awful. I have always killed with respect, quickly and efficiently when it was in my flocks best interest. I dearly love having a rooster in the flock, I love to watch how he interacts with my girls. Often times, I have had roosters all their lives and never touched them. Sometimes I have had roosters that the hens didn't like, that attacked me, or that threatened my grandchildren, and those were removed.

Your article also states that limited space can be a problem, but that one should re-home the bird and you limit who one can re-home to. People on here report a terrible time trying to rehome birds, and what do you do in the meanwhile but deal with a difficult bird? Cage them up in less than ideal conditions? A swift end is preferable to that.

I do not feel obligated to keep any bird that is not working out for me or my flock. Many people have limited space, and should really keep the best birds for the set up. A good life and a quick end, is pretty standard old fashioned thinking. I agree with that.

I am not an advocate of mistreating any animal. I have been in animal husbandry all of my life. I take my responsibilites seriously, and I solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[Araucana2]

Nothing more to say except 100% agreeing

 

[Sic]

Hey everybody,

One of my roosters (under 1 year) is rough with my hens. I have 31 hens and three total roosters. My head rooster is kind of a turd to people, but a phenomenal flock rooster. He’ll keep the younger ones in check if they get rough… but one is rough with the girls. He doesn’t ever come after people or my dog, but when he initiates mating he hardly mounts and ends up just biting the girls on the heads. Is there any hope for him growing out of that or should I get rid of him?

In my experience, most of the time young cockerels are not free to mate hens in a flock with another Rooster, he might be more clumsy and rough because he doesn't have time to court nor clout with the hens, just trying to do the deed, unceremoniously grabbing hens by the neck before getting curb stomped by the other roos. If this boy is worth keeping to you, separating him with a minimum of 4-5 hens of his own will allow to develop into the prince charming that he should be. If he doesn't calm down (he should) then you can remove him.

 

[Twilia]

Well the OP - is not complaining that the rooster is mean to her, but to her hens. I am not sure your plan is going to work. Often times, hens attacked as described, become more timid, hide out more, eat less and the more they do that, it seems to bring on more attacks.

And I have kept bachelor pads, what I have found, is that they are a "sometimes, sort of, for a while type of arrangement." What works today, may or may not work tomorrow. I am not an advocate of cock fights, cock fights are cock fights whether they occur naturally or inspired by people. Sometimes roosters never fight, sometimes they will to the death. What to do then?

Most of us on here, are not narrow minded and old fashioned. We have had a lot of experience. We are giving advice that we have had work in our own flocks. We are trying to explain that birds can be dangerous to children, and to anyone else, if they get aggressive, which your article also states. Most of us have dealt with an aggressively mean rooster too long, before we gave up. When we removed him, we enjoyed our flocks again.

I have had a lot of roosters over the years. Some have been good, some have been very good and some have been awful. I have always killed with respect, quickly and efficiently when it was in my flocks best interest. I dearly love having a rooster in the flock, I love to watch how he interacts with my girls. Often times, I have had roosters all their lives and never touched them. Sometimes I have had roosters that the hens didn't like, that attacked me, or that threatened my grandchildren, and those were removed.

Your article also states that limited space can be a problem, but that one should re-home the bird and you limit who one can re-home to. People on here report a terrible time trying to rehome birds, and what do you do in the meanwhile but deal with a difficult bird? Cage them up in less than ideal conditions? A swift end is preferable to that.

I do not feel obligated to keep any bird that is not working out for me or my flock. Many people have limited space, and should really keep the best birds for the set up. A good life and a quick end, is pretty standard old fashioned thinking. I agree with that.

I am not an advocate of mistreating any animal. I have been in animal husbandry all of my life. I take my responsibilites seriously, and I solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

That was general, not really for the OP ; ) I appreciate your explanation that seems practical for your flock. I am unimpressed because, BYC members echo each other like it is a one-size-fits-all. When it comes to roo behavior, I do not concur with the general advice here, and I know some people are also wanting other options. BYC members seem unable to help in these cases... If BYC members could be better educated, or open, to sharing multiple options, we could help more thoroughly. Some people have had bad experience with roos because they were unknowledgeable. The echo of each other's pitfalls and advice, is either dangerous or narrowed to one option.

As experienced poultry-tenders, we need to share our vast knowledge so others are reminded to be responsible also; not getting hurt or killing their animal because of a misunderstanding of their natural behaviors. This is too common a mistake. I heard so often of families that regretfully killed their roos, or altered their chicken goals because they were not given any other advice...

The general opinion that roos will always be aggressive, untamable, or not worth it, or "no turning back", is false, and unappreciated.

 

[Mrs. K]

Some people have had bad experience with roos because they were unknowledgeable. The echo of each other's pitfalls and

I really don’t believe this, that the problem is some persons fault. I am knowledgeable, have worked with all kinds of intact males livestock most of my life.

Some roosters are ok, some are good, once in a while you get a real flock master and sometimes you get the demon from hell. All can be raised in the same pen by the same person.

So while agree with you that not all roosters are horrible, some are and for human safety should be put down. People should not be pressured to keep birds that are not working out for them.

I do think you are offering a possible solution that will work some of the time. I don’t think it is the only solution.

 

[Araucana2]

Many people tried in the past to change aggressive behaviour only to figure out in the end that the axe is the only solution, especially when there are also children involved. Every year also many friendly ones get axed just because they are surplus, so many dont want to keep a mean one if they can save a friendly one instead. And they pass on their genetics, so the next generation is aggressive as well then. Some people may call that narrow minded or old fashioned but in my opinion its true.

 

[Twilia]

I really don’t believe this, that the problem is some persons fault. I am knowledgeable, have worked with all kinds of intact males livestock most of my life.

Some roosters are ok, some are good, once in a while you get a real flock master and sometimes you get the demon from hell. All can be raised in the same pen by the same person.

So while agree with you that not all roosters are horrible, some are and for human safety should be put down. People should not be pressured to keep birds that are not working out for them.

I do think you are offering a possible solution that will work some of the time. I don’t think it is the only solution.

I am not relating this all to yourself. I am speaking on general terms BTW ; ) The idea is there is no "one solution". But when faced with roo aggression, only advice given is cull. There should be a few members who can point out another possible solution also. That is not pressuring. (As for roos being raised the same, but having separate attitudes, I explained that in the article...?)

A stallion is a male. You never leave a stallion with children. Same goes with cocks. If that stallion hurts someone (this is predictable when one understands the common behavior), bad things happen to him, right? This is a neglect situation, or because the person was unknowing, i.e. unknowledgeable, puts both animal and child in a dangerous spot.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

But when faced with roo aggression, only advice given is cull

Cull can mean remove, not necessarily kill, so maybe you are misinterpreting some of the threads you've read. Either way this thread has been completely derailed.

 

[Mrs. K]

Either way this thread has been completely derailed.

I apologize.