We tried to get the rooster out of his aggressive attitude. For the last two months Rocky has been getting more and more irritable and had taken to charging my son whenever he heard him out in the yard or around the barn. Before my son left for Florida I couldn't even get him to help me carry a cattle panel without Rocky coming from out of nowhere and attacking from behind.
Just about everyone was walking around carrying sticks to fend off the aggressive rooster except me since I couldn't really carry a stick and get the work done I needed.
Then a few weeks ago I noticed every time I turned around there was Rocky coming up behind me. When I would notice him he would turn sideways and pretend he was eating but I could tell there was now a problem brewing between us. About this same time several of the hens discovered the front porch on my mom's house and the dogs accepted the hens as members of the farm and stopped chasing them. All seemed to be in harmony between the canine and ground fowl worlds.....
Except for Rocky.
Rocky was NOT happy that his hens were hanging out with the people nor so close to the dreaded evil dogs. He got to where he was stalking any human who was out in the yard or around the barn and was being really mean to the hens when he could catch em.
I tried feeding him extra treats and acting non-aggressive with him but nothing seemed to appease him.
The final straw came yesterday when we had some annual visitors who brought their young children out for lamb petting. Rocky wanted them dead. We had to post a constant guard around the children to make sure they weren't attacked. It didn't help when the hens came up wanting to be petted as well either. This put Rocky in an even fowler (pun intended) mood.
After the visitors had left I went down to the barn to get the mower out and it wouldn't start because the battery was low. While hooking up the booster charger Rocky came up behind me and attacked. Not even me turning around and confronting him got him to stop this time. I had to boot him halfway across the barn and out into the lot to get him to settle down and then he turned on one of the hens and just about pulled her comb off he was so angry.
I will spare you the details after that. Mrs. PP tried to argue in Rocky's defense but I had finally had enough. I am pretty much convinced he wasn't actually getting his job done with the hens anyway as I have looked for fertilized eggs several times and not found any. Roosters are a dime a dozen around here anyway and too easily replaced to put up with an aggressive one no matter how pretty he is. Lately he hadn't even been doing his job with the hens either as his rough behavior was driving several of them away.
Looks like we have an opening for a new rooster now.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!
My mom had a hen like that growing up. My grandpa turned him into dinner.
ReplyDeleteJ&M - My grandfather had one named after me when I was a kid who was mean like that. He reached down and rung it's neck one day when it attacked him. I am not as fast at ringing necks as the GP though I had to use a tool.
DeleteChicken soup for the soul...
ReplyDeleteWL - He is in the freezer awaiting a recipe :)
DeleteNot anything you can do to change them when they get that way, I have seen it several times, something gets into their little brains and not even a stick will get rid of it. If you ever butcher them you will find that the testes are nearly as big as humans(way larger than establishment republicans) so all of those chemicals have to screw them up if anything stirs them up.
ReplyDeleteSF - Ya I tried to the method I read on the internet of attempting to not challenge him and feed him treats. It just made him worse. I think he was being mean to the hens all the time to because several of them who usually stayed in the barn were out today.
DeleteI think your right about the republican cojones!
DeleteWe currently have 2 Buff Orpington and 1 Buckeye rooster that have issues. Its funny, as sweet as the Buff hens are the Buff roosters are extremely hen aggressive and hard on them. The Buckeye has been competing with them and last night took a run at Ralph.
ReplyDeleteThe three of them are now on the stew watch list. The Australorp's are the best roosters I have ever had anything to do with, watchful of the hens and kind to them plus good around us.
Fiona - I have a Buff Orphington hen that is growing spurs actually and has been making funny noises at me. I kinda wonder if maybe she is going to turn on me too.
DeleteI had a rooster ("The Sheriff") for about a year who was no problem at all. Seemingly overnight he went ape, attacking me and beating the hell out of the hens. He was delicious...
ReplyDeletePete - Rocky seemed fine until I started working every morning about a month ago and my son took over the morning feed duties. Something about a new male human made him snap.
DeleteWe are down to two Cockerels and one of those is ear marked for dinner in a fortnight, we used to have a cockeral called Tyson and he would go for hubby every time he saw him never went for me, when he turned on my grandson who was only two he went in the oven, I cant be doing with any aggressive livestock, you did the right thing, surprised you waited so long.
ReplyDeleteDawn - Ya going after those kids kinda sealed his fate but I was waiting until the proper moment. Attacking me pissed me off enough that moment came sooner :)
DeleteWe have a bantam rooster. Smallest one we could find.
ReplyDeleteThe full size hens beat him up every day and won't put up with him coming near them.
Still he is on watch and calls out when hawks or danger are nearby. Also makes sure all ladies are in at night. His crow is manageable and has not attacked anybody.
We do have a few bantams that will accept his advances and so far it has worked for us.
Anon - Well I am hoping for some fertilized eggs so I need one that the hens will allow to mate them but one smaller than Rocky was would more than likely be better I think.I have been mulling over a Hamburg rooster if I can find one.
DeleteYup - stew pot. If they don't behave, they become the guest of honor for dinner. They may get one whack with a broom but never get more than a second chance. I won't keep an aggressive roo, let alone any aggressive animal.
ReplyDeletehobo - Agreed. Although I do have to make exceptions for the ram a bit. He likes to play more than being aggressive but doesn't really know his own strength kinda thing.
DeleteI am sorry but I had to smile as I read about your run in with the rooster. We have two black Orpington roosters at the moment, and they are quite well behaved, but should they start being a nuisance then in to the pot they will go. I think you have been very patience with that rooster. Lester would have had him in the freezer ages ago!
ReplyDeleteVera - He used to be quite gentle with humans anyway but I think he has always been a bit rough with the hens. Still he was very good at his other duties like keeping watch and finding em food. I tried to get him straightened out but he just kept getting meaner.
DeleteDennis
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up we had a Rooster just like that and would chase and bite us any time we enter his area. It became a game as to who could get to the barn first us children or the roaster. It sucked because I had to do the chores and the rooster was interfering with that. Only way to deal with is "in to, pot in to pot". :)
Dennis - Ya know I didn't mind his attacks as much a month ago but now that we have entered short wearing temps it was more of an issue. I also got tired of constantly watching my own back :)
Deletewow! i think even i would have offed him long before you! he sounds down-right nasty!
ReplyDeletesending love. your friend,
kymber
Kymber - He certainly was getting that way. Was very pretty though so I still hated to do him in.
DeleteI had a Rhode Island Red like that. No longer a rooster, he became a roaster. Tough one, to the very end.
ReplyDeleteMV - Heh a roaster :)
DeleteHappened to us as well Preppy. Had a rooster so aggressive you had to take a stick in with you to beat it off. I believe my father arranged for a trip "offsite" shortly thereafter...
ReplyDeleteTB - Well everyone but me and Mrs. PP were carrying brooms around. For some reason he never attacked Mrs.PP though which is kinda odd.
DeleteGood call PP, knock his head off. Some of the strains from the hatcheries have had the breeding instinct bred right out of them. Get some bantams and they soon you will have more clutches going than you know what to do with.
ReplyDeleteGlen - I am hoping to eventually breed the breeding instinct back into some full sized hens though.
DeleteBard Rocks are notorious for their evil disposition. They are great for keeping the predators away from their ladies, but if you let them free range, they think they own the world.
ReplyDeleteYup, we would have done the same thing. Aggressive anything is not welcome on the place. Hopefully you'll find a better rooster soon.
ReplyDeleteI had a Rhode Island Red like that. No longer a rooster, he became a roaster. Tough one, to the very end.
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