Culled my first rooster yesterday :(

LittleBittyBigJohn · Jul 17, 2023

RIP Slider

He was a good chicken protector but he got too aggressive. The last straw was a walker on the road in front of our house. We let the chickens out to roam for a couple hours most evenings. Usually he leaves people alone if they are far enough away but he chased the poor walker for quite a ways and has apparently done that multiple times. That along with flogging basically everyone but me and he is just too much liability to handle.

This is my first animal ever to have to cull. I'm pretty heartbroken. His girls were waiting on him last night and didn't want to go into the coop without him.

yubh8tn · Jul 17, 2023

I did the same to two roosters last week. Too aggressive but doing what they are born to do. Skinned them and the wife made broth out of them.

We got another 20 "hens" that are 4 weeks old now and there are two roosters in that group that were supposed to be hens. So I will end up having to cull those too.

mrmikey · Jul 17, 2023

SIL had to do that to a rooster a year or so ago. Went after my daughter and got her on the back, got the grandaughter on the cheek just below the eye a day or so later, rooster lived another 5 minutes after that.
They got another rooster that would guard the hens like no ones business. Grandaughter, she could pick up the hens, chicks, even the rooster it was so mild mannered around her it was crazy. Unfortunately an eagle got it and another chicken.

Eagle1 · Jul 17, 2023

I've had dogs explode a few rooster that went after kids, big puff of feathers and done. No problem with the dogs and chickens otherwise.

MAX-24-Dean · Jul 17, 2023

mrmikey said:
SIL had to do that to a rooster a year or so ago. Went after my daughter and got her on the back, got the grandaughter on the cheek just below the eye a day or so later, rooster lived another 5 minutes after that.
They got another rooster that would guard the hens like no ones business. Grandaughter, she could pick up the hens, chicks, even the rooster it was so mild mannered around her it was crazy. Unfortunately an eagle got it and another chicken.

Just curious if you remember what breed the rooster was? Some breeds are known to have a calmer diposition. Asking because I just culled my rooster and am hunting for a replacement.

MAX-24-Dean · Jul 17, 2023

As my wife talked to the rooster, she told him several times that if he didn't behave he would have to "RIP". I agreed. But here RIP means "rest in pan", the frying pan.
My city girl no longer names the chickens, says if she does she has a harder time frying them.

scaredychicken · Jul 17, 2023

For me, that is one of the hardest things to do when raising chickens. I have culled one or two Roos for aggressiveness, given several away, snacked on a few, and lost a few to age, heart stoppage, and sadly predators. I know that they protected the hens. I will be getting 75 - 100 day old and sexed chicks in the Spring again.

mrmikey · Jul 17, 2023

Just curious if you remember what breed the rooster was?

Sorry, no I don't, just called my daughter and she doesn't remember neither. Memory loss is hereditary obviously LOL.

Jstpssng · Jul 17, 2023

I've had a couple turn aggressive, but mostly they won't leave the hens alone so the birds go into winter with no feathers on their backs.
Then there was the time that I let a few turkeys run loose with the hens... Now I know where a "turken" comes from. (not really)

5030 · Jul 17, 2023

Just drilled another ground hog a few minutes ago with my 17 HMR Savage. Fun to shoot, think I've 'culled' about 15 so far. Sit on the deck and wait patiently and I always get rewarded.

lman · Jul 17, 2023

I'm sure the Rooster was tasty.

Yander · Jul 17, 2023

Jstpssng said:
I've had a couple turn aggressive, but mostly they won't leave the hens alone so the birds go into winter with no feathers on their backs.
Then there was the time that I let a few turkeys run loose with the hens... Now I know where a "turken" comes from. (not really)

I had to cull all of my roosters this past summer and a hen that had her back torn up from them. I was out feeding them and my wife had told me we had a hen that didn't want to come out of the chicken coop to eat. She came out and the alpha rooster jumped on her back and when he did, I could see her back was completely opened up from his claws. She was very wounded.

I culled her within 10 minutes. Can't handle an animal suffering. Culled the Rooster right after her. Not a good day. They were also getting aggressive toward my 5 year old grandson and I wasn't going to have him traumatized of chickens. He loves feeding the hens now.

pmsmechanic · Jul 17, 2023

When I was a kid my parents raised Leghorns for hatching. Some of the roosters got quite aggressive. To the point us kids were reluctant to go into the barn. Dad taught us to take a stick along. We still had to watch but at least we didn't end up with bruises on our legs.

Jstpssng · Jul 17, 2023

I worked for a landscaper years ago who kept a free ranging rooster which was so aggressive that when we were loading trucks, one person would stand guard with a garden hose. He loved sneaking up behind people and attacking them with his spurs.
I can't imagine tolerating that anyways, but definitely not when running a retail business.
I had one that was getting aggressive with my dog but I tried to get Ruger to defend himself. Then the bird started sneaking up on me. He attacked me one evening while I was feeding and that was his last mistake. I walked out to the truck, grabbed my axe, snatched him, laid his head on a stump and that was the end. Meanwhile my pup's in the back seat of the truck watching, with his eyes as big as saucers.

GeneV · Jul 18, 2023

Yeh, it's no fun, I've culled a few male ducks for similar reasons. Well, that's part of keeping livestock, u gotta do what needs doing.

masseyrider · Jul 18, 2023

Years ago had an aggressive rooster. He'd come running/fly to attack me when I came out to the yard. I kind of enjoyed it. He'd come flying up and I'd put my boot up and he'd fly into it. Then I'd chase him with the broom I carried. Pissed him off to no end.
Rooster ball as I called it was entertaining. Bat him all over the yard. You didn't dare turn your back though.
Then one day I came out with my big "new" rubber boots on. He came as usual and spiked me right through the boot. I still have a small scar.
He was a little tough but the soup was great.

Eagle1 · Jul 18, 2023

We've had good luck with Buff Orpington roosters..... tend to be nice. YMMV

LittleBittyBigJohn · Jul 18, 2023

Eagle1 said:
We've had good luck with Buff Orpington roosters..... tend to be nice. YMMV

I have 3 Orphington roosters right now. I've got 1 picked out that I hope is going to keep a good demeaner and graduate to the flock daddy. I'm going to have to figure out how to get rid of the extras without having a repeat of last weekend...

DaveNJ · Jul 18, 2023

Eagle1 said:
I've had dogs explode a few rooster that went after kids, big puff of feathers and done. No problem with the dogs and chickens otherwise.

Yes I have a GSD that will tolerate no aggressive behavior of any kind from anything or anybody towards the grandkids. A rooster wouldn't know what hit him.