The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: babysham on August 21, 2014, 12:02:00 pm
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I hatched this chap last year and he was such a friendly chap but over the last few months he attacks me every time I go near him. He is a Well summer. He has also started on the rest of the family slowly away and I am scared as we have a public footpath runs down his field. He is great at keeping his ladies together and had some nice chicks this year so loathe to cull him. Any suggestions as getting fed up of spur holes in my legs :chook:
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Some people say by carrying them around for a while each day helps but in my experience once they start that nonsense they never change. Carry a stick when you go in the pen probably wont stop him but it will save your legs.
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Get rid, anything that turns aggressive is not welcome with us. We had an aggressive cockerel, he would fly at you even with a fence in between you and him, go into the pen with a stick and he'd still come back for more. I've got 3 lovely Maran cockerels now had them since chicks and they are very good natured so I would say if you can get them small and rear them on, now is a good time to look for a young cockerel.
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Cull, you can never trust them once they start down that route.
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cull. Thankfully I've not ever had a problem with the breeds I keep but I had a cross breed one that went for me and after getting the benefit of the doubt the first time, he was despatched after the second. I've also heard that its fairly strongly hereditary. I know to an extent its natural behaviour but if they go for a toddler, well a grown roo could cause alot of trauma.
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Growing up we had a Rhode Island Red That was aggressive, it would fly at us spurs first, aiming around waist height. Always found an empty bucket makes a good shield. Think I still have some scars on my forearms from times when forgot my bucket!
If he were mine, then the odd flutter and squaring up to people I'd put up with, but if he's trying to hurt, he'd be gone.
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we had a RIR that was the same when I was a kid StephHen-put me off the breed for life. Ruddy thing would lie in wait for us-I was only 9 or so.
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I have tamed a couple of fighty cockerels by just fighting back until they are tired. It only takes a couple of sessions for them to get the idea. I am quicker than he is.
Now he just walks by my side up and down the garden when I am out.
The aggression doesnt go away though - he will still have a go at my OH and I would never trust him with children.
I should talk in the past tense because I ate him last week and his replacement is a real gent. :innocent:
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Cull!
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yep cull is what I would suggest too, we had a nasty light sussex (he was massive) and he used to stalk us aorund the house then go for us, the children were terrified so when they were out we dispatched him, it was a relief once it was done
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The only alternative to cull is to pen him so he can't go for anybody else except you and then be sure you know what to expect! I've one cockerel who's a bit feisty but he only pecks at feet and squares up through the fence so as long as nobody else needs to go near him, we're fine. My youngest is terrified of the geese and I was worried they've be a real pain when we had the holiday cottage finished so getting them penned was also a priority - particularly in breeding season. The nicer birds can free range!
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We recently sustained an aggressive light Sussex cockerel for several months. I never quite believed my husband about how aggressive the cockerel had become as I didn't see it. However, after several passive garden visits to hang the washing out, 'killer' (as my husband called him!) began to attack my shins. On one occasion I thought 'I'm not giving in to you', and I pointed my wellie in his direction for around 2 minutes, after which 'killer' was exhausted. It became apparent that the poor cockerel's life purpose was to protect his brood (although there was no real threat), and he just couldn't operate at a neutral level.
Poor 'killer' had to go, despite having been incubated from egg and hand-reared. This was the first cockerel in 150 chickens who had behaved in this way.
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Fact is there are plenty of cockerels out there and unless he is exceptional, he's better in the freezer. I've got one copper marans boy who I have the odd run in with but I can usually catch him and give him the walk around, because he is a good example of the breed. Then he calms down for a week or so.
I always find that cockerels get most excited if they run out of food. You take some more in and they attack you. It's not their fault, it's just some kind of response. So I allow them that if I have been careless enough to let the feeder run out.
I have 3 young boys so have to be aware who is going to be most scary but by the same token, it doesn't do them any harm to have a run in with a cockerel and it may help prevent a run in with a young bull or cow with calve.
It's all about respect.
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We recently had to dispatch our beautiful Light Sussex for the same reason (He was absolutely mammoth). He started by squaring up to me and dancing around. Despite me standing up to him, he became more confident and I had to resort to taking a dustpan out with me. Soon after that I needed the brush too!! When I was counting the huge beak marks on the back of my leg despite having resorted to a full size broom, I knew that enough was enough. I still feel bad about ending his life though.
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Only feel bad if you didn't eat him too ;)
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Im sure its environmental too, as we re-homed a free-range cockeral (OEPF) as he was getting severely beaten up by our ex-commercial hens as he was so timid, he ended up hiding under thencars 24/7. in his new home he got very aggressive and would attack anyone in his pen.
i wouldnt tolerate a free range cockeral with kids/public around if he is aggressive as it only take one kick to scratch a kids eye. pen him or pot him. :yum:
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I never thought about eating him really but I bet he will be quite tasty looking at him and everytime I go near the b....... he crows - he is a nasty piece of work and feel fed up as he is such a good hen keeper! He is going to have to be despatched I have decided and plucked - I have two many marks on my legs now and spurs are never clean so could be dangerous to my health (and passers by).Thanks everyone for your suggestions and support. :wave:
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Agreed - life is too short to have to share it with a grumpy man, feathered or otherwise ;D .
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:roflanim:
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Aggressive cockerels are much easier to dispatch than friendly ones :innocent:
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Aggressive cockerels are much easier to dispatch than friendly ones :innocent:
Very true