Author Topic: Vicious cockerel (Read 20153 times)

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #30 on:** May 10, 2010, 05:18:22 pm »

i know how you feel. but once he is gone the sense of freedom is there knowing you don't have to fight him every time. if like me the new boss cock will turn out to be even worse. remember his spurs are going to get bigger as he gets older. its funny when they are only jumping and doing no harm but when they draw blood through jeans its time for him to go.

Brucklay · « **Reply #31 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:20:42 pm »

I on the other hand would say keep trying - Poppy was a pain in the backside for quite a while but he's still with use and living out his old age - sometime bothers me a wee bit getting animal's/birds/pets etc and then once things don't quite go to plan we get rid of them. OH nearly got rid of Poppy but at the end of the day he, like your James was such I handsome chap I fought to keep him and as it was only me attacked that worked. We have a German Shepherd that hates all other living animals and makes life a bit of a pain sometime bit I wouldn't change her for the world - she's my protector and she takes her job seriously - saying that she trust's my judgement of people but dislikes all other animals large than a duck/cat. I guess we don't know what they're thinking or why - it is spring time and I'm sure he'll calm down eventually. We did put Poppy in a separate run for a while - possibly an option.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #32 on:** May 10, 2010, 11:34:17 pm »

ours are not pets. if your dog started attacking kids and drawing blood i can bet it would soon go. its better to have chilled out cockerals running the flock than mad chucks. now i have a very soft spot for our gander and it would take a very serious event to end up eating him. but thats what the cocks are dor as well as producing the next batch og chickens. we are not over keen to kill because they are a bit of a pest but you do have to draw the line.

ballingall · « **Reply #33 on:** May 10, 2010, 11:47:05 pm »

Sorry to hear your cockeral is misbehaving, James. I have to say though, we had to cull ours last year. He was vicious, and would fly up at you every day, with his feet turned so that he would get you with his spurs. Even if you were taking food in he would go for you. I drew the line when I bent over one day to put food into the bowl and he flew at my face- fortunately I was able to jerk my hand up and shove him away, but he managed to scratch my cheek and came so close to my eye. I blame myself for him being so aggressive, because we kept in shut in for a while after we got them, as we didn't have a run sorted, and I think it made him very territorial.

I know it might not be a good decision to make, but remember you might have to consider it. Good luck with him.

Beth

jameslindsay · « **Reply #34 on:** May 11, 2010, 08:10:39 am »

That sounds exactly like him Beth, I have always said that if he went for my face while I was bent down he would go for definate. Since we had our words testerday he is still taunting me but not attacking so again it is the waiting game.

jameslindsay · « **Reply #35 on:** May 26, 2010, 08:19:40 am »

I think I have won the battle. For several days I would go out with a jug of cold water and just throw it at him. Eventually he gets the message and every time he sees me approach he turns and goes off the other way. So, once a week or so I will continue to take the water with me - just to remind him that I am the boss.

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #36 on:** May 26, 2010, 08:51:44 am »

good for you james. ours are now meat. 4 villians and 1 the wife wanted culled because he was spare, that one bothered me he just sat in the wifes arms guilt. odd the egg production has gone up since the small garden gang met their fate. the girls must feal more chilled not having 4 cockerals teaming up on them.

langdon · « **Reply #37 on:** May 26, 2010, 09:32:36 pm »

i was told once that if you(we) stand our ground and copy any type of moves the cockerel make before
attacking e.g. moving from side to side etc that the cockerel should back down.
they sense the fear with in us and thats why they have the upper hand most of the time.
tell me if it works as im sure we might get one out of this years hatchings.
eddie who we have now is so tame he runs away when you approach him.
langdon

shetlandpaul · « **Reply #38 on:** May 26, 2010, 09:41:09 pm »

we have nice ones who are friendly. its just the 4 learnt from each other. not a lot of meat on any of them.

Sharondp · « **Reply #39 on:** May 26, 2010, 09:50:26 pm »

When I was at River Cottage, we discussed cockerels and how people tend to kill the vicious ones. Richard said that the vicious ones are the ones you should actually keep as they are exerting their dominance, and therefore a better and stronger gene pool - more of the poultry equivalent of testosterone I guess!