Why would a really sweet rooster suddenly start flogging?

[Tree House Academy]

We have 5 roosters right now, and today my dh shot and killed our prettiest black australorp rooster for a horrible flogging episode.

 

We had been in the chicken pen (a really large area in our field) for HOURS building on a bunny hutch. My sons come in and out often and have since these chickens were babies. They do not chase or otherwise torment the birds as it is NOT allowed here. We had a mean rooster last year that would rather flog us than look at us, so these have been raised much differently.

 

Anyway, ds7 was standing in the chicken yard and dh was working by the coop - just a few feet from ds7. I was coming across the main yard and looked up just in time to see our sweet black rooster flog my son in the chest. It scared my ds and he took off running. The rooster took off after him flogging him over and over and over. It scared my son so much that he dove over the electric fence head first into a pile of gravel! He was bawling and the rooster was strutting away. I went after the rooster who acted like nothing had happened. Of course, the kick I gave him was too little too late, but it made ME feel better.

 

After ds7 calmed down, we brought him back into the chicken yard with us. He stood close to his dad and I and darn if that rooster didn't raise up to flog him again. My dh went after him this time and the rooster got on a bucket and jumped and flogged dh in the FACE. Before we even had time to react, dh grabbed the pistol off his holster and shot the rooster. I just stood there, honestly not believing what had just happened.

 

The roo was 4 months old and 2nd in command in the hen yard. We have a rooster that is "head hauncho" so to speak and that is the one that we expected to one day be aggressive because he shows some weird traits already. However, this black australorp (the darn prettiest rooster in the bunch) had never showed any aggression at.all. NEVER. He minded his own business. Ds7 was not hurting nor cornering him at the time of the attack. They were just standing in the chicken yard out in the open. Ds was looking at his dad - not touching or messing with the chickens at all. He also had just gone into the fence because he had been visiting his grandma all afternoon (so this wasn't from some tormenting earlier or anything) - and, like I said, we do not allow our kids to chase, poke, or otherwise torment our birds in any way.

 

So...what in the world would cause a rooster to do something like this? :(

[Liz CA]

We had roosters over the years that never looked at us cross until one day, for God knows what reason, they decided to attack us - usually me. My ds does not stand for attacks like this and early on stood his ground. I was much like a chicken and used to run until now. I've had a few run ins with our rooster and he backs off as soon as I make a very aggressive step in his direction.

 

What you describe is rather aggressive behavior and Australorps are not known for that either.

Who knows what that bird perceived to be happening? We will never know.

Hope your son is okay after diving through electric fencing and landing on gravel.

[Tree House Academy]

What you describe is rather aggressive behavior and Australorps are not known for that either.

Who knows what that bird perceived to be happening? We will never know.

Hope your son is okay after diving through electric fencing and landing on gravel.

 

 

 

Ds has lots of scrapes and scratches on his chest (both from the floggings and the gravel), and some scratches on his hands. Otherwise, he is fine. The electric fence was not alive because we were going back and forth across it getting stuff for the work we were doing.

 

Our Australorps are sweeter than our Orpingtons. It just breaks my heart. :( I wish dh hadn't shot him, but after our issues with Charlie last year, no one wants to be flogged anymore. I knew once that bird flew up in dh's face, though, that it was not going to end well. I was truly shocked. We have been flogged on the legs, maybe even then rear end if the bird was up higher to start with, but in the FACE? I mean, wow. Dh had his hand up and the rooster's head was above dh's head. I still can't even understand how it all happened. It was just so fast!

[Liz CA]

I know it's hard to lose an animal this way but I would say: "Good riddance."

You would have probably never been able to trust this rooster when your children walk into the coop.

I have taken two roosters to the "Happy Rooster Farm" where they are used for breeding. They were wearing my hens out and I could not set foot inside the coop.

If I was not so squeamish, I'd have made chicken dumplings.

Since you have a rooster left, your girls are not unprotected.

[ColoradoMom]

The last rooster that did that to me was eaten by the dog the same day. I won't stand for it. I just have two right now and both are pretty docile. If they weren't they'd be someone's dinner immediately.

 

I don't know why your rooster did that other than natural instincts, but in my experience when they get a taste of it they never stop.

[Melissa in Australia]

We had a Light sussex that did something similar. It kept attacking me, and Dh wouldn't believe me. I gave him the job of feeding the chooks , and it got him it actually got Dh with it's spurs, giving him deep puncture wounds. dh is the mildest, calmest person in the world, he kicked the rooster so hard that it died.

 

 

 

I am a little disturbed that your dh actually carries a gun in a holster. Is that normal in America?

[creekland]

If the rooster was just 4 months old it was just his hormones kicking in. All male (in tact) critters will get their hormones at some point and many (not all) will challenge for leadership. This guy won (with your son, and no, I wouldn't have expected ANYONE to have acted differently than your son did at his age) and by winning, it built up his instinct to go higher in the pecking order.

 

MAYBE if he had lost it would have been different in his bird brain, but, probably not. The hormones would have kicked in again at another date.

 

He was doing what came naturally via his hormones and your hubby did what came naturally to protect his family. We would have done the same.

 

It takes a bit to get a rooster that won't challenge people. We've been spoiled by our Buff Orps, but even within that breed, the first one was unworthy of being a free range rooster (neighbor's dog got him - it was the best thing that happened to our flock). Every one we've had since has been a gentleman to all ages of people, but we got the oldest from a really tame line of show stock.

[rookie]

We had a Light sussex that did something similar. It kept attacking me, and Dh wouldn't believe me. I gave him the job of feeding the chooks , and it got him it actually got Dh with it's spurs, giving him deep puncture wounds. dh is the mildest, calmest person in the world, he kicked the rooster so hard that it died.

 

 

 

I am a little disturbed that your dh actually carries a gun in a holster. Is that normal in America?[/QUOTE]

 

 

Yes. Haven't you seen the movies? :tongue_smilie:

[mommaduck]

I am a little disturbed that your dh actually carries a gun in a holster. Is that normal in America?

 

There are a lot of people that have permission to carry and do carry (in more populated areas). In various areas of the country, less populated, it's not uncommon due to the area (culturally) and issues that could arise in those areas. I have a friend that keeps a gun rack on her four wheeler and a gun on it when she goes out. You don't want to run up against a bear or bobcat unarmed.

 

If the rooster was just 4 months old it was just his hormones kicking in. All male (in tact) critters will get their hormones at some point and many (not all) will challenge for leadership. This guy won (with your son, and no, I wouldn't have expected ANYONE to have acted differently than your son did at his age) and by winning, it built up his instinct to go higher in the pecking order.

 

MAYBE if he had lost it would have been different in his bird brain, but, probably not. The hormones would have kicked in again at another date.

 

He was doing what came naturally via his hormones and your hubby did what came naturally to protect his family. We would have done the same.

 

It takes a bit to get a rooster that won't challenge people. We've been spoiled by our Buff Orps, but even within that breed, the first one was unworthy of being a free range rooster (neighbor's dog got him - it was the best thing that happened to our flock). Every one we've had since has been a gentleman to all ages of people, but we got the oldest from a really tame line of show stock.

I was thinking maturing/hormone issues also. We had an intact, male rabbit that suddenly turned aggressive also. He ended up butchered after his first, and only, attack.

[livingnlearning]

He was just coming to maturity with a lot of competition around...normal behavior for a rooster, though not acceptable with kids around. I would be careful around the rest of them as they work out their territory. I've never been able to have more than one rooster in with the hens without a lot of bloodshed on everyone's part. The best rooster we ever had was a Buff Orp-he was so sweet...

 

My daughter got spurred pretty bad when she was about three-DH killed the rooster on the spot and she was more than happy to witness the execution, butchering, and chicken&dumplings for dinner that night!

[Tree House Academy]

I am a little disturbed that your dh actually carries a gun in a holster. Is that normal in America?

 

I dont' know about all of America, but my dh always carries a gun here on the farm (I will freak you out even more and tell you that I do too! LOL) - for instances like foxes getting the chickens, etc. We have a field in front and forest in back. We have had to shoot bats (one kept dive-bombing us very strangely...I think its wing was broken, but you just don't take chances with bats!!), we have had a wild raccoon sitting in the front yard in the middle of the day, foxes running off with our chickens, bobcats crying in the woods in front of the hen house, dogs in packs chasing our dog, and obviously, roosters flogging us in the face. So, yes, we carry at all times here. It is part of life here on the farm.

 

That is different than carrying in public - we do not usually carry in public. However, my dh does have a concealed carry permit, so he could if he wanted to. It is also legal for military men and women to carry guns on a holster in public in America.

[Saille]

Aren't you the same mama who had the fox attack? We've had misplaced aggression before as a reaction to a nearby predator who'd maybe been pressing the fence or pacing outside it. The last time a roo started attacking us, I separated him from the others and put him in the other half of the barn, but forgot to shut the window. The next morning, there were feathers all across the yard, and no roo. I felt pretty bad about it. Whatever it was had probably been sniffing around the barn for days, maybe even coming into that half at night and not being able to get to our flock in the other half. Small wonder he was edgy and aggressive.