A Hard Choice. In 2013 when I brooded RIR chicks for the Hay Farmer one turned out to be a rooster. The Hay Farmer didnt want a rooster but I talked him into it and said that if it didnt work out I would take him back. It didnt work out and I took the rooster back. When he came back, he was no longer the friendly roo that had left here. I dont know if something happened, or if it was just that he changed with maturity. I tried all kinds of things and would sometimes see results with him settling down. But the majority of the time he would just attack and he wouldnt quit. He attacked me, my Husband, my Mum - anyone, for any reason and at any time. He even turned mean with the hens. It was to the point that they were afraid of him. I separated him and tried giving him special alone time attention. It didnt help. He actually got worse. It got to the point that he was attacking me when I was feeding him. My Husband saw the marks on my arm one day and asked me how I had gotten them. When I told him, we had the conversation that I had been trying to avoid. The rooster and his behaviors were bothering the hens and no one in the coop was happy. At that point we talked about having him put to sleep by our Vet. I felt like I was giving up, even though I know that I had been trying to help him for over a year. The next day when I was feeding him he flew at my face. I moved and he instead attacked my arm. He latched onto me with his beak and I had to pull him off, taking a chunk of my skin with him. I made an appointment later that day. He was humanely put to sleep and I brought him home and buried him. It was a very hard decision to make. But I knew that he wasnt happy and that he was getting worse. That was just over a week ago. Within the hour of him being gone, the coop dynamic changed - for the better. The girls seemed to relax and settle down. Since then their egg production has increased, their appetites are back and they seem to be at peace again. I was looking at one member of the flock and trying to save him while all of the others were beginning to suffer from the stress and the strain. The decision was for the whole flock and as difficult as it was it was the right one to make.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 21:18:51 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015