I have been sitting on the sidelines watching this thread with interest. I had recently rescued a rooster from the side of the road in the mountains. One side was a steep mountain and the other side was steep drop off. He was left to die and I felt bad. After I took him in, he started acting aggressive. He wasn't aggressive when we were busy rescuing him.
It got to the point where I couldn't properly care for my chickens because I couldn't go into the coop to dust them or clean. Finally I had enough. I justified my decision by realizing I had given him two months more to live than he was going to get if I had left him on the side of the road. His aggression was getting scary and dangerous. Just walking by the coop would cause him to throw himself at the side and act like he was attacking me.
I decided to let him out of the coop. The first day was awful. I had to let my chicks get by on just what was in the coop. Every time I tried to feed them, he would charge at me. He hung out by the front of the coop and guarded the girls. At night he roosted in a nearby tree. The second day he was gone. No mess, no feathers, no noise. A part of me feels terrible about it, but when I realized he was keeping me from caring for my girls, he had to go.
It's amazing how nice it is without him. It's quiet, its peaceful, it's back to being fun. I'm sorry your husband isn't being supportive. I'd send him out there to face the chicken and video tape it. Send us the video. We can all use a good laugh! After one attack attempt, he'll want to be rid of him.
Go back to your original ideas about chickens. Being fiercely attacked by an aggressive rooster was not part of that plan.
I don't know where you live, but if you live in a dangerous wilderness area like me, just feed the girls well and put him out. A rake makes a nice shield for when you have to go outside and he's still around. If you think he won't be taken within 24 hours, then find another way to dispatch him. I'm so much happier with him gone. Things are peaceful again and it's a joy to sit outside and watch the girls. And now, I can let them out to roam because I"m not afraid of the rooster and getting him back into the cage.
On Fri, Mar 14, 2014 at 11:43 AM, Emily Cooper <em.cooper84@gmail.com> wrote:
Wow you are one strong lady! I love to sit out and listen and watch my chickens in the mornings and evenings... very calming! EM
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