[Sally J Smith]

I wonder if anyone out there can help me - I am completely new to this!
I've been keeping my 3 hybrid hens for over a year and they give me eggs every day
and have never stopped laying.  However, I have always wanted a cockerel 'cos I
think they are just so beautiful.  By chance about 3 months ago I got a Barnvelder cockerel, aged about 10-12 weeks old, who was unwanted and was destined for the pot.  I brought him home, I'm not sure what my girls thought but he settled in immediately, we named hime Rocky, and the girls are still happily laying.
My problem is, apart from the fact he has grown into a big magnificent handsome bird, he is very aggressive and attacks my hubby/anyone who gets too close - I'm ok so long as I'm armed with a broom..... oddly we can pick him up and he quite likes a cuddle but the minute your back is turned he attacks. (He likes to crow a bit too but nothing to bad if he is out & about)
Sadly, I need either very good advice or Rocky has to go.  I believe our garden is simply not big enough, if he had enough roaming area where he didn't come into contact with us, there wouldn't be a problem.  He is very attentive to his hens, constantly on guard around them, puts them away at dusk - a brilliant and fab cockerel - but too aggressive for our garden.
I am happy to show pictures if anyone would like to have him, but all I really want, is for him to go to a good home with his own territory and some new ladies.  Anyone out there interested? 

[joyfull]

some people will tell you to dunk him in water next time he charges however I find that once they become aggressive they very rarely change. He sees you as a threat. Personally I would cull him and never let him go for breeding as this trait will continue. I had 2 very aggressive guinea fowl who would draw blood if you turned your back on them so they were disposed of, it turns out they had gone through several previous owners who also got attacked. You can get friendly cockerels but unless you are planing on breeding do you really need a cockerel?

[Casey76]

If it was me I'd be having roast chicken on Sunday  

There is no need for aggressive cockerels, and the flush of spring hormones should be over now.

[Junie]

We tried to calm an aggressive Cockerel .  I thought it was my problem and he was seeing me as one of his girls as he was fine with the rest of the family .  He would run at me from over 50 yrds so space was not an issue.  I tried showing him who was boss. but he was a big bird and I was frightened.  He then attacked my youngest - 10 but size of an 8 yr old.  he was terrified so the next day he was Coq au Vin.

I started enjoying my girls again and could sit with them, which I had not been able to do for a while.
I would cull him too..  They can cause injury with those beaks and claws..

[Sally J Smith]

some people will tell you to dunk him in water next time he charges however I find that once they become aggressive they very rarely change. He sees you as a threat. Personally I would cull him and never let him go for breeding as this trait will continue. I had 2 very aggressive guinea fowl who would draw blood if you turned your back on them so they were disposed of, it turns out they had gone through several previous owners who also got attacked. You can get friendly cockerels but unless you are planing on breeding do you really need a cockerel?

Thank you for replying so quickly - oh dear, I was hoping to an alternative to 'disposing' of Rocky - I wasn't particularly planning on breeding, I get lots of enjoyment & eggs from my hens, so Rocky was supposed to be a nice addition to the family more than anything else & if more happened, then great.  It seems such a shame cos he is a fantastic specimen.  I will def stick to just my girls in future. xx

[joyfull]

it is really sad having to dispose of boys - this is one of the problems with hatching chicks, at least 50% will be boys  . I have 4 cockerels and 3 are lovely calm boys - the 4th is a little tiny Belgian who has a little go at me but he is so minute that he can't do any harm.
Good luck with making your decision but from experience I can say it very rarely gets better and they can do a lot of damage. 

[Lindeggs]

The breeder where I got my pullets had some beautiful cockerals and they all had lovely natures.  Someone offered him a Barnevelder boy who was agressive, and the breeder (with many, many years of experience) thought he could turn this boy around.

Unfortunately he ended up culling him.

I know it's a shame when you have a beautiful bird and have to make a decision like this.  And Barnevelder roosters certainly are magnificent animals!  But when even very experienced, patient breeders with lots of space and lots of incentive can't change the behaviour of an aggressive cockerel, I'm afraid culling sounds like the best option.

[Kathie]

We were "persuaded" by the chicken keeper we got our first lot of hens from that they needed a cockerel, what an awful experience we had.  He was aggressive to everyone so we returned him and the person we got him from thought it was funny and said it was the third time he had been taken back.
Last year we were given another cockerel much to my surprise he was wonderful, we called him Sid as I thought he would be vicious, but he was so sweet. Unfortunately he had a heart attack and died,  but I would be very reluctant to get another one.  It's so sad as they are so beautiful.

[Sassy]

I have had 2 beautiful cockerels one after the other and both have been aggressive. I persevered with both but the end result was having to cull them. I didn't breed from them because of their nature and would not have rehomed them. It is cowardly to rehome them and just pass the problem onto someone else. As has been said they can do a lot of damage and are NOT safe around children.

[Sally J Smith]

I have had 2 beautiful cockerels one after the other and both have been aggressive. I persevered with both but the end result was having to cull them. I didn't breed from them because of their nature and would not have rehomed them. It is cowardly to rehome them and just pass the problem onto someone else. As has been said they can do a lot of damage and are NOT safe around children.

  Hello - many thanks for replying to me - I think everyone who has responded has basically said the same - Rocky has to go.  I haven't the heart to cull him myself, so a friend of mine has offered to do the deed - but thanks again anyway.

[Sally J Smith]

We were "persuaded" by the chicken keeper we got our first lot of hens from that they needed a cockerel, what an awful experience we had.  He was aggressive to everyone so we returned him and the person we got him from thought it was funny and said it was the third time he had been taken back.
Last year we were given another cockerel much to my surprise he was wonderful, we called him Sid as I thought he would be vicious, but he was so sweet. Unfortunately he had a heart attack and died,  but I would be very reluctant to get another one.  It's so sad as they are so beautiful.

Dear Kathie - many thanks for your message - I'm sorry to hear about Sid x  Sally x

[shetan]

i'm sorry you've had to make such a difficult decision. but please don't let this experience put you off from keeping a cockerel - we have a speckled sussex, a brahma and have just taken on two cochin lads (we lost a jersey giant to heart failure last week) and they are all wonderful, well behaved boys.

i have had bad boys in the past - salmon favs that drew blood every time i put a hand in the nest box to collect eggs, a huge marans who was overly protective of his girls and a little banty that  i spoiled to the point that he thought he owned me and attacked everyone in site!

its hard to 'do the deed' to a bird you love but safety comes first and if it attacks a child, the best thing is to cull him.