mostin Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Tick tock, tick tock for Big Bad Bill , he got me again today and gave me another s"Ooops, word censored!"e on my legs . Time is running out quickly for that beautiful boy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Oh dear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 isn't it funny how the nasty ones always taste better when you eat them? Revenge is a dish... etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 But it's Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 But it's Bill My sentiments exactly Could you not just get him some scratch mits like you get for babys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I'd say go for it, mostin. A mean cockerel is a dangerous cockerel and he won't suddenly become sweetness and light again; he'll stay like that. It's your garden - take it back! Then we'll all mourn with you for the lovely sweet natured boy that he used to be. hmm, this gives me an idea.... Ross and Calum.....boy and mushroom pie anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 This post is topical and will make you laugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Mostin We had a problem like that with Phillip last year. But we solved it by picking him up a lot and bringing him inside at night. He's calmed down this year - or maybe he's getting past it! Hope it gets better. Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 This post is topical and will make you laugh That made me giggle , and yes I think he will be a very tasty dish . Mostin We had a problem like that with Phillip last year. But we solved it by picking him up a lot and bringing him inside at night. He's calmed down this year - or maybe he's getting past it! Hope it gets better. Tricia Thanks for the help Tricia. I have tried cuddle therapy , sat for ages with him on my knee being held for 30 mins at a time but he just jumps off and goes back to ravishing everything in sight . There's no way he can come inside , he is enormous now, he's bigger than a small dog and so powerful. If anything happened to a small child visiting my garden I would never forgive myself, it fells like the responsibility of having a dangerous dog . A friend thinks she may have heard on the grapevine of someone who wants a buff cockerel for breeding, but otherwise...........it doesn't look good for him . He will be missed, but I'll remember him from the scars he's given me . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Aw i am sorry Mostin, i know how much you loved him, and understandably if hes that bad, you have to do what you have to do. I will keep my fingers crossed that the breeder will take him but otherwise, well, hope he tastes as good as he looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Would be good if the breeder takes him. You'll know he's had a great life with you if the worst happens. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 You could try putting him on the **Omlet Marketplace**. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 You could try putting him on the **Omlet Marketplace**. Ahhhh, forgot about that place , still not used to Omlet being so big now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Much better to get shot of him. We had a nice enough cockerel, who became very aggressive. I had lots of excuses for why he was so aggressive (upcoming boys in the flock, etc etc etc), and I tried a range of solutions to try and cure him of it...inclkuding he and I having a series of stand-offs in the pen, with him doing his HongKongPhooey chops at me until he was exhausted. But nothing worked permanently. He ripped my jeans on more than one occasion, and managed to push me over once. The final straw was when he was eating out of DH's hands and then turned on him, rippin gthrough the leather glove. As it happens, on the day we were going to dispatch him we had word that a local farmer was looking for a new cockerel, and he took him. I felt guilty for a while... but every time I look at the scars on my legs, I know we made the right decision. We now have a really lovely natured boy, who eats out of our hands, and is very polite (if a bit overenthisiastic) with his ladies. And I don't miss the other one now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roobaloo Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Please forgive my ignorance...but can you dominate a cockerel? I come from a background with horses and dogs...and if an entire male starts to turn aggressive, you need to take a dominate stance back at them. So, in bird terms, would you not "humiliate" him in front of his flock? ie. pin him down and stand or crouch over him until he stops fighting so he is no longer seen as the dominate male? Or drive him away from him flock into isolation, so you have "claimed" his girls? I'm just curious if the same principles can be applied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 Please forgive my ignorance...but can you dominate a cockerel? I come from a background with horses and dogs...and if an entire male starts to turn aggressive, you need to take a dominate stance back at them. So, in bird terms, would you not "humiliate" him in front of his flock? ie. pin him down and stand or crouch over him until he stops fighting so he is no longer seen as the dominate male? Or drive him away from him flock into isolation, so you have "claimed" his girls? I'm just curious if the same principles can be applied! It can work, and it did work on Bill for quite a while. I used to hold him down onto the floor between by legs and throw corn for the girls so they were walking all around him and sometimes over him , while I held him down. He hated it, but it made him behave for a long time afterwards. Now he is fully mature, and during this mating season when the hormones really kicked in he just went nuts "excuse the pun" . As WitchHazel says........as with her boy.............i have been making excuses for months and months, but now I can't relax with anyone in the garden anymore. I've contacted someone on another forum, kindly spotted by Redwing, who is looking for someone such as he, so I will cross my fingers there. He truly is a gorgeous boy but..................... I have had some very kind pm's with some other things to try to help, so I am going to put them into practise to see if I can change his behaviour. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Update on Bill.............................. The decision was made a few days ago , and we let him enjoy his last day . We were going to "do him" in the middle of the night when he was sleepy and less aggressive. He looked so beautiful and proud on his last afternoon though, we fell soft , and he is now living in the top run, and all the top run girls, and their nice cockerel Rod, are down and mixed with the bottom run girls. We couldn't bring ourselves to end such a fine and fertile fellow, even though he is such a complete nightmare at times. Of course when I went to move him to the new run, he was an angel, and let me pick him up no problems, and pretended he had never been any bother at all . Lets hope he makes up for all the trouble he has caused by fathering many many little buff Sussex's next year. His days of free ranging are over though, and he is still on a yellow card Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple hen Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Phew, a reprieve for Bill, hope he behaves himself from now on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I hope it all works out, Mostin. Like you I do enjoy having a cockerel - they add something extra- and I don't mean cuts and bruises! Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Another Bill update ..................... Well, animals it seems are just determined to prove us wrong aren't they . As he had been given a reprieve I took him to the Yorkshire Show, where he won 2nd place in the Sussex class. What surprised me even more was the fact that he was as good as gold when he was in the shower at home, and under the hair dryer and all the being carried about everywhere . On the day, he spent most of the show asleep snoozing in the bottom of his cage, despite small children prodding him through the bars , I was worried somebody would loose a finger . Some of the members of my poultry club were there and they said I should bring him to the "Pride and Joy" night we were having on Tues night, where everyone just got to bring 1 bird. I was a bit dubious but I took him along. it was a bit like show and tell at school and even though all the birds were in show cages, you got to get your bird out on a table and talk about it. When I got Bill out, he was surrounded by small boys , we have lots of children in our club, all amazed by his size. I was a bit worried as they were all stroking his comb and his wattles and his feet and his tail, but he did nothing . In fact, after a while, he closed his eyes and started to snooze . All the mums were saying, "oh hasn't he got a lovely nature", and Laurmurf and I were just giving each other stunned looks behind their backs . I guess you should never work with children or animals..........the unexpected always heppens. But in this case........I was very glad that it did . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Leaving that packet of Paxo in his run obviously did the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Maybe he was just bored before - or he just likes being the centre of attention. You'll have to take him out and about all the time now.... Anyway, I'm so glad he's been reprieved. Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purple hen Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 He must have taken his final warning very seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejmum Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 We had an extremely aggressive cockerel who made visiting our chickens impossible, I had so many holes in my arms and legs we just had to get rid of him, he also was really horible to our hens. We now have a batch of chicks with five boys, which is why I felt I had to go on a despatch and dress course which I did last weekend. It was very informative and I now know how to do things if I have to, however I do hope these guys are more docile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Oh Mostin, how did i miss this??? Im so glad Bill has had a reprieve you know how much i love him Bill? BEHAVE YOURSELF!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
