Oh my. Doesn't look good. Rooster needs to be chicken dinner.

Oh yeah, he's in the freezer now!

Excellent!

@porkpal I thought the rooster and I had settled our dominance issue, but apparently not. Whenever I go into the chicken yard, he actively avoids me and stays in the far corner when I clean the coop, change out water, or whatever. He has very recently figured out how to hop up to the top of the fence and often struts up there for much of the day. No problems. He's now hopping down onto the yard side and doing some free-range grazing. I don't much care, I have a couple hens who also do that. They all can hop in and out when they want, haven't done any particular damage to my gardens, and generally prefer to be inside the yard with the flock rather than outside. To round them up, I just open the gate to the chicken yard and calmly walk them back in (both hens and the rooster). All appeared to be good.

On Sunday, the rooster was hanging outside the yard and I was going back and forth loading up our camper. That bugger decided to ambush me and I luckily heard his little pitter-patter feet behind me on our sidewalk, turned around and he was coming at me all fluffed up. He totally startled me, and I screamed and ran (not the best idea but I was caught by surprise). I grabbed a rake and chased him back inside the chicken yard, then left for an overnight fishing trip.

I have not yet done the head-down treatment, and am prepared to instigate that -- but have a huge question -- is that going to only establish MY dominance with him, and is he going to continue to challenge other humans? I am particularly worried about small children. I also don't want to have to watch my back every time I am crouched down weeding in my yard. Ruminating over my fishing pole (no bites), I have pretty much come to the conclusion that he just isn't going to work out and we'll likely eat him. I've had roosters before and have always found them to be pleasant non-aggressive animals. I don't think I need this strife. Pity, as he is a gorgeous rooster and a real good protector of his flock.

The head down routine has made all my roosters generally submissive - however they have not been tested with small children, so I don't know how they would react. Also I used the head down exercise on all of them before they ever showed signs of aggression so that is another variable. You might at least give it a try while you're leafing through your recipe file.

Just remembered, Big B NEVER went after my granddaughter. Don't know if he sensed he would be dead if he did or what. But not worth taking the chance, AND, she was NEVER left alone around him.

Deb, there are so many good roosters in the world, I'm not sure it's worth the strife to deal with a mean one. I wish I could send you one of my Blue Laced Red Wyandottes They are so gentle and nice, but they protect the hens too.

You gave it a good effort. Ruthless is sometimes necessary.

That's about where I'm at, Tom. I've had chickens & roosters before and have never ran into this problem. I feel like my rooster is actively stalking me now. Not a good start to my Magical Year of Gardening (I am retiring before end of this month...) We're gone for the weekend, so I'll let him live until we return, then off with his head. I can pick up another rooster easily enough from the feed store bulletin board, either now or later. My current thought is to get one a tad younger than my hens so they knock him into shape a bit, and to also give him the head-down treatment as soon as I bring him home.

I have two gold laced wyandottes, and they are my other chickens who hop out of the yard on a regular basis. They both have a penchant for laying their eggs in a nest they built in one of my garden beds. Both nice chickens, they shoo back in easily. Funny that they are the escapees, they are both pretty hefty birds.

Congrats on retiring, Deb!

Rooster update. While on a ladies' overnight getaway, I gave Gary the green light to off the rooster while I was gone. He apparently shot at him with a .22 but somehow missed (? OK he's no hunter ?) but apparently scared the bejesus out of the bird. Ever since then, Roto-rooster has been staying inside his yard like a good boy. We also strung up some bailing twine about 6" inside the top board of the fence with the theory that this flimsy and unstable barrier may discourage him from hopping to the top of the fence to escape. So, for the time being, Roto can stay.

I sure hope that rooster behaves or next time no misses!

Way funny, keep us posed!

New question: lights or not? I put up a string of tube lights in the hen house and have it on a timer from about 7 am to 7 pm. But, what I'm finding is I don't want to turn the chickens out before it actually gets light outside, so then they kind of scruff around inside the coop for about an hour or so. Seems when I do let them out, they are all jazzed up and kind of crazy. The rooster is beside himself looking for his morning sport (I assume its not happening in the coop although I haven't been peeking in). From 10 hens I'm getting 5-6 eggs per day. Do you provide winter light or no? I think it also helps with the heat a bit, although that is not a particular concern for me (temperate).

I used to put lights on to keep them laying, but I found out I was burning out the hens too fast. They would only lay for so long, and then quit, or die. I have since learned that by giving them a rest they will continue to lay for many years. Lay bigger eggs, and they will have better egg shells. Their body seems to need the time off to rebuild and regenerate. If you're in it only for rapid egg production, and plan to replace the hens every year or so, then the lights are fine.

I have read that also, about the hens burning out unless given rest periods. So I guess it depends on what you want. Lots of eggs now, or more in the long run.

Here's another chicken question: The hens who do roost (I still have 3-4 who pigpile into the nest box at night) tend to only roost at the far end, nearest to the chicken door Although it's hard to get an inside photo, these are taken from just outside the human door looking in. The screened opening on the left is closed at night. Directly across from that is a double-paned window that does not have a covering on it (second photo). I'm wondering if the window is discouraging roosting on that side, or if it is just a cuddle-issue -- the far end has both the main roost and a shorter one above it. The nest box is also at that end, so all the chickens end up pretty close together at night. I, of course, envisioned walking by in the evening and looking in at a neat row of chickens on the lower roost, but that has never happened.