#but yooo !!! literally if I don't do it humanely and cleanly and then make use of their life

[broodygaming]

Wow today was crazy (tw for blood mentions and general animal violence)

everyone’s okay, no one died. But two of my roosters really went at it today. It’s not usually an issue, I know I objectively have too many (I have 4 roosters and only 12 hens, it IS an issue, I know I know). So I only have myself to blame for this. It was my number 2 and 3 roosters who fought (they keep a very specific hierarchy, I don’t name my birds so it’s the best way to tell them apart. The #2 is a silver laced Wyandotte and #3 is the BEAUTIFUL grey and red one that hatched last year).

The #2 dude, the silver Wyandotte, he’s been prone to head bleeding. His comb is huge and has a heavy blood supply, that’s how all roosters are. But his has had issues in the past where he nicks it and it bleeds a lot. He’s a black and WHITE bird so this is an issue, haha, for obvious messy reasons. 

So today I go up there and he’s bleeding from his comb and the other rooster (#3) has blood all over his face and they both look super fucked up. And they’re still going at it, like tired boxers in round 4, barely lifting their arms anymore. (is that a thing? I don’t watch boxing haha, I hope you get what I mean). They’re not generally mean birds, so it’s like their instincts were going “Blood! KILL!” but they.. didn’t know how? So they just kept puffing up at each other and pecking at each other but not going any further than that - no spur usage for example. That’d be even worse. Most of the blood was from the #2′s head wound. (Think like a really bad nosebleed, bleeds a LOT)

So now I have him separated and I cleaned him up and put antiseptic spray on him and stopped the bleeding. He’s up there in a huge dog kennel with water and food. The other rooster was still trying to get him through the bars. 

And now im at an impasse.. I don’t know if they’ll ever stop and it’ll take a whilte for it to heal completely. I don’t want to get rid of either of them. It’s not realistic to rehome a rooster around here, everyone has chickens and unwanted roosters. I don’t want to butcher them, or I wound have already. #3 is BEAUTIFUL and i really wanted his genetics, but #2 is so so so sweet and I can already tell from the chicks that hatched he’s making a lot of cute and sweet babies. Like half the chicks I’m keeping are visibly his (white and black busy patterns). Temperament is more important than looks, but he’s got health issues! His foot has been prone to getting bumble foot and this is like the 3rd head injury he’s had. But he’s SO sweet and good with the little chicks and that’s so fucking rare. He let me cart him around in my arms and spray antiseptic spray on him! I had him in my arms for like 2 hours and he barely put a struggle. What a nice guy. 

Idk. It’s been wild - this happened just a few hours ago and I had to go milk my goat in the middle of all of it and I’m baking bread and it was like 80 degrees here, which is insane. I’m so fucking tired haha. And I smell like chicken blood. I’m gonna shower. Let me know if you read all of this bullshit what you think. They’re both nice, but #2 is definitely nicer. #3 is a really rare lucky recessive gene I lucked into that I doubt I’ll ever see again and I’d be heartbroken to have to butcher him. I could try and rehome him, but I’m literally worried he’s had the taste for blood and will always be an issue now. I cannot beLIEVE #4 is still alive through all of this, he’s such a shit. WHY #2 and #3!! WHY! UGH. I just don’t have the heart to cull #4, he’s tiny and it wouldn’t be worth it and he doesn’t cause much of a fuss. But I’m feeding and keeping too many freaking males and this is the last straw. Idk what to do!