My post about how to handle aggressive roosters was rather timely, because almost right after that Clove and Coriander ("Cori") began fighting. And this was not just a peck-you-on-the-head kind of fight. This was a feather-plucking, comb-and wattle-tearing, spurs-flying-everywhere, bloody-faces-and-feathers, I'm-going-to-kill-you ALL OUT BATTLE.
We went out one morning and found Cori and Clove dueling it out in the forest....spurring each other, jumping on top of one another, panting extremely hard, and covered in blood. They would not stop for anything so I had to pick them up in the middle of their fight and separate Cori into the pen with Rosemary and Reggie. Clove had always been dominant over Cori, pushing him around, occasionally attacking him, and I think Cori finally decided he had had enough and wasn't going to take that behavior from Clove anymore.
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| this is the treatment clove usually gets after he has shown aggression: excessive cuddling, LOL. |
Well, Clove continued to fight with Cori through the netting of the pen (he would run up to him and puff his neck feathers all out). One day we must have had the electric fence netting turned on and when we came home that night Clove had gotten his foot caught in the electric fence trying to fight with Cori! Poor baby.....he was lying on the ground crying in pain. We immediately freed him of it and he was so weak from all that shock through his body he couldn't stand. We put him in the "sick crate" and tried to get him to eat and drink but he was unable to. We thought it would be best to let him rest, and by the next morning he had died.
Poor Clove......even though he was troublesome he was such a beautiful roo......and we will miss him.
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| Clove is especially uncomfortable and embarrassed in this position, being held like a baby. Just another way to reinforce to him who is boss. |
R.I.P. Clove- I wish it didn't have to end this way for you :(
