What is the purpose of Roosters Pecking Hens?
Occasionally, your rooster may peck the hens on the backs and heads. Despite what you may think, the rooster is simply doing his job - pecking is a part of courtship. If a hen is ready to mate/breed, when a rooster pecks her like that, she will squat down to be mounted. The rooster holds his beak to the hen's neck feathers and keeps himself steady with his feet while mating. The process is known as treading.The rooster may eventually have a favorite or two hens within the flock. They may grow bald patches on their backs as a result. Hens with feathers missing on their backs, wings, and heads are not unusual to see.
Extreme Aggression
An aggressive rooster can be detrimental to your flock as well as your family. If a rooster starts showing signs of aggression with the hens, you'll definitely notice. Take action to curb the rooster's aggressive behavior if you notice that he is drawing blood or making the hens uncomfortable. You might want to start by clipping and rounding off the rooster's spurs, although they come in handy when fighting predators.Make sure you have a proper hen-to-rooster ratio too. In general, you should have one rooster for every 8 to 12 hens. If you have fewer hens than this, a rooster may not be the best choice. So making sure there are enough hens for your roo will go a long way to curbing bad rooster behavior.
Potential Causes
Pure Boredom
When they are bored, some roosters become more aggressive. Hay or straw bales can be used to create a chicken playground. Hang a cabbage just out of reach of the birds. Your chickens will stay busy and occupied by hopping at the cabbage. You can find additional ways to keep your chickens from becoming bored HERE!Not Enough Space In The coop
If your rooster is acting aggressively, a cramped coop may be to blame. Chickens should have a minimum of 10 square feet per chicken in the coop if they are not allowed outside during the day. It may also be helpful to dim the coop lights to reduce the risk of pecking.Nutritional Changes
An inadequate diet can also contribute to rooster biting. Feed whole or rolled oats, alfalfa hay, and/or alfalfa meal to your birds to ensure a high fiber diet. The best way to meet their nutritional needs, including vitamins and minerals, is to allow chickens to free range. Also, feeding chicken mash instead of chicken pellets seems to reduce aggression in chickens.Hens Protection
To protect your hens, you have a few options. It's possible to buy chicken saddles, which are pieces of cloth that are strapped to the hens' backs and made of a durable, waterproof canvas. Regularly check underneath chicken saddles for parasites if you use them.Pine tar can also be applied to the injured hen's wound. To prevent further injury, the tar has an unpleasant taste that keeps the rooster away and facilitates healing.
Peepers are handy devices that attach to a rooster's head and fit inside its nostrils. Roosters cannot peck things they cannot see, so a pinless peeper prevents them from seeing what is in front of them. Even with the pinless peeper, the rooster can still see to the side.
Conclusion
Pecking by roosters is normal behavior and is part of their natural instincts, but you can take steps to prevent your rooster from harming your hens with excessive aggression. Should you decide to handle him, make sure you wear boots, gloves, and long sleeve shirt. Curbing this aggressive behavior will bring harmony to your backyard flock. For more reading on roosters, please see below.Further Reading:
