Cockerel chasing pullets, acting like a crazed hormonal teenager... How long?

[MisfitMarie]

A few observations on my young cockerel and four pullets...

My Ameraucana cockerel is five months old and started crowing this past week or so. He only crows around 6:30 AM, for about half an hour, and then stops until the next morning. I don't mind the crowing, but I'm sure to have neighbors that do, so I have been bringing him inside around 6:00 AM and letting him out again around 9:00 AM.

I have noticed that he immediately announces his arrival (with a crow) upon returning to the run every morning. He then proceeds to chase my six-month-old pullets around the run. They're a month older and should start laying any day. He will take turns dashing at each one of them, jumping onto their backs and latching onto their necks with his beak. This is met with extreme protest...and very loud protest, I might add. There hasn't been any bloodshed, and everything calms back down within an hour or so... but I'm worried that it is causing distress to my pullets. I am still waiting for my first egg to be laid, anyway.

They were a close-knit group until he started this behavior. I wouldn't say that my pullets are hiding from him, because they still free range together... but they keep a short distance. And if he tries to approach, they back away. My top pullet seems to be the only one not willing to tolerate his crazed behavior, flapping her wings at him or giving him a hard peck in the face.

So, my questions:

To what degree should I tolerate this "transition" before having to think about separating my cockerel from his girls?

What signs should I look for that my pullets are in distress from my cockerel's raging hormones?

How long does this ridiculousness last?

Why isn't he at least trying to "whine and dine", or tempt, the girls? He still hogs the feeder, pushing them out of the way. He also hogs treats, the roost, and only seems to give my pullets any attention when is is ambushing them in an attempt to mate.

And don't get me wrong... I adore my little roo. He hasn't shown any aggressive behavior towards me (at least not yet), and every morning he allows me to pick him up in one arm and carry him inside without any trouble. He's always the first to greet me at the door and follow me closely around the garden. I just want to handle this transitional time correctly.

 

[Folly's place]

He's being an idiot teenager, with no older hens or roosters to rain on his parade. He will most likely mellow a bit, and as long as nobody is injured, you may just have to watch some obnoxious behavior for a while. I like having a flock of mixed ages, so the seniors teach politeness to the juniors. Next year things will go better. Mary

 

[aart]

He's being an idiot teenager, with no older hens or roosters to rain on his parade. He will most likely mellow a bit, and as long as nobody is injured, you may just have to watch some obnoxious behavior for a while. I like having a flock of mixed ages, so the seniors teach politeness to the juniors. Next year things will go better. Mary

Ditto Dat^^^^

Like so many things with chickens, only time will tell...he may calm down and be the best cockerel/cock ever, or he may turn into a stew candidate.

 

[MisfitMarie]

Thanks for the insight!

He didn't crow this morning, which was a little odd. In fact, he hasn't at all so far today... The girls are comfortable enough around him that they were sunbathing.

He's such a sweet boy. I hope he doesn't turn on me. I don't want to have to put him in the oven....

 

[aart]

Thanks for the insight!

He didn't crow this morning, which was a little odd. In fact, he hasn't at all so far today... The girls are comfortable enough around him that they were sunbathing.

He's such a sweet boy. I hope he doesn't turn on me. I don't want to have to put him in the oven....

I think that once they start to get comfortable with their dominance, they crow less.
When there's another cockerel around(competition), or when there's another possible threat to the flock, they crow more.

 

[MisfitMarie]

I think that once they start to get comfortable with their dominance, they crow less.
When there's another cockerel around(competition), or when there's another possible threat to the flock, they crow more.

YES! That must be it. It will be interesting see if he stays quiet... lol.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Quote:
My neighborhood has several roosters, and they all crow back and forth to one another. Luckily everyone on the block seems to think it's cute. I offered to get rid of my boy when he found his voice, but my immediate neighbors either told me they liked it, or laughed because with all the others, what difference does one more make.

 

[JanetS]

That's why we re-homed our cockerel. It's much more peaceful now. Good luck.

 

[MisfitMarie]

My neighborhood has several roosters, and they all crow back and forth to one another. Luckily everyone on the block seems to think it's cute. I offered to get rid of my boy when he found his voice, but my immediate neighbors either told me they liked it, or laughed because with all the others, what difference does one more make.

I wish my neighborhood were like that! I'm fairly sure that I have the only rooster around, I only know of one other about five miles from me. I lucked out being just outside of city limits, where there is no restriction on roosters or hens; however, I live in a tight suburban neighborhood and the rules could quickly be changed by an annoyed neighbor complaining...

I tried the Now Crow collar this morning on my Lannister. It cut down his crow bout 25%, but it is still loose. I plan on slowly tightening it over the next couple days. I would be devastated if I ended up causing him harm.

I did notice some interesting vocalizations from him today. I threw my flock some corn this morning, and for the first time ever, heard a trill-like chirp from him while he scratched around the corn. I wondered what he was doing, and it seemed as though he was trying to call the girls over for it. He kept picking up pieces in his beak and dropping them... dramatically.

This was seconds before my runt, Olivia, crept over for a treat and he immediately jumped her.

Could there be a gentlemanly rooster somewhere within my crazed hormonal cockerel???