Rooster Behavior Question

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chickenmomma16

chickenmomma16

Crowing
11 Years
Jul 16, 2012
1,021
805
316
Buckley, Washington
I have a young (6mo+?) Blue Wheaten Ameraucana rooster that I just added to my flock as head honcho and while I really like him I'm not so sure my girls are as thrilled. He seems to be pecking at them and some more than others. He seems to have singled out my 2 dark red hens, and 2 white/light hens and pecks at them (and will run at them) when they get near so they hang out in the coop all day. I also have not seen him mate with any of my 13 hens. All my other boys in the past if I watched them long enough I would see them mate. This guy will try to "dance" around some but it never gets very far and he gives up quickly.
Should I give him more time? He came from a large flock of similar age pullets and cockerels (50/50 split) so he may not have learned proper and polite rooster behavior. I'm hoping he will figure it out soon. Thoughts? Suggestions?
 
My guess is he is still too young and foolish. Give him time to grow to adulthood. They are not considered a rooster before one year.old. Now he is a cocky cockerel. LOL
 
Since he's an outsider he doesn't get the top position without needing to dominate the hens, if he grew up with them he would have been dominant all along, so first he has to dominate than he has to woo them, give him time, he will figure it out.
 
How old are your hens?

Any time you add an animal to an established unit, you need to give it a good few weeks to allow behaviors to work themselves out.
 
donrae said:
How old are your hens?

Any time you add an animal to an established unit, you need to give it a good few weeks to allow behaviors to work themselves out.
Click to expand...
Hens are 9years, 4years, 3 years, a few are 10 months. Looking back on my records I have had the rooster for a month and a half and he is more like 8 months old.
 
Are there other males in the flock?
He may be getting the job done so quickly and quietly that you don't notice.
Check the yolks for fertility when you break the eggs to cook breakfast...or what ever meal you eat them at.
 
Last edited:
aart said:
Are there other males in the flock?
He may be getting the job done so quickly and quietly that you don't notice.
Check the yolks for fertility when you break the eggs to cook breakfast...or what ever meal you eat them at.
Click to expand...
Checked the yolks on 2 eggs. No target. Not fertilized. I haven't had a rooster in 6 months so he is the only one that can get that job done. He is not aggressively pecking at them just pecking as any chicken would when someone lower in the pecking order is in their personal space bubble. I will give him longer, I saw one one of the hens he normally pecks at hanging out with him so he must not be that bad.
wink.png
 
My younger roosters don't usually mate the older hens, especially the real old one, they seem to tend to those their own age.
 

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