My roosters won't leave my hens alone

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rubyflew2

rubyflew2

Hatching
Mar 20, 2016
2
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I am 10 years old and I have 17 chickens and 4 roosters. The roosters are only a few months old one of my hens hatched them out last October so I don't want to get rid of them. The problem is they are starting to become troublesome, fighting with each other and attacking the hens (one hen in particular. Her poor head is bald at this stage). They're only small roosters. Is there anything I can do so they will become less troublesome?

Thank you
Ruby
 
You should at least separate them out, putting them into their own pen so they can't bother your girls, later you can decide what you are going to do with them. That's too many for your hens. You can rotate who's out with the hens, keep them separately for good, or find some new homes for them. It isn't kind to your hens to leave all roosters with them.
 
You can put them in their own pen so they can't harass the hens. It's possible once they are removed from the females the fighting will lessen. If not then you may have to let some or all of them go. I know you are young, and you may be attached to them, but you have to do what's right for your flock. It isn't fair to your hens to have to put up with all those males.
 
Thank you very much for replying I feel very sorry for my hens, I will talk to my dad this evening about it
 
I'm in total agreement with all the above.

You need to understand that these "new" roosters, actually just young cockerels, have an over -abundance of hormones driving their frantic urges to mate. This is normal until after they reach "roosterhood" around age one year. But they are apt to remain overly aggressive toward the hens and each other until almost two years of age. So that's a long time for your hens to have to put up with all their unwanted attentions.

Most flock keepers select the one rooster they like the most and sell or give away all the others. Or butcher them and eat them according to your flock policies. One rooster is about right for the number of hens you have. You would need to have dozens and dozens more hens in order for there to be enough "work" to keep all your boys occupied.

So, options are to pen them separately or get rid of the extras. Keeping that many cockerels with the hens is not good management.
 

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