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nice rooster is mean to new hens

post #1 of 6
4/10/12 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 

This rooster is about two and has been the nicest rooster to his girls.  I've added two new Orhingtons that are gray in color and he has been terribly mean to them.  They are a different color than his other 5 girls.  That's a total of 8 hens.  On two occasions he's pulled blood out of one of the hens' comb as she has the bigger comb.  Today I come home to find her claws with a couple of rough scratches again exposing that he got some blood out of her.  But what concerned me even more is I also noticed that in the inner canthus of her eye it's also red, where he must of hurt her.  What do I do.  He is a minature rooster  I found living out back 2 years ago, a year ago I started getting hens and he eventually joined the hens and now he's ours.  But this abuse is not allowed.  Help!

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post #2 of 6
4/10/12 at 7:23pm

Can you keep him in a separate cage? To stop the other hens if they are pecking on each other you clean off the wound and put Lanolin or Antiseptic ointment on it, then smear Blu-Kote on. And also, have you considered hen saddles? 

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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post #3 of 6
4/11/12 at 4:15am
Thread Starter 

I can keep him separate.  I'll have to look up what hen saddles are.  He is good to the other girls, he a good protector and he finds them food and gives it up to them.  He just does not like the new ones and it's been a month.  All of the other chickens have accepted them pretty well and gave the new ones almost no trouble at all.  This rooster is TINY.  The new hen are large.  I'm wondering if this will ever change. 

 

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post #4 of 6
4/11/12 at 7:28am

 

I've dealt with roosters chasing younger hens or older bigger hens. He just wants them to come to his "flock" and be part of it. Hen saddles protect the rooster from tearing up a hen while he mates, but I guess that it would work on these new hens. Someone on BYC on the "Everything Else" section sells them thumbsup.gif

 

It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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It's the shape that makes the breed, and the color that makes the variety.

 

  -- -- Spa Days for Chickens -- --

 

 

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post #5 of 6
4/11/12 at 8:56am

As far as he knows, they are strangers that he didn't invite into the flock.

 

If you can, keep the new birds separate but within the run or area the rest of the flock usually is.  Let everyone see each other and get used to their presence for a few days to a week or so before setting everyone loose.  Should minimize excessive aggression and outright attacks, though they will still need to sort the pecking order out (which can get pretty heated).

A Mixed 6-Chicken Flock

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A Mixed 6-Chicken Flock

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post #6 of 6
4/11/12 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 

He's in the center of it all but separate with plenty of water and food.  The food in on the outside of his hutch so the girls can eat near him.  I noticed one of his favorites has a little biity rip on her crest (and she is the most in love with him) so he must of been rough with her too.  All the hens are getting along very well.  It's been a month now.  Guess that's it, it does get heated.  He has been far more demanding of them now that it's spring.

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