Cowardly Cockerel

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SchCu18

SchCu18

Hatching
Feb 24, 2015
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I have recently just moved my hand raised 4 month old Cockerel and 2 hens in the chicken coop with my other hens which are 5+ years old. My cockerel is twice the size of the hens and can easily over power them, but as soon as they fight back he runs away. Why does he do this? Will he toughen up?
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Ever seen a teenager in a room of old ladies? Not much at ease was he. Same thing with your cockerel. He will man up. Just make sure that he is getting enough to eat and drink and that blood is not being drawn.
 
Nice explanation Sour. I like that.

It’s not just that he is uncomfortable around older women, the mating ritual is a dominance thing. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. He has to have the self-confidence to even try to dominate them. How many boys in their early teens can dominate a room full of mature women?

Once that cockerel matures he should do OK, but that may take several months.
 
When he does turn the corner so as to be respected, it is very likely he will not even have to result to blows. Changes in his voice and demeanor will be easy for hens and you to detect indicating he is not to be driven off by hens regardless of age. Hens will then act very differently outside of being submissive. Listen and watch is body posture.
 
Young cockerels are so entertaining! Yours is just a youngster yet! At four months, his hormones probably aren't even in sight. In another two or three months, you can expect his behavior around the hens to take on a drastic change when he is suddenly overcome by his hormonal urges.

He'll, no doubt, be attempting to grab hens and fling them under him. He'll be making a complete spectacle of himself, and annoying the hens to an almost impossible degree. They won't want to have any more to do with him than they do now, but he will be a lot more aggressive about it.

He won't learn how to treat the lovely ladies with any degree of finesse, though, until he's a year old or older. You haven't even begun to go through the hormonal months with him yet! Just wait!
 

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