I am having a rooster issue.

[ckuehn]

I have a sebright rooster (less than a year old) and his son, a sebright Belgian bantam mix, six months old. I had several hens go broody in the last couple of weeks and one was a buff Orpington, about 2.5 years old. She was formerly at the bottom of the pecking order, but no one went out of their way to be mean to her. Since she lost the broodiness, the rooster trolls her. If he corners her, the other hens peck her until there is blood. IDK if he mates with her, but I'm assuming he does. Why is she having a problem with him? She runs and hides in corners. I found that she had crawled and flattened herself under a cart one day. I haven't solved the problem. I just make sure they aren't together in close confinement. If I cage him, all the other hens let her just be part of the flock. If I let her outside, pretty soon he is hunting her down. I have 22 hens and two roosters. It HAS been a hard winter, but there are only two or three hens who want nothing to do with him. It has been a month or more since she was broody. I really need advice. I can't believe I have ANOTHER rooster that I have to get rid of. I will not tolerate her being terrified and bloody.

 

[Purelychicks]

Some roosters don’t like Broodys

 

[Tonyroo]

Is there a reason why you have 2 bantam roosters?

You should get rid of your roosters and just find a large standard rooster with a calm trait to replace them.

As with the situation with the hen for now. Are you able to put a temporary partition in the coop to separate her and the roosters?

 

[BDutch]

Maybe its best to go for a permanent division with 2 flocks and 2 coop+runs if you want to keep the aggressive rooster. You know which hens and which rooster go well together.

On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to breed with roosters that show nasty behaviour. So eliminating him isn’t such a bad idea imho.

Are you sure the size of coop/run is not an issue? Do you let them free range sometimes? What happens if you do? It might take some stress away.

 

[ckuehn]

Maybe its best to go for a permanent division with 2 flocks and 2 coop+runs if you want to keep the aggressive rooster. You know which hens and which rooster go well together.

On the other hand, it’s not a good idea to breed with roosters that show nasty behaviour. So eliminating him isn’t such a bad idea imho.

Are you sure the size of coop/run is not an issue? Do you let them free range sometimes? What happens if you do? It might take some stress away.

They free range as often as they are able lately. I'm sure that is part of it. Here in North Dakota, we have had a much harder winter than usual. If it is above zero, with no wind they get free. otherwise, I have two partitions in the coop and a separate nest area. Most people don't keep chickens over the winter here, but the alternative is not something I would ever consider. Nobody is going to breed. That is how I have these roosters. I only have them because I haven't tried to get rid of them. I thought they would keep the hens safe if a predator should run through the yard or fly overhead. I have never had a good rooster, but I have never sought one out either. Hatching and hatchery mistakes as well as someone selling me one as a hen is how I got them. Live and learn, I guess. The general consensus here is that it is not going to get better, even if they are temporarily separated. She is laying again. She is three weeks from being broody.

 

[ckuehn]

Is there a reason why you have 2 bantam roosters?

You should get rid of your roosters and just find a large standard rooster with a calm trait to replace them.

As with the situation with the hen for now. Are you able to put a temporary partition in the coop to separate her and the roosters?

I have them separated, but I was wondering what the chances are of him just getting over it.

 

[Tonyroo]

Oddly enough they never get over it.

 

[ckuehn]

Oddly enough they never get over it.

Well, he has to go (one way or another).The white one is Yul Brynner. His son, Rocky, is the other (Rock Brynner).

 

[ckuehn]

I'm having a lot of trouble rehoming him! I think it is the season....

 

[Tonyroo]

Rehoming takes time and most people plan ahead for that.