Is it common for a rooster to be "slow" with the semantics of mating?

[GoldnCornerBrds]

Hello, I'm learning about roosters through having hatched out pretty much ALL roosters this past spring and have a few questions... Any suggestions or experience is appreciated

I have a 2 year old Silkie rooster who had been fine with 15 hens until he attacked one of the more dominant older hens and scalped her basically. It was awful. She has recovered and I have seperated him, but I noticed that before when he would try and mate a hen, he'd just stand on their backs for a couple of MINUTES after doing the deed and just peck them a few times in the head. The only reason he would get off of them was because I'd throw my hands up and spook him off their backs. It is the strangest thing. It's like he doesn't know why they aren't moving. Is this normal? Or is he just an abnormally unintelligent rooster? Also is it normal for a rooster to attack one hen so gruesomely? I'm worried about adding a rooster ever again. I know the attacked and nearly beheaded hen is a hen. He never has been mean to me or any of the other hens, just one poor little EE hen.

Another question.... Can you keep 7 roosters (youngish-4 to 5 months old) together in their own bachelor pen without any issues? They were raised all together and are familiar with each other, but I'm wondering how long will they keep the peace? I also have just recently added the 2 year old "slow" Silkie to the group. Is this a bad idea? He has been around them as chicks and used to actually rooster mother them, but I know how hormones can be with teenage boys.

They are all sweet to me so far. I can pick them up with no problems and walk around with them in my arms with no struggling but i don't want them breeding my hens. What does everyone else do with their excess roosters, other than butchering? I am relatively green to chickens so I'm just trying to figure out what my options are until I can rehome them or find other living situations.

Thank you

 

[chooks4life]

Hello, I'm learning about roosters through having hatched out pretty much ALL roosters this past spring and have a few questions... Any suggestions or experience is appreciated

I have a 2 year old Silkie rooster who had been fine with 15 hens until he attacked one of the more dominant older hens and scalped her basically. It was awful. She has recovered and I have seperated him, but I noticed that before when he would try and mate a hen, he'd just stand on their backs for a couple of MINUTES after doing the deed and just peck them a few times in the head. The only reason he would get off of them was because I'd throw my hands up and spook him off their backs. It is the strangest thing. It's like he doesn't know why they aren't moving. Is this normal? Or is he just an abnormally unintelligent rooster? Also is it normal for a rooster to attack one hen so gruesomely? I'm worried about adding a rooster ever again. I know the attacked and nearly beheaded hen is a hen. He never has been mean to me or any of the other hens, just one poor little EE hen.

It's largely a byproduct of two practices: people keeping vicious animals and breeding them, and the practice of gender segregation.

In short, it's common for roosters to have some degree of confused mating-fighting instincts, to both mate with other roosters and fight with hens, and attempt to do both with hens. It should be culled out, not bred; it's unethical and inhumane to subject flocks to living with such individuals.

Depends on them. If they're related to that rooster, I doubt it; violence is strongly hereditary. Some fighting is normal no matter the age or gender/s, but damage being done is a bad sign, and bullying is also a bad sign, generally indicating greater violence to come. They rarely just keep it at a certain level, they build up to doing worse. I don't believe in 'bachelor pens' unless they're all going to be culled, precisely because it creates mentalities like your rooster demonstrated on your hen.

Probably a bad idea. These lads are coming into their mature hormone levels and instincts soon and sounds like there's a recipe for disaster there.

Normally, having a father figure (and mother figure) on hand for their entire adolescence helps them learn their place peacefully; aberrant behavior or social breaches are corrected by the parents, and they learn how to get along with the flock, with father and mother teaching them. Absence of alpha male and alpha female figures like this tends to lead to juvenile misbehaviors and more violence, as with most species that have a biparental family unit; they have some instincts from hatching onwards of course, but do have to learn some behaviors.

Good luck with them. What people do with their excess roosters, other than butchering them, is try to sell them on, which often involves turning a blind eye to the fact that chances are somebody else will butcher them instead.

I am relatively green to chickens so I'm just trying to figure out what my options are until I can rehome them or find other living situations.

Thank you

Best wishes, hope it goes well for you.

 

[GoldnCornerBrds]

Thank you so much for your in-depth response. It is very helpful to read the social behavior structure response. I can definitely see now that he is a little confused and he was a tractor supply chick impulse buy, which I can see now how poorly bred he is now. So far they are getting along but I'm going to work hard to find them homes asap. Thank you again!

 

[chooks4life]

Thank you so much for your in-depth response. It is very helpful to read the social behavior structure response. I can definitely see now that he is a little confused and he was a tractor supply chick impulse buy, which I can see now how poorly bred he is now. So far they are getting along but I'm going to work hard to find them homes asap. Thank you again!

You're welcome. I hope you have great experiences in future. Sometimes people are turned off roosters by one bad male, but they can be wonderful examples of family birds, devoted fathers and 'husbands'.

If you want a good male it helps to choose from some place where males and females don't live separated; then you're far more likely to get one with a socially normal mentality.

Best wishes.