naughty rooster

[mtsaz]

HI- I have 12 chickens. 6 younger ones all pullets (2.5 months and less- which are in a separate pen for now). The 6 older ones are as follows:
HENS:
1- Easter egger---about 18 mos
2- Buff Orpington about 1 year.
3- Lace wyandotte about 18 mos
4- New Hampshire red about 4mos
5- Barred Plymouth Rock -About 4 mos

1, 2, 3 are laying eggs. The plymouth rock is getting close==her wattles are getting red and she is laying down when approached. She is following the other hens into the nest--so she is curious and I expect in the next few weeks she will start. .

#6 is a Black Australorp rooster. He is 3 months old. He is jumping on everything with 2 legs to mate. These hens get furious and start a big fight- especially the laying hens. I am not sure the 2 that are not laying know what is going on- they seem to be annoyed but tolerate it- and dont fight. The others will chase him around the yard and if he gets close they run him off. He sneaks up while they are eating, drinking, minding their own business and jumps on.

Last night I noticed that they tolerated it- didn't fight him- kind of like "ok get it over with quickly"---which he did.

Is this something that will pass? Can he get them pregnant- given his young age? what about the 2 non layers----obviously they have to lay eggs to have chicks.
Thank you for your help!

 

[SilverBirds]

At three months, hormones are probably raging. He's almost mature so it's possible he can breed with your hens. Most roosters level out after a few months but some do not. You may need to separate them if your hens are starting to suffer, bald spots on the back of the head and neck, back and tail feathers ripped out, bleeding combs.

 

[mtsaz]

thank you- we do have some hens that look a few inches shorter and a lot rounder- due to tail feathers missing. He just started crowing day before yesterday- its more like an off key bugle being blown than a crow sound- but I am sure he will figure it out. Ironically the only one with combs bleeding was one of the hens from another hen- and they never fight- I think the stress level of the flock is high from them being jumped on without any warning so any little thing sets them off. I will watch them closely and if this continues more than another day or 2- I will let the little ones loose (they are not that little anymore) and he can go in the baby pen for a timeout. Its getting hot here (in arizona)- ie 100- and it will climb to 105-115 in the next month or so and stay there for a couple months before it cools off again in late september- I am sure the heat makes things even more stressful.

Thanks again!

 

[3KillerBs]

What you've got is a teenage boy crashing the ladies' book club meeting.

If no one is getting hurt -- no blood, etc. -- leave them be and time will be the cure. Cockerels raised in the presence of adult hens (and, even better, an adult rooster), are often better mannered that cockerels raised without that adult influence.

How much room do they have? This is a time when having plenty more than the recommended minimum square footage in the coop and run pays off.

Also, do you have plenty of "clutter" so chickens can get away from each other.

 

[mtsaz]

We have an area about 5000 sq ft for them. They have free reign- with plenty of shade, water, and food. Its really not a bad life.

Now if I could get rid of the pigeons and tame shadow (his name) a little- everyone would return to happiness and peace. Its amazing that literally within a week of him starting to crow this craziness started. really I have no complaints. The ladies might argue with me- but really they have it good too--compared to most chickens I have seen.

Here in Phoenix there are some wild chickens in older neighborhoods that the city protects. I don't know if anyone feeds them- they just wander around from yard to yard and stand in the street- and cars have to wait for them. I am not sure where they get water- and assume they eat grass and whatever bugs they can find---but it doesn't take chickens long to wipe out the bug population.

 

[3KillerBs]

Age will resolve the situation as he matures.

 

[mtsaz]

I really appreciate all of your expertise and help. My wife wants to make tacos out of him. I say- give him time. The 5 hens- all are laying now- the barred plymouth rock and nh red lay very small pigeon size eggs--about the size of walnuts. One or two didn't even have shells so they are very young. They are only 3.5 months old- about 1 week older than their little brother and potential baby daddy. None of my beautiful easter egger, buff orpington and others have any feathers. They look like an old taxidermy. My grandma had this pheasant that was about 80 yrs old like 50 yrs ago and that thing was worn and well past its prime- and my poor hens feathers look like that thanks to him jumping on their backs--clawing them and biting their necks. Its very hard on the feathers when it happens 10x day or more.

I have 6 younger ones that come out of the brooding pen for recess- they are 2-3 months and if he starts on them---one night we will have chicken for dinner and when I go to feed them at night and put them in their coop she will say--"that chicken dinner? It was him".

So he is about 4 months now- figured out how to crow, and definitely figured out the birds and the bees---and he likes it a lot. I will have faith that those of you who said it will settle down know more than me and have been down this path before. Thank you again.

PS: Can him jumping on the hens --the barred plymouth and NH red- make them lay eggs before they would have normally? The hormones or whatever? They are such tiny eggs--I just wonder. The ones that are older than he- they lay normal size- (like medium/large in a store) size. The NH is a little smaller bird but the plymouth rock is big- so I would assume big eggs. THANK YOU

 

[BlueBaby]

I really appreciate all of your expertise and help. My wife wants to make tacos out of him. I say- give him time. The 5 hens- all are laying now- the barred plymouth rock and nh red lay very small pigeon size eggs--about the size of walnuts. One or two didn't even have shells so they are very young. They are only 3.5 months old- about 1 week older than their little brother and potential baby daddy. None of my beautiful easter egger, buff orpington and others have any feathers. They look like an old taxidermy. My grandma had this pheasant that was about 80 yrs old like 50 yrs ago and that thing was worn and well past its prime- and my poor hens feathers look like that thanks to him jumping on their backs--clawing them and biting their necks. Its very hard on the feathers when it happens 10x day or more.

I have 6 younger ones that come out of the brooding pen for recess- they are 2-3 months and if he starts on them---one night we will have chicken for dinner and when I go to feed them at night and put them in their coop she will say--"that chicken dinner? It was him".

So he is about 4 months now- figured out how to crow, and definitely figured out the birds and the bees---and he likes it a lot. I will have faith that those of you who said it will settle down know more than me and have been down this path before. Thank you again.

PS: Can him jumping on the hens --the barred plymouth and NH red- make them lay eggs before they would have normally? The hormones or whatever? They are such tiny eggs--I just wonder. The ones that are older than he- they lay normal size- (like medium/large in a store) size. The NH is a little smaller bird but the plymouth rock is big- so I would assume big eggs. THANK YOU

Taco's wouldn't be a bad thing for a bad boy. Hopefully he will not turn out to be people aggressive like the Australorp rooster that I had before.

 

[mtsaz]

He is very sweet--he is a bit jumpy- but he is also young. Did I mention he is a ladies man? I guess i did or wouldn't be writing for advice. If anyone has any lonely hens- I have a solution.

 

[BlueBaby]

He is very sweet--he is a bit jumpy- but he is also young. Did I mention he is a ladies man? I guess i did or wouldn't be writing for advice. If anyone has any lonely hens- I have a solution.

I'm here in AZ. too, but my girl's aren't' lonely because I have 2 cockerel's.