new rooster front kicking at hens

[thendrick3469]

I got a rooster from friend Sunday. he's 6 mths old easter egger. he's front kicking at my 3 hens and doesn't wanna share food Is this common??

 

[chicklover 1998]

no he should be punished for doing so hold him like a baby and parade around his girls embarrass him, or hand him by the feet and don't let him go until he calms down, or boot him in the butt every time you see him being food aggressive toward the girls. It depends upon the rooster some are mean some aren't you can work out the meanness out of some of them.

 

[thendrick3469]

Ive never held him. So don't know abt holding him like a baby. I did chase him away when caught him doing it. And he's a pretty big boy. I'm kinda intimidated by him.

 

[Pork Pie]

Chickens don't share the same emotions as humans, so i'd be cautious about trying to "embarrass" him in the manner described above. Facing your situation, i'd isolate him from the flock and let him calm down. A roo will not start tit-bitting for his girls until he is sufficiently mature and its highly possible that he has not yet reached that stage. Young roos can be a real pain - hormones all over the place.

There are many theories on how to manage roos, just search for them, and whilst theres no right or wrong, i'd say that its his immaturity that is the issue right now, but i'd suggest looking into managing roo behaviour so you know what you are up against, and what you think is the best way forward.

All the best
CT

 

[azygous]

At six months old, he's very immature and confused by a recent surge of hormones. He's a punk cockerel, not anywhere near being considered a rooster.

My best advice would be to keep him separate from your hens for at least a couple of months, allowing the hens to become acquainted with him on the safe side of a fence while he has time to grow into his hormones.

His current behavior is probably due to his own insecurity and being thrust into a new setting with unfamiliar hens. "Punishing" this young cockerel will achieve nothing but to make him more insecure. Besides, you don't punish an animal, you discipline it. There's a huge difference.

Meanwhile, you need to seriously address your own insecurities regarding roosters. Your behavior will dictate how much your new cockerel will be able to trust you. You need to be confident around him or else he will be an unmanageable hand full. While he's adapting to his new home, I advise you to read up on how to train a cockerel. Keeping a rooster is a lot more complicated than keeping just hens. That's why not everyone wants them.

 

[thendrick3469]

Thanks so much for comments. I'm trying to be confident around him. I'm just acting as I have around my hens. I make sure he knows that my life ds and I are his food and snack source. I let them free range in yard as kids play. Hopefully he will be a good boy cause he's gorgeous.

 

[thendrick3469]

 

[Pork Pie]

Please, i implore you not to let the children play around him. Just one wrong move from either your kids or the cockerel and your children could be injured - and I'm not talking about a scratch!

CT

 

[thendrick3469]

Shouldnt he get used to them. I've read on this site and others that roosters can be friendly. I don't want him to think of them as intruders in the yard.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Please, i implore you not to let the children play around him. Just one wrong move from either your kids or the cockerel and your children could be injured - and I'm not talking about a scratch!

CT

keep children and roosters separated, if you are fearful of your rooster I certainly wouldn't allow my children by him, especially when you said he was jumping at the hens, he could do that with you kids and get them in the face. You don't know this rooster and you haven't raised him, so sorry, it's a bad idea.