Quail hen aggression toward rooster?

[le_bwah]

The flock has been mostly peaceful up until three days ago—one of my Golden hens (Violet), began chasing my rooster (Not-Curley) and pecking the back of his head. Right before she does it, she makes an odd growling vocalization, sticks her head straight out, and puffs up her feathers until they stand on end like quills. She'll chase him until she loses sight.

In response, I believe Not-Curley has "herded" all the light-colored hens into the other aviary section. Now any time he catches sight of one of the Goldens, he'll chase her until she leaves "his" side of the aviary. My situation allows me to segregate two groups with plenty of space, and I've got "Quail Jail" set up preemptively.

My main questions are: What usually causes a hen to become aggressive? and Which one of the two should be placed in Quail Jail while I rearrange all their "furniture?"

 

[ashlierami]

I've hadthis problem with a hen if she is sick and doesn't want the male attention or if she does not want to mate with the roo or have him as her mate. She does not like him. My hen would get very brutal she would cause the roo to bleed and injure himself. I had to keep them separate from then on out. I would put her with other hens if she gets along with them and keep the roo with company as well but not them 2 together. I wouldn't place them alone either they like their company and this will cause them to call for the others. It may end in a few days or week or be forever. The roo will regain his dominance if the hen allows him.

 

[DK newbie]

I'd try to put the hen in quail jail and see if the roo calms down once she's gone. If he doesn't, I'd probably swap the two and leave the roo in the jail for a few days, then swap them again and see if the jail visit helped his attitude, then leave the hen in jail for maybe a week and try to put her back with the flock.
As to what causes aggression.. Perhaps she doesn't like him. Perhaps she has some broody hormones telling her he needs to go. Or perhaps either she or he is not quite well at the moment and this is her response. Or it could be something completely different, quail are hard to figure out sometimes

 

[le_bwah]

I segregated the flock into two sections: the rooster and the girls who accept him in one side, the other hens in the other side. So far, all is peaceful.

I think the point of contention was who's laying. The laying hens were fine with him, but the girls who've yet to lay suddenly wanted nothing to do with him (even when he wasn't trying to mate them). I hope it resolves in a week or two with more daylight, but if I have to keep them apart all breeding season, at least I have the space.