Rooster being picked on

[riversedgefarms]

Hi,

I have recently added a rooster to our flock. We started with 10 chickens then added 8 more plus him. They've been together for about a month now. However our rooster is being picked on by some of the chickens. He hides under our nesting boxes and usually only comes out at night. Today we went in amd noticed how rough he is looking. He is missing feathers off the back of his neck as well as most of his feathers on his head which we call his "hair" as he's a golden polish rooster. Does anyone have any suggestions on what could be going on? Not sure if we should find out which one it is and get rid of it or if it'll get better.

 

[Flock Master64]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. When you add new chickens into a flock the new members will be attacked and picked on by the older ones. It usually takes a while to merge two flocks into one. I added a cockerel into my flock a few months back and I only let my cockerel and hens together while I was there so I could protect my cockerel if I need too. When your not around you can get a portable run and keep your rooster in so he is by the hens and they can get used to each other wthout getting physical. At night you can put a pet carrier in your coop for the rooster to sleep in. To regrow his feathers you can buy feather fixer. I'm not sure if you have the time, money, or room for any of that but that's how I did it. Hope it helps

 

[Pork Pie]

Firstly, welcome to BYC.

It's quite normal for a young cockerel to be picked on by older hens - they don't tolerate little punks very well. If you have a rooster, i.e. a cock bird over 1 year old, then he should have learned sufficient manners to blend with your flock.

Not sure whether you have a cockerel or a rooster. If its the latter then I'd look at space in both coop and run (4sqft and 10sqft respectively as a minimum) and bear in mind that winter weather can alter general flock behaviour, which could accentuate the bullying.

 

[centrarchid]

Pull him out and place him in his own pen for about 60 days. Post a current picture of him and another after the 60 days.

He is either immature or in poor health.

 

[riversedgefarms]

I am nervous to take him out for that long as I don't want him to get picked on when he's reintroduced

 

[centrarchid]

He is currently being picked on. Giving him a reprieve so he can mature will make so when he is re-introduced he will dominate the entire flock. Currently, he is either too young or some how in compromised health.

Show a picture of him.

 

[riversedgefarms]

This is the only picture we have of him so far. That is his neck. He's over a year old and came with the 8 other chickens we purchased so he isn't new to them
Only the 9 we had previous to the next bunch. He was very health when we first got him and we've had him
For approximately a month now. My guess is if they wouldn't have accepted him they would have from the beginning and not just now

 

[riversedgefarms]

He is currently being picked on. Giving him a reprieve so he can mature will make so when he is re-introduced he will dominate the entire flock. Currently, he is either too young or some how in compromised health.

Show a picture of him.

Also, if he's already at the bottom of the pecking order how would taking him out and putting him back in change anything. I thought I would have to take a dominant ones out so the pecking order would rework itself

 

[Earl Medcalf]

Something is very much wrong with him. Can you show a picture of him standing without other chickens around? At one year old he should rule. Could you show some pictures of the dominant hens as well?

Get him out of there either way. I would move him into a pen for treating health issues.

 

[chickens really]

What breed are the older hens in your flock.....Being he is a Polish Rooster with feathers on his head....The other Hens do not like him...Sometimes mixing Birds with different feathers does not workout very well.....You could put him a look no touch cage till your hens get used to him.....

Best of luck..



Cheers!