Rooster killed top hen in pecking order tonight!?!?!

[McChooky]

This does not address your question, but just as a side matter of interest, I would be curious to know if the Wyandotte he bred immediately after the death of the top hen becomes the new top hen. I'm just curious about the flock dynamics.

Same here. I'm a little perplexed .

 

[raingarden]

We sometmes use a pellet gun to cull/harvest a hen from a quasi-feral flock when she is avoiding the trap. When you shoot one (preferably in the head) they start flopping around, everybody starts squaking and the rooster will invariably try to graab and mount her as she flopps around.

Sorry to be so graphic. Don't hate me.

 

[jk_vt]

If he's been with her all this time and you've fed them meat and fat in the past without incident, I'm inclined to think that your hen had something wrong with her and the stress of mating tipped her over the edge and she died.
I would consider doing a necropsy on her to see if you can tell what happened to her.
I really doubt your rooster killed her. It was just bad timing.

Thanks for that insight. Yes he was always with her they actually went into the nesting box together or he would stand by the door and watch while she laid.

This does not address your question, but just as a side matter of interest, I would be curious to know if the Wyandotte he bred immediately after the death of the top hen becomes the new top hen. I'm just curious about the flock dynamics.

The Wyandotte has been one of his “favorites” but when it comes to the pecking order she is probably closer to the bottom. So far this morning the older Australorps, 2nd and 3rd in the pecking order, are running the show. We will see what happens and if the Wyandotte pullet becomes higher in the order, I will let you know!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We sometmes use a pellet gun to cull/harvest a hen from a quasi-feral flock when she is avoiding the trap. When you shoot one (preferably in the head) they start flopping around, everybody starts squaking and the rooster will invariably try to graab and mount her as she flopps around.

Sorry to be so graphic. Don't hate me.

Nothing to hate here. I'm wondering if she began to choke and thrash, and he responded in this way, as you say roosters do when a hen goes into death throes. So he really wan't the cause of her death but instead was reacting to it. I just have a lot of interest in animal behavior so this is of interest to me, thank you.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thanks for that insight. Yes he was always with her they actually went into the nesting box together or he would stand by the door and watch while she laid.

The Wyandotte has been one of his “favorites” but when it comes to the pecking order she is probably closer to the bottom. So far this morning the older Australorps, 2nd and 3rd in the pecking order, are running the show. We will see what happens and if the Wyandotte pullet becomes higher in the order, I will let you know!

Thank you.

 

[McChooky]

We sometmes use a pellet gun to cull/harvest a hen from a quasi-feral flock when she is avoiding the trap. When you shoot one (preferably in the head) they start flopping around, everybody starts squaking and the rooster will invariably try to graab and mount her as she flopps around.

Sorry to be so graphic. Don't hate me.

We sometmes use a pellet gun to cull/harvest a hen from a quasi-feral flock when she is avoiding the trap. When you shoot one (preferably in the head) they start flopping around, everybody starts squaking and the rooster will invariably try to graab and mount her as she flopps around.

Sorry to be so graphic. Don't hate me.

A bizarre way to say goodbye! I didn't know they mated the dying! Thanks!

 

[EggWalrus]

If it wasn't a heat attack or fatty liver from too many treats, I'd rename the rooster "Rojo", and lock up all the cats, dogs, and any other animals you cherish.
And if you see him lying on his back and there are buzzards circling, don't let him fool you. He ain't dead! He just wants some buzzard lovin'!

 

[Ann Wellhouse]

Wow... so I was grilling outside tonight and threw some fat and meat to our Chickens in the open run as I normally do as a treat for them.

(We have 3 older hens (Australorps) 3 pullet easter eggers, 3 golden laced Wyandottes and a silver laced Wyandotte rooster. We got the Australorps and Rooster together last year as a friend of ours moved from her farm so we took them from her. We have no idea how old the hens and rooster are, maybe 2-4 years old.) Anyway, they go crazy for the fat and meat and sometimes even squabble over it a bit. I heard some normal chicken noises, and then heard a lot of wing flapping so I went over to see what was going on and I saw our Rooster, to what I thought was "mating" with the highest hen in the pecking order, had her by the neck, doing his thing, and then I saw her wings flap go limp, her head fall to the ground and she was dead!!! I really don't know for sure what happened, but it sure looked like to me that he had broken her neck as all of the chickens were standing all around them looking. As soon as he got off of her, he went to one of the Wyandotte pullets and mated with her and then got off her and just stood there. It was a little surreal and took awhile to sink in, but has anyone ever seen or heard about this? This was the highest in the pecking order so all I can think off was that she was picking on one of the rooster's new favorites and he said enough is enough? He is really a very good Ro, never really had any trouble with him, never over protective, has always been gentle wit the girls, never problems with him pecking the neck or any raw spots, etc. and the previous owner says he is the best rooster she ever had.

Is this is something to worry about? Do I need to cull him or was this just a freak thing to protect others in the flock? Is it possible one of the hens killed her and then the rooster just added his dominance to the fight?

Any opinions, help or advice would be welcome. Thanks!

We had a rooster several years ago that decided from one day to the next to beat up the hens. One died. So did the rooster.

 

[natalie327]

We had a rooster several years ago that decided from one day to the next to beat up the hens. One died. So did the rooster.

To be clear, I’m laughing at the “So did the rooster” line. I’ve always re-homed my roos once they reach crowing age, and from everything I’ve read, no matter how sweet they may be, they can turn at any time! Sorry for the chaotic loss and best wishes to the remaining flock!

 

[McChooky]

To be clear, I’m laughing at the “So did the rooster” line. I’ve always re-homed my roos once they reach crowing age, and from everything I’ve read, no matter how sweet they may be, they can turn at any time! Sorry for the chaotic loss and best wishes to the remaining flock!

We was just kids being kids one day when me and my brothers decided we was going to catch some of our leghorns baby chicks. These were chickens that roosted in trees,they weren't exactly tame if you know what I mean. Our dads rooster hadn't ever flogged us before so we didn't know what they could do but he tore us up. Our dad whipped us for chasing his chickens and causing one of the chicks to get hurt. I think it died. That rooster earned my respect because he only wanted us to leave them alone. Whether anyone admits it or not many of us have got flogged as kids that affects how we perceive them now.My brothers still hate chickens but I still keep then.