12 week old cockerel beating up my pullets

[Lissy]

I have a question for everyone and hope you can help me know what to do. I have 13 pullets and 1 cockerel all are 12 weeks old. He was supposed to be a pullet but you know how that goes. I have been having problems with him the past few days where he will peck at the head or back of the pullets and hold onto them until he pulls out their feathers. The pullets struggle and make a fuss and it looks like he is really hurting them. He doesn't try to mount them he just reaches out and starts to peck them. He even runs after them to beat them up. Should I separate him from the pullets now? I am also thinking of putting him in the stew pot but I am not sure if he is too young. He is a buff Brahma. Has anyone had to deal with this? What should I do?

 

[GitaBooks]

That's a teen roo for you.

They can be little meanies before they learn to be gentle with their hens. If you don't want to eat him you can put him in a separate pen for a few weeks, until the hens are 16-22 weeks and laying, then they will be okay with him and he might have calmed down some. After a few months he should be gentler with them.
Brahmas are slow to mature, so he may grow bigger, but he would still produce good meat.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have!

Best of luck!

 

[dekel18042]

I have a question for everyone and hope you can help me know what to do. I have 13 pullets and 1 cockerel all are 12 weeks old. He was supposed to be a pullet but you know how that goes. I have been having problems with him the past few days where he will peck at the head or back of the pullets and hold onto them until he pulls out their feathers. The pullets struggle and make a fuss and it looks like he is really hurting them. He doesn't try to mount them he just reaches out and starts to peck them. He even runs after them to beat them up. Should I separate him from the pullets now? I am also thinking of putting him in the stew pot but I am not sure if he is too young. He is a buff Brahma. Has anyone had to deal with this? What should I do?

GitaBooks gave you good info, but what has also worked for me if you have other birds and are able to do it, If you have large mature hens, throw the cockerel in with them. That usually effects an attitude adjustment so by the time you add the younger pullets in with the flock, he will be much better behaved. I've also put some into a bachelor pad with older birds who accept the miscreants as soon as they learn to behave.