2 questions - roo attacking hens and roosting

[spish]

i added a new girl to my flock this week, shes been quarantined for three months and was released into the group 2 days ago. 1st day went fine but on day 2 my roo would not leave her alone, running round after her chasing her, then he mounted her (as if to mate) but wouldnt let go and just kept pecking her head and eyes. it took me a long time to get him off her, now shes sitting as if in shock, will not stand, eyes closed etc. why would the roo do this to a girl and is she likely to recover? i take it he didnt tolerate a new chicken (though ive never had problems introdusing chickens before???)


and question 2 - do brahmas roost at night or sit on the coop floor? mine seem to be huddling on the ground rather than using the roosts...?

 

[spish]

no one?

 

[sreihart]

bump

 

[booker81]

My Brahma girl seems to be the most picked on by the roos - well, my SLW roos. I dispatched the first one that was really getting after her at 15 weeks, and sometime this week will be dispatching a second roo (18 weeks). She's one year old, I introduced her when the rest of the flock was about 12 weeks old or so.

I have roos only because of buying straight run, and I did want to have some for meat. Their picking on her just makes my choice easier. They are making her back featherless, no blood or anything yet, but she's starting to act "depressed" again, like she was right before I culled the first guy.

I still have 3 more roos left - one will be dispatched too, as he's too aggressive to another girl, the other two are more gentlemanly, and about as polite a chickens can be for mating. The ones that are getting culled are more using "mating" for aggressive dominance. They don't do any of the "courting" things, they just sneak or chase and pounce. The two roos that are currently safe are constantly doing the little courting dance, like to call any girl over to show food, and the hens generally like to hang with them. The bad ones, the hens are all nervous around and avoid.

For the second, mine roosts. I have the tall roost set up on the side of the coop, so she can fly down across the coop, about 9 feet. Because of her size, I want her to have plenty of room for fly down to soften the landing, so she doesn't have to do a drop.

 

[teach1rusl]

I don't know about your 2nd question, but if I had a rooster beating up a hen that way, he'd be GONE. Maybe it was a one time thing, showing her who's boss. But if you give it another go, I'd be watching closely. If it happens again, then either HE has to go, SHE has to go, or they would not be able to be kept together without risk of serious injury/death of the hen.

 

[StormyMoon]

I think the best way to introduce them is in the middle of the night in a spare spot untaken put her on the roost. Then by morning they will think she has always been in the flock.
This is how I have been doing it, only once did I introduce during the middle of the day and it was a big mistake, so from now on when one is ready to be added to the flock I do it while everyone is sleeping. It seems to work better that way.

 

[spish]

Quote:
oh no i would never get rid of my roo..he is such a lovvie and looks after his normal girls so well (he's taken on cows, dogs, cats, owls and a donkey he thought was trying to hurt his ladies) i just dont understand wy he attacked this new girl, he's never done that before