8 week old cockerel violently attacking sibling

[FlockFinderWest]

Hi, I am I need of help urgently. I have a couple of almost 8 week old cockerel bantam chicks. One of them is picking on one specific rooster. I understand pecking order is a thing but this seems super violent and he won’t stop. He is bleeding from his comb. I am uncertain how to proceed. I will split him up from the others but I want to correct this behavior. I’m not sure how to post a video but he is grabbing his comb and wings and the other one is hiding

 

[igorsMistress]

Hello. You have two options:

1. Keep the males separated, forever.
2. Cull the violent one.

Otherwise you’ll end up with at least one dead rooster, maybe two.

 

[Penpal]

You don't need a rooster that is that aggressive at only eight weeks of age. He needs to go.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Chicken soup.

 

[flocklady]

You don't want an aggressive rooster at all!!

 

[LaFleche]

Separate him immediately until you decide his future fate.

 

[Chikenshiken]

Hi, I am I need of help urgently. I have a couple of almost 8 week old cockerel bantam chicks. One of them is picking on one specific rooster. I understand pecking order is a thing but this seems super violent and he won’t stop. He is bleeding from his comb. I am uncertain how to proceed. I will split him up from the others but I want to correct this behavior. I’m not sure how to post a video but he is grabbing his comb and wings and the other one is hiding

It sounds like this rooster just doesn’t go good with other roosters. Culling is anyone’s decision but there are many other options. Rehoming to someone in need of a rooster (and has no others) could be something you look into if you are not inclined to cull your roo. I think culling should be a last resort, he is just a rooster who’s doing what roosters do which is dominate any other rooster who’s going to threaten his position in the flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, I am I need of help urgently. I have a couple of almost 8 week old cockerel bantam chicks. One of them is picking on one specific rooster. I understand pecking order is a thing but this seems super violent and he won’t stop. He is bleeding from his comb. I am uncertain how to proceed. I will split him up from the others but I want to correct this behavior. I’m not sure how to post a video but he is grabbing his comb and wings and the other one is hiding

I had a two-week-old kill its sibling and start on a separate sibling before I separated him. So yes, take it seriously. After being separated for a day from the broody hen and his siblings he quit trying to kill them. When he reached butcher size he was the first one to go.

I had a 15-week-old cockerel take an extreme dislike to another 15-week-old cockerel and kill him. I don't know why he singled out that one cockerel to kill. He got along OK with the other 17 cockerels that age with them. Again, he was the first one of that group butchered.

The way both of those killed was to peck at the head, going for the brain. I've seen chickens cut frogs into bite sized pieces with their pecking. They can do serious damage when they peck.

he won’t stop. He is bleeding from his comb.

The "he wont stop" bothers me more than the "bleeding from the comb". I'd separate them for now, separation might help. But I think there is a good chance you may need to choose between the two.

 

[FlockFinderWest]

Chicken soup.

He only weighs like 34 grams haha
It would be more like a chicken dumpling

 

[FlockFinderWest]

I had a two-week-old kill its sibling and start on a separate sibling before I separated him. So yes, take it seriously. After being separated for a day from the broody hen and his siblings he quit trying to kill them. When he reached butcher size he was the first one to go.

I had a 15-week-old cockerel take an extreme dislike to another 15-week-old cockerel and kill him. I don't know why he singled out that one cockerel to kill. He got along OK with the other 17 cockerels that age with them. Again, he was the first one of that group butchered.

The way both of those killed was to peck at the head, going for the brain. I've seen chickens cut frogs into bite sized pieces with their pecking. They can do serious damage when they peck.


The "he wont stop" bothers me more than the "bleeding from the comb". I'd separate them for now, separation might help. But I think there is a good chance you may need to choose between the two.

Wow. This is wild to hear. I’m glad I could hear from someone who had first hand experience with this. He seemed to have picked a grudge over night and all the other chickens were catching on. As soon as I put him in a crate everything calmed down and the others stopped jumping in. I’m going to give it a couple days in jail to see if he can readjust, but if not he’s going somewhere else