a Roo is isolating a chicken from the flock and won't leave it alone.

[Fredeor]

I am new to raising chickens.

Wow, what did I get myself into

Now here is the problem. I believed I had bough 12 White Rock Pullets as peeps, one of them turned out to be a roo that is a Aruacna. Also one of the White Rocks turned out to be a roo. They are about 3 months old.

The Aruacna roo has become the dominate roo. He has isolated the WR roo and won't let him feed and is VERY mean to the WR roo. Even when they are let out to roam and feed the Aruacna roo finds him and attacks him, after I take out the WR roo and put him on the other side of my property. All the WR roo does is hide and stay laid down and cower with his neck stretched out and won't even walk around and when he walks he bairly tries to move and squats. He just stares at the ground and avoids all eye contact. I have isolated him in a temporary pen(barn). I figured maybe a week in the barn might do him good.

Can I save him and get him back to normal or should I just eat him? I would like to use him and have him breed with the rest of the girls.

More White Rocks.

Thank you for your help,

Fred

 

[Big dreams]

I don't really know but if it were me, I would move the mean rooster and leave the timid one for awhile in the pen, put the other guy where they can see each other but not get to one another. I don't know if it would help with roosters, sometimes I think they just don't get along.

Someone who knows will jump in here soon I am sure. Good Luck.

Oh and welcome, you will learn a lot here.

 

[rhodiegal]

It may be a good idea to give one of the roosters away. It sounds like they were raised together which usually helps - but your situation sounds more extreme than normal.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

Mean roos make great soup.

 

[vnploveschickens]

I would put the mean roo in that separate pen, re-home him, or eat him. I agree with Big dreams though, sometimes they'll just never get along.

Put that poor WR roo in with the rest of the flock, let him build up his pecked-on confidence. He should be able to handle 10 pullets on his own just fine.


Good Luck!

 

[MIKE555444]

Quote:
Hope your happy... I laughed out loud (so loud)in my office Gezzzz.... My coworkers think i'm such a happy worker!!

 

[CallyB57]

I had exact same problem. All chicks were raised together - I have Light Brahmas (a very docile-type chicken) and one of them is a roo. Then I had a couple of what you call Araucanas (they are really Easter Eggers, unless you got them from a 'real' Araucana breeder-Araucana's have no tail). One of the Easter Eggers is a roo and he seemed to mature quickly. At first he was not aggressive, but after his comb developed he started to pick on the Light Brahma roo. The LB roo would run and the EE roo looked like he was trying to kill the LB roo. The EE roo would pin the LB roo to the ground and there would be a gosh-awful commotion. Then the EE roo began to rudely dominate the pullets/hens. I then separated the EE roo and pinned him up in his own area where he could not get out. The chaos and terror in the hen house then ceased...I was also relieved as he would follow me, drag his wing, and occasionally attack me. I was always either walking backwards or trying to turn my head to see exactly where he was. My LB roo now dominates the 4 hens, but he is not rude about it - he just insists until he gets the job done (seconds). And the LB roo does not attack me, though he has pecked me a couple of times. Once I pushed him gently away when he pecked me and now he won't even come in the hen house when I am in there.
In about a month I will have completed a 6' tall enclosure that is quite large - maybe 40' x 60' and before it is finished I have to decide on the fate of my EE roo. I do not want to kill him - but I can't really let him out to be with my other chickens. Although he is a fine-lookin' roo, he has a terrible attitude, so I am not sure where he stands right now...probably just can't bear the thought of killing him. I think once they show they are aggressive it's really hard to turn that around. The EE hen is as sweet and gentle as my docile LB hens, so she stays.

 

[Lilywater101]

I had a very similar situation to CallyB57. I had a very beautiful roo he was gorgeous but he had a terrible attitude he made the hens life miserable he was very agressive with them.

So although he had many good qualities such as keeping on the lookout for hawks I finally just killed him and made some chickens soup. My advice is that if a roo is agressive with you or the hens kill him because he will not change and it really is a hassle to separate him from the rest of the flock. Trust me I speak from experience.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Well, you can try to take Mr. Dominant away and keep HIM in the barn for a few weeks and take the WR and put him with the girls. After a while, the WR might see that he has no competition and carry on as the leader, while the once dominant rooster will have no one. Make sure the dominant rooster isn't able to see, and preferably, hear, the WR or other hens. After a few weeks (I'd give it a month), turn the penned up rooster to the flock and see what happens. Positions can possibly switch for the better.

If not, though, I'd give the dominant rooster away. It's not the WR's fault that he doesn't wish to put himself in an uncomfortable position. I'd choose giving Mr. Meanie away because what he is doing is normal. Someone might want a good protector like that. I would really only suggest eating him if he is attacking people.


Oh, and

.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. First I'd isolate Mr Meanie for awhile then reintroduce him back into the flock. Sometimes when you do this he can be lower on the totum pole, and sometimes not but it is worth a try. If he continues to be a bully then I'd either eat him or re-home him.