a rooster behavior question...

[Mourningdove]

Hi all I have a problem I think starting with one of my roosters and need someone who knows behavior of roosters to give me a possible answer. A few days ago I noticed my rooster bite & pull a beekful of feathers out of one of my hens, then today I noticed him doing it again to this same hen, what is he doing and why is he doiing this to her? How do I stop him?

 

[beautifulbirds]

You need to watch his behaviour for say an afternoon. See where this is going. He probably wants to cover her and maybe she won't let him. Or... more likely she is a little off colour and so he is picking on her. Is she the lowest in the pecking order? Has he got himself a new best girl so now he is being mean to her? You need to watch him.

Take her out of the run and put her somewhere else if you think this is going to be serious, maybe give her some extra feeding and attention for a few days so she gets back on her game.

I'm having the same trouble with one of my boys so I have taken the little girl that he is picking on and put her away from him so he can go and pick somewhere else. I have given her molasses and a tonic in her drinking water and I am going to give her extra food and generally get her health back up because I am thinking that he is 'bullying' her and probably because she is not laying. So, as I say, she needs to get back on her game, then I will put them together again and see what happens. If it continues then Iwill take her away altogether and put her with another rooster.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mourningdove]

I named this hen Miss Bossey as she seemed to be the top of pecking order, she was most vocal and seemed to be top roosters favorite...now the 2nd rooster(not the top) is doing this to her. She now keeps to herself and even the top rooster isn't allowed to top anymore and no she hasn't laid any eggs for awhile now either.

 

[beautifulbirds]

How old is she? What breed?

 

[silkiechicken]

What is their diet? Try increasing protein or things containing methionine (black oil sun flower seeds-BOSS) incase he needs more of soemthing to grow feathers. If picking continues, try hot pick on the hen being picked on. He may be grumpy at her for some reason.

 

[dancingbear]

I had a lovely 'lorp hen with a calm, inquisitive nature, who became the targe of a bully roo. He chased her and yanked her feathers without mercy, not even mating her, just beating her up. I was just starting with chickens then, and thought he'd outgrow it. He didn't, she got nervous and traumatized, and he finally stopped when we ate him.

Poor hen was never the same. Since then, I will not tolerate a bully roo. There are too many perfectly nice ones to put up with a brute.