Adults Hens Are Stressed and So Am I!!!!

[citychickinthecountry]

So everyone has been right so far...3 of the suspected 5 chickens are roosters. And boy are they roosters. They are crowing constantly (which isn't really a problem). The problem is that they seem to know that my 3 adult hens are able to lay them fertile eggs....is this possible??!?! They have my adult hens so stressed that I can see their stress on their faces. I can't put the adult hens anywhere else to keep them calm.

The roos constantly try to mount my 3 adult hens, but don't really bother the younger (15-week-old) hens. Today, I kept the roos in a coop together to help keep my bigger girls calmer.

I'm trying to find a home for the boys, but no one seems to want roos.

Any advice for how to deal with the boys' behavior in the meantime? I know this is normal, but they seem to be out of control at this point.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only way is to separate them until you can get rid of them. Roosters will often outgrow the teenager phase and become more gentle with the hens, but teenagers can be overactive.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I'm sorry about all your roosters you have!

Um, if you have a pen you could put all your roos in then you might do that. You could also put an add in your local paper and try to give them away. Or if you couldn't get rid of them that way, then you could e a t them? I couldn't do that, but you might?

 

[citychickinthecountry]

I couldn't eat them...they are my babies. As much as they aggrivate me...I'm one of those people that kisses their chickens.

I've got a few feelers out with some local friends to see if they want roos.

Should I worry about the roos fighting with each other though? One is a little bit agressive with the others.

Guess this makes up my mind about whether or not I ever wanted roos.

I'm still not sure yet if the 4th bird is a roo. It's not crowing yet, but I have seen it trying to mount a hen once. We'll see.

 

[teach1rusl]

Keeping them separated until you find homes for the roosters or decide to eat them are really your only options if you're not wanting the chaos that three young roosters can create in a flock of just a few hens. Advertise them on CL as free roosters for meat or home flocks. A lot of folks love their roosters, but I rehomed mine due to the same thing you're describing...stressed hens = stressed chicken momma. Good luck!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I knew you probably wouldn't eat them! lol

If we could have some pics of the "Rooster" in question that might help.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

Here's the 4th bird...a picture from about 3 weeks ago. I've got to get a better picture of "it". ;p

This is Crazy Bird...my Polish. I also had a posting about this one having it's head bloodied because the other chicks pecked it's feathers out.

 

[ZepChick]

Is there any way you can just keep one? Your hens (plus the new chicks when grown) would probably be better able to handle him then. Also, the roo may spend more time 'courting' the girls, instead of trying to mount all the time, vying for top roo status.

 

[citychickinthecountry]

That's a possibility...especially if this Polish (pictured in a response above) is a roo.

 

[Chickenfarmer 1-2-b]

I hatched twice, 1st batch - 6 chicks 14 wks ago, 2nd batch also 6 chicks 10 wks ago. I got 10 roosters out of the 12 chickens. What is the odd of that!!! Need to get rid of the roosters somehow. They are getting loud in the morning with the crowing. Luckily, my next door neighbor moved out and put their house up for sale or else the police would already show up to give me the citation.