Aggresive 4 Month Cockerel With Pullets

[Asteen89]

Hi everyone, I got a rooster question. I have a 4 month old lavender Orpington cockerel I’ve added in with my pullets when they were 8 weeks old. As my pullets have gotten older, now 13 weeks, he has became really aggresive with them. He won’t let them eat, he won’t let them in the chicken house during the day, if they do he chases them out violently. He’s trying to mate with a couple of the girls and successfully did with one of my red sex links when she got caught in the electric fencing. He’s ripped feathers out of their heads from being aggressive. He’s not aggressive with me at all, only the pullets. Any suggestions? I have him pinned up in one of our sheds tonight. But I’m not sure if I should just get rid of him or if it’s just a phase? I’ve never had a rooster act like this and I love that he’s not aggressive towards me like my other roosters. Just don’t want him stressing my girls out so bad.

 

[Perris]

He's in his jerk teenager phase, and there's no older hen or cock to teach him how to behave; nevertheless he may turn into a good rooster in a matter of months. I would separate him, till he and the pullets have all grown up a bit and got through this short lived phase; can you rig up something in the run so they can see each other but he can't grab them?

Welcome to BYC by the way!

 

[Smileybans]

I would wait until the girls are older to let him be with them. I have a light Brahma who used to be rough with the girls. He did grow out of it and now that the girls are older, and he is as well, they squat for him.

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I would have culled him had it been my rooster.
From many experienced chicken owners I’ve been told good rooster will be good from the start.
Roosters are a cheap renewable resource might as well not waste time with a bad one when you can have a good one.
However I had 6 cockerels since I started my flock and have been culling them as they cause problems.
Our lead cockerel has never been mean to our girls and is a good “daddy” to our chicks that had been introduced at 5wks old when they were 13 weeks old. He’s never been mean to them or my girls.