Aggressive feather pecking rooster

[Hilltownchickens]

Hi all, we have 18 chickens, one of them is a Rhode island red rooster and the rest hens. They are a year old now and came to us as 1-2 day olds. This is our first rooster but we have kept laying hens for mant years. I understand that feather pulling is part of his natural behavior but he is starting to strip some of the girls up to their wings. There has been some blood drawn. He does chase after them too when they try to get away. He is starting to charge us, especially when I bring our 3 and 5 year old in. The children are no longer allowed in until we figure him out. We also have a very broody girl right now and some egg cracking and eating happening.

We are discussing rooster isolation for at least a month to calm him down as well as possible hen and nest isolation to protect her chicks, although she seems quite protective of them already.

Glad for any advice! It's getting a little wild out there!

 

[Emelyn]

Hi all, we have 18 chickens, one of them is a Rhode island red rooster and the rest hens. They are a year old now and came to us as 1-2 day olds. This is our first rooster but we have kept laying hens for mant years. I understand that feather pulling is part of his natural behavior but he is starting to strip some of the girls up to their wings. There has been some blood drawn. He does chase after them too when they try to get away. He is starting to charge us, especially when I bring our 3 and 5 year old in. The children are no longer allowed in until we figure him out. We also have a very broody girl right now and some egg cracking and eating happening.

We are discussing rooster isolation for at least a month to calm him down as well as possible hen and nest isolation to protect her chicks, although she seems quite protective of them already.

Glad for any advice! It's getting a little wild out there!

I would recommend you get them "chicken saddles" which were designed specially so roosters can't attack them here's a picture of one of them (you can make them either at home or buy one from Etsy or Amazon).

(not my picture)

 

[Chickassan]

Hi, summer is an awful time for roosters.
Their hormones are high and they display undesirable behavior at least to our eyes.
Are your guy's feet red tinted?
If so he's hormonally charged and can't help his actions so forgive him.
Time outs do work but limit them or the aggression will become unmanageable when he is loose in the flock.
Think Bruce Banner, he's hulking out from the waist down.
Morning and late afternoon are the worst times, levels peak then.
If you can release him an hour or so later than the ladies he'll simmer down a bit but not completely.
You should make a space for your broody though for everyone's sanity.
BTW You picked one of the most charged breeds, both sexes of RIR are nuts when spring/summer hits...good luck.

 

[aart]

Glad for any advice!

I suggest inviting him for dinner.
The chicks about to hatch will be ~50% males...maybe keep one of those.

 

[Hilltownchickens]

I would recommend you get them "chicken saddles" which were designed specially so roosters can't attack them here's a picture of one of them (you can make them either at home or buy one from Etsy or Amazon).

(not my picture)

Ha!

I would recommend you get them "chicken saddles" which were designed specially so roosters can't attack them here's a picture of one of them (you can make them either at home or buy one from Etsy or Amazon).

(not my picture)

ha! Those are adorable! Thank you for adding this to our list of options!

 

[Hilltownchickens]

I suggest inviting him for dinner.
The chicks about to hatch will be ~50% males...maybe keep one of those.

You sound like my husband

 

[Emelyn]

ha! Those are adorable! Thank you for adding this to our list of options!

No problem!

 

[Hilltownchickens]

Hi, summer is an awful time for roosters.
Their hormones are high and they display undesirable behavior at least to our eyes.
Are your guy's feet red tinted?
If so he's hormonally charged and can't help his actions so forgive him.
Time outs do work but limit them or the aggression will become unmanageable when he is loose in the flock.
Think Bruce Banner, he's hulking out from the waist down.
Morning and late afternoon are the worst times, levels peak then.
If you can release him an hour or so later than the ladies he'll simmer down a bit but not completely.
You should make a space for your broody though for everyone's sanity.
BTW You picked one of the most charged breeds, both sexes of RIR are nuts when spring/summer hits...good luck.

Yes that point about RIRs seems to be playing out. It's a RIR hen that's super broody and they are the hens missing the most feathers. He was supposed to be a pullet like the rest of them! We didn't choose him, he chose us! As for his feet, I think they are a little red actually.

The chickens are in a large shed style coop with a human door and a chicken door. It's not really possible to release him separately. I had read a complete separation for at least a month can be helpful, maybe because he is then introduced as the new guy?

 

[Chickassan]

He doesn't pop out first?
Usually the they do so they can strut around and look or at least try look desirable for the ladies
You could look into a tie out for him it is what it sounds like, a cord that goes around his foot with a few feet of lead attached to a stake and swivel on the opposite end.
He could be semi contained and not get his rooster feelings hurt too much either.
Any girls that fancy a bit he's there just leashed.

Yes that point about RIRs seems to be playing out. It's a RIR hen that's super broody and they are the hens missing the most feathers. He was supposed to be a pullet like the rest of them! We didn't choose him, he chose us! As for his feet, I think they are a little red actually.

The chickens are in a large shed style coop with a human door and a chicken door. It's not really possible to release him separately. I had read a complete separation for at least a month can be helpful, maybe because he is then introduced as the new guy?

 

[Hilltownchickens]

He doesn't pop out first?
Usually the they do so they can strut around and look or at least try look desirable for the ladies
You could look into a tie out for him it is what it sounds like, a cord that goes around his foot with a few feet of lead attached to a stake and swivel on the opposite end.
He could be semi contained and not get his rooster feelings hurt too much either.
Any girls that fancy a bit he's there just leashed.

No some of the girls pop out first. They all roost together in a 10'by 6' coop.

How do you arrange the tie out? Does it have to get attached every morning and removed every night?