- Sep 17, 2009
- 80
- 3
- 39
I have two Cockerels. One a Plymouth Rock Cochin mix (6 months old but very large!) and an Easter Egger (5 months old and much smaller than the other). I have two bantam hens, both 5 months old, one has laid eggs.
The Easter Egger is extremly aggressive and downright mean to the hens, while mating. He pulls out feathers and stomps on them and does this almost every time the hens come down off of the perch. Is this normal? The hens run and cry and try to hide under the bigger rooster, who incidently is a gentleman, whom I've never seen trying to mate with the girls. I have seen him try to chase off the Easter egger and defend the hens and it works...!!
The hens will also try to hide behind me when I'm in the coop and the eGGer goes after me to get them. My hens are so much smaller than the egger and I'm afraid he's hurting them. They aren't laying eggs any more and the egger is also trying to pick fights now with the larger rooster who pretty much just blows him off and goes his way.
I've considered the stew pot for this mean rooster but my daughter considers them pets and will be distressed if I do that. This morning I put the Egger in the "Dog House", literally. I fenced off a portion of the chicken yard with chicken wire and put a dog house with a perch and bedding in there and confined him. He was not happy, but the girls seem delighted! They came right out and started scratching around in peace.
Did I do the right thing or is this rooster behaving the way he should?
The Easter Egger is extremly aggressive and downright mean to the hens, while mating. He pulls out feathers and stomps on them and does this almost every time the hens come down off of the perch. Is this normal? The hens run and cry and try to hide under the bigger rooster, who incidently is a gentleman, whom I've never seen trying to mate with the girls. I have seen him try to chase off the Easter egger and defend the hens and it works...!!
The hens will also try to hide behind me when I'm in the coop and the eGGer goes after me to get them. My hens are so much smaller than the egger and I'm afraid he's hurting them. They aren't laying eggs any more and the egger is also trying to pick fights now with the larger rooster who pretty much just blows him off and goes his way.
I've considered the stew pot for this mean rooster but my daughter considers them pets and will be distressed if I do that. This morning I put the Egger in the "Dog House", literally. I fenced off a portion of the chicken yard with chicken wire and put a dog house with a perch and bedding in there and confined him. He was not happy, but the girls seem delighted! They came right out and started scratching around in peace.
Did I do the right thing or is this rooster behaving the way he should?
