Agression or Something Worse

[Aleelupton]

Two days ago I noticed black all over my 3 Serama roosters faces. I thought it was mud as it had just rained and they had been scratching around all day. Today upon closer inspection it is not mud and one rooster can't open one of his eyes very well. Other than their injuries they seem to be acting normal. To give a little background, I have 1 olive egger rooster and 9 standard hens as well as 3 serama roosters and 3 serama hens all in a mixed flock. They are all between 8 and 9 months old. A month ago I took a serama hen home with her nest of eggs and still have her in the house with the chicks until they are bug enough to return the coop. My 3 little roosters occassionally face off, but no real fighting. My hens have all started picking up and laying again since the weather is getting warmer including the 2 serama hens still in the coop. My initial guess after seeing them tonight was that 1 less hen could be causing them to fight over the two remaining hens OR my big rooster could be hurting them. Typically the big rooster is protective over the entire flock including the little roosters. He is aggressive towards me and he aggressively breeds the big hens. I have caught him once get on a serama hen, but not actually breed her. Everyone has been raised together from the day they hatched and have always gotten along and done very well together. Please help me diagnose what could be wrong with my roosters so I can treat them and fix any problems. Pictures below. The white rooster evaded me.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Two days ago I noticed black all over my 3 Serama roosters faces. I thought it was mud as it had just rained and they had been scratching around all day. Today upon closer inspection it is not mud and one rooster can't open one of his eyes very well. Other than their injuries they seem to be acting normal. To give a little background, I have 1 olive egger rooster and 9 standard hens as well as 3 serama roosters and 3 serama hens all in a mixed flock. They are all between 8 and 9 months old. A month ago I took a serama hen home with her nest of eggs and still have her in the house with the chicks until they are bug enough to return the coop. My 3 little roosters occassionally face off, but no real fighting. My hens have all started picking up and laying again since the weather is getting warmer including the 2 serama hens still in the coop. My initial guess after seeing them tonight was that 1 less hen could be causing them to fight over the two remaining hens OR my big rooster could be hurting them. Typically the big rooster is protective over the entire flock including the little roosters. He is aggressive towards me and he aggressively breeds the big hens. I have caught him once get on a serama hen, but not actually breed her. Everyone has been raised together from the day they hatched and have always gotten along and done very well together. Please help me diagnose what could be wrong with my roosters so I can treat them and fix any problems. Pictures below. The white rooster evaded me.View attachment 1731285 View attachment 1731286 View attachment 1731287 View attachment 1731288 View attachment 1731289 View attachment 1731290View attachment 1731296

I am not sure, but looks like bruising on their combs from being pecked. My hens get bruises like that after they have been trying to re-establish their pecking order.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I'm kinda thinking fowl pox, @casportpony @A_Fowl_Guy @Wyorp Rock @Eggcessive @EggSighted4Life i would disbatch the big roo immediately.. if he is Aggressive all the way around he is bad, and even for breeding, his chicks would be aggressive!

 

[Cryss]

Your roosters are fighting. They are coming strongly into hormones at this age. Each rooster should have 10 hens to prevent over breeding. 4 roosters are a lot. I believe if you spend some time watching you are going to see some nasty fights.

 

[rebrascora]

You have too many cockerels. They are coming of age and it is spring and their hormones are making them fight for mating rites. It may be that your standard cockerel is no longer going to tolerate them in the flock or they may be fighting amongst themselves.
If you are hatching more chicks then you really need a plan as to what you are going to do with the surplus cockerels.... either create a bachelor pad or cull them from the flock either by rehoming or killing/butchering.... methinks there is not enough meat on a serama to make butchering an option. I personally would not keep the serama hens within a flock where a standard cockerel is attempting to mate them and I would not tolerate a human aggressive cockerel and certainly not breed from him.
It sounds like you need to take stock of your situation and make some difficult decisions before things get more messy and stressful or serious injuries occur.

 

[Aleelupton]

Your roosters are fighting. They are coming strongly into hormones at this age. Each rooster should have 10 hens to prevent over breeding. 4 roosters are a lot. I believe if you spend some time watching you are going to see some nasty fights.

I have 8 pullet chicks, 2 serama and 6 standard that are growing out. I will see if I can separate them in different runs and see how they do.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I have 8 pullet chicks, 2 serama and 6 standard that are growing out. I will see if I can separate them in different runs and see how they do.

that will help!

 

[Aleelupton]

You have too many cockerels. They are coming of age and it is spring and their hormones are making them fight for mating rites. It may be that your standard cockerel is no longer going to tolerate them in the flock or they may be fighting amongst themselves.
If you are hatching more chicks then you really need a plan as to what you are going to do with the surplus cockerels.... either create a bachelor pad or cull them from the flock either by rehoming or killing/butchering.... methinks there is not enough meat on a serama to make butchering an option. I personally would not keep the serama hens within a flock where a standard cockerel is attempting to mate them and I would not tolerate a human aggressive cockerel and certainly not breed from him.
It sounds like you need to take stock of your situation and make some difficult decisions before things get more messy and stressful or serious injuries occur.

The big rooster has been on the chopping block for some time now becuase he attacks me all the time. I have made some headway in the last two weeks with him but if he is causing harm to any of the chickens he must go.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Any loss of appetite and/or weight loss? Any lesions inside the mouth?

I would cull the aggressive rooster or rehome. There is no room in my flock for aggressive roosters. I keep 3 roosters in the same coop with 24 hens.

 

[Aleelupton]

Any loss of appetite and/or weight loss? Any lesions inside the mouth?

I would cull the aggressive rooster or rehome. There is no room in my flock for aggressive roosters. I keep 3 roosters in the same coop with 24 hens.

They have been acting completely normal, eating and drinking okay and pecking around. I will have to examine inside their mouth in the morning.