Any way to make this bachelor pad work?

[chickens45]

I have 3 4 month old cockerels. They were all getting along great and things were fine until the neighbor kid brought in roosters and hen.

Overnight, my biggest barred rock who matured faster and crowded earlier than the others, got bossy and well, crazy.

He’s been sneaking over there to mate with her or will just sit and stare at her for hours. When I go to run him back home he’s starting to run at me aggressively with his wing dropped, although he backs off when I stomp at him and shoo him off and chase him.

when I let them out of the pin every morning he does the same thing. So I have to chase and stomp.
Yesterday I picked him up and carried him around the yard for fifteen minutes while gently talking to him. Today, he hates me worse and has been even more hateful to me. I had to put him in his pin because he wouldn’t leave the hen alone and when I reached my hand in to toss food in and change the water he wing dropped over to me and snapped at my hand! It didn’t hurt but shocked me.

he was always my sweetest one and such a good helper and nice little guy. Now he’s gone insane. He constantly makes the tidbitting noise and paces back and forth. He never sits still.
He’s also pecking and intimidating the other 2cockerels. They are afraid of him

the other two roosters aren’t like this yet. They don’tcare about the hen and seem happy to run around the yard eating and poking around.

however when the big guy is gone from the group, the other barred rock pecks the red one. It’s a never ending cycle!

I hate to get rid of them I’m so attached

is there any way to fix this issue or is he just a mean guy?

could anything be wrong and stressing him out? Or is he just in love and hormones are driving him crazy?

 

[sourland]

Its all about the testosterone.

 

[chickens45]

Its all about the testosterone.

So I’m fighting a losing battle and should give them away?

 

[sourland]

As they mature, they may mellow out, but before things get better they will very likely get worse.

 

[Sonya9]

Is their pen large enough to burn off excess energy and avoid each other if they want too? I just set up a 10x30 ft rooster pen for 4 cockerels and also added roosting bars outdoors to give them various places to hang out. Might want to also make sure there is more than one food dish to prevent guarding.

Try waiting it out for a while and see if things calm down. If tail feathers start to look ratty (from constantly getting bit/torn by another rooster) or the fighting gets intense then you will have to think about rehoming some. Re-home the most aggressive first.

 

[Folly's place]

Your most aggressive cockerel, who's also taking you on, should leave ASAP, with full disclosure. Your others will then develop however they are meant to be, and it will be interesting to see how they do when the bully isn't there any more.
Do you need these cockerels? Your birds should not be visiting the neighbor's, and their birds should also be home. That hen next door is having a miserable time!
Fencing, and removing the jerk, will be a good start.
Mary

 

[CatsandCrops]

We had a sweet rooster who immediately turned aggressive overnight. He attempted to attack me three times; the first I brushed off because he thought I was hurting one of the girls when I was looking at cut she got on her leg. The second time, I was filling the feeders and he attempted to attack me while my back was turned so I said, time to go sir. and the third only happened because of time; we had already planned to process him in a few days when we had off of work. From experience; they only get worst once they show aggression. After we processed him; our flock immediately calmed down and have been so sweet.

I would also worry about crossing flocks. I wouldn't want any disease or illness to be brought to either flock, along with who is eating what, whose laying where etc etc. I would absolutely do whatever to ensure they stayed separate.

 

[aart]

I have 3 4 month old cockerels. They were all getting along great and things were fine until the neighbor kid brought in roosters and hen.

You have only the 3 male birds?
Prime Time for hormone surge.

He’s been sneaking over there to mate with her

You need to keep your birds contained.

 

[Mrs. K]

When the darling becomes the nightmare. There really is no for sure fix.

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

Put up a fence would be my first thing to do, mabey work out with the next door neighbor how to keep them seperate. Is it possible to let the neighbors have him? As long as he isn't to aggressive.