Bad Rooster! Bad, Bad Rooster!

[yankeehill]

I can see the chicken yard from the kitchen window. As I was washing up breakfast dishes this morning, I see the rooster chasing a hen. I've noticed lately that a few of the girls have missing feathers. Well she runs, and he catches her, and he doesn't mount her. Instead, he starts fiercely pecking at her head. Like he was being mean type of pecking. She pulled away from him, and he's got her in his beak, wouldn't let go. I hollered to my husband, and he loaded the gun. Now, I know there are many people who wouldn't agree with the demise of this rooster, but I am NOT going to tolerate a rooster who is violent and mean. I can't see any reason for him to have done what he did. I've seen him do this a few times, but not to this extreme. Usually just a peck here and there. Not a full out attack.

Am I wrong to think a rooster shouldn't behave like this? Is this expected? He is the only rooster, out of a flock of 14 girls. He should be happy and protective.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I do not tolerate roosters who treat hens like that. My rooster will occasionally run down a hen who has strayed to far when they are in the pasture, he runs out all puffed up and chases her back to the flock but there is no attack involved. I would watch your roo carefully and see if this continues or gets worse. How old is he?

 

[lazy gardener]

I wouldn't tolerate it. His nasty temper won't affect the outcome in the crock pot. If you need to have a rooster, perhaps you can get a replacement who will have better manners.

 

[yankeehill]

...can't watch him. He's been disposed of. He was just shy of 7 months old. This was not the first time we saw this kind of behavior, but it was the worst we've seen. This was also not the only hen we've seen him peck at like this. My husband saw him do this to our Buff a week or so ago. Today it was to our Barred Rock. Up until now, it's been just one or two pecks.

I'm also dealing with very low egg production. Like 2-4 eggs between 14 hens. I wonder now if perhaps the rooster's aggressive bahavior was affecting their laying.

 

[yankeehill]

...can't watch him. He's been disposed of. He was just shy of 7 months old. This was not the first time we saw this kind of behavior, but it was the worst we've seen. This was also not the only hen we've seen him peck at like this. My husband saw him do this to our Buff a week or so ago. Today it was to our Barred Rock. Up until now, it's been just one or two pecks.

I'm also dealing with very low egg production. Like 2-4 eggs between 14 hens. I wonder now if perhaps the rooster's aggressive bahavior was affecting their laying.