Bringing up a Rooster

[cluckcluckgirl]

I have a 5 month old rooster that was introduced to my flock about a month ago. He's adjusting, but still jumpy around some hens. The hens he's jumpy around tend to be a little mean, and peck quite a bit. Is there anything I can do so that he realizes he's alpha, and so they do too?

 

[Wynette]

I've never had an introduction issue that took this long...however, if they're really picking at him, I can understand his apprehension. Is he breeding them yet? If not, you might want to separate him for a week to get him REALLY missing the females. Once you put him back in (assuming he knows how to breed), he'll have nothing but that on his mind, and I don't believe they'll pick at him so much then. They'll be admiring his pretty dances and trying to get away!

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

They don't hurt him or anyone, they just like to chase them away by pecking near their tail, and they follow them and keep doing that. He has tried to mate with my 3 EEs quite a few times, but he either steps near their tail to where they think he wants them to move so they move, or he chooses a VERY antisocial chicken. He seems to know how to mate, but my hens don't.

 

[donrae]

It's just like a bunch of grown women putting a teenage boy in his place. He's still young and they don't feel he's worthy of them yet. That's okay, he'll mature every day and in a few months at most he'll take his place as a grown man with all the rights and responsibilities that come with that! Just give it time. By spring, I'll bet everything will have worked out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's just like a bunch of grown women putting a teenage boy in his place. He's still young and they don't feel he's worthy of them yet. That's okay, he'll mature every day and in a few months at most he'll take his place as a grown man with all the rights and responsibilities that come with that! Just give it time. By spring, I'll bet everything will have worked out.

This!!!!!

A lot of younger hens and some older hens will squat for anything in spurs, but a good mature hen expects a rooster to treat her right. He should bring her food, dance for her, protect her, and keep peace and tranquility in his flock. He also has to totally WOW! her with his self-assurance and magnificence. I’ve had very few 5 month old roosters that can do that. I’ve had some that were a year old before they could really take over a flock from the older hens. But with most, give it a couple more months. Your eggs should all be fertile then.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

This!!!!!

A lot of younger hens and some older hens will squat for anything in spurs, but a good mature hen expects a rooster to treat her right. He should bring her food, dance for her, protect her, and keep peace and tranquility in his flock. He also has to totally WOW! her with his self-assurance and magnificence. I’ve had very few 5 month old roosters that can do that. I’ve had some that were a year old before they could really take over a flock from the older hens. But with most, give it a couple more months. Your eggs should all be fertile then.

Believe it or not, my dad cracked open the egg of one of our VERY antisocial EE's eggs, and it was FERTILE!!!!!

We've had him for a little over a month! Sorry but I took the pics of it with my phone and I don't have the things to upload the pics.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I totally believe it. I've hatched eggs from an older hen that would not submit to the younger rooster. She made his life miserable yet he managed to fertilize her eggs. People tend to read way too much into what they see of chicken behavior.