Chicken Retirement

[LaFleche]

him running towards Carrie from halfway across the yard. She tried to escape, ran into the coop run and was cornered. She squatted for him and he mated with her. She then escaped the run but he was still chasing her. She squatted for him several times, after which he would just peck on her comb and head feathers. The other hens were in a frenzy to try to get to her too.

he'll chase her around until she squats and half the time, he doesn't even mate her, he just grabs her comb and pulls on it. She squawks and runs to hide. He will not let her go near food

A rooster that is behaving like that would rest in my freezer the same evening.

I suppose she was senior to him and the head hen prior to his arrival and did not accept him as easily as the others did. A good rooster would have wooed and tidbitted for her until she was ready, and not chased her down from across the yard to mistread and injure her even after she squatted several times for him, and on top inviting the others to do the same!

If he does not like her, he could easily ignore and not mate with her like a good rooster would.

We're sending the meat chickens off to the butcherer in a few weeks, and I suggested we send off Richard too

Get rid of him, no hen should have to live through the hell he is giving her. Poor thing!

Often enough people have to find out that after giving away the mistreated hen, the rooster will soon enough single out another victim to be bullied and mistreated by him.

 

[Kaedrian]

@LaFleche I think you're right, sadly. I'm going to try one more thing someone suggested (putting bengay on her to deter him) and see how well that works. He's got a few weeks to shape up, or he's gone. It's just I wish I knew why he's so fixated on punishing her so I could help fix it. I totally agree that he could ignore her if he wished to. If she was sick and he didn't want her near the other girls, he could easily chase her away and leave it at that, but he insists on humiliating her.

 

[chicken1234]

I wouldn't put her back near him, it isn't fair to her at all.

 

[LaFleche]

(putting bengay on her

What does this mean?

 

[aart]

putting bengay on her to deter him

What does this mean?

It's a topical sore muscle medication, very aromatic........not a good idea IMO.
It will affect her too....kinda adding insult to injury.

 

[Kaedrian]

It's a topical sore muscle medication, very aromatic........not a good idea IMO.
It will affect her too....kinda adding insult to injury.

You think it's a bad idea? I might hold off then.

 

[LaFleche]

You think it's a bad idea? I might hold off then.

Please, don't put that stuff on her!!!

Chickens have no receptor for peppery taste as mammals do, it would not work and only harm the hen even further.