Cornish X Fighting

[allyinwonderland]

Hi! I am hopeful someone can help me with a situation I had to deal with tonight. This is my first flock in a very long time. I have 18 chickens and 14 ducks integrated. Most of the chickens are 4 months old with threw Jersey Giants and one RIR about 3 months old. Everybody gets along fine, besides the original flock icing out the younger ones. But so far no agression.

Somehow in my original chick purchase two Cornish X got mixed in. I originally never intended to use chickens for meat, just wanted a healthy egg production, so I let the Cross X be and grow. I read a lot about keeping Cross X past a certain age. They are on a limited feed schedule and were doing fine. I built them a 200sqft coop. They do not perch on anything, they honestly look like chunky dinosaurs that wobble around and enjoy life.

I can't tell whether they are roosters, hens or one of each. I do believe at least one is a hen.

Tonight I went in to close the coop and I noticed one of the Cross X was outside far away from the door. Very unusual as they are certainly the first to tuck in. So I guided it to the door and the other Cross X came out of nowhere from the coop, with speeds I never even dreamed it could move, and jumped straight on the back of the one that was outside. It started screaming and tried to run away under the little ramp. I shooed the attacker away and went downstairs to get my gloves. By the time I came back the attacker was on the other bird again. I separated them again and ended up putting the bird being attacked inside the coop enclosed away from the rest of the birds.

It got dark so I observed only for a few minutes, but the agressive Cross X seems to only have a thing for the other Cross X. The other birds all seem to be unphased.

I was hoping someone would have some advice. Maybe it was mating? But the bird seemed very distressed.

 

[DonyaQuick]

When you say one "jumped on" the other, did it grab the comb or neck feathers with its beak when it jumped on? If so then it sounds like a mating attempt. Unreceptive hens/pullets will make quite a fuss and try to run away. However...sometimes dominant hens will also do a similar kind of thing of sitting on another bird to assert themselves.

Do you have photos of the birds? That would probably help determine if you've got a cockerel.

 

[allyinwonderland]

When you say one "jumped on" the other, did it grab the comb or neck feathers with its beak when it jumped on? If so then it sounds like a mating attempt. Unreceptive hens/pullets will make quite a fuss and try to run away. However...sometimes dominant hens will also do a similar kind of thing of sitting on another bird to assert themselves.

Do you have photos of the birds? That would probably help determine if you've got a cockerel.

I only have 1 recent photo, I can definitely take more. The picture attached is of the one that attacked. It was already rather dark, but yes it was going for the neck when jumped on her. The second time it managed to pull out a few feathers.

 

[chrissynemetz]

It does sound like it could be mating behavior. Some boys get a little carried away, and some girls aren't interested. It can look really distressing.

 

[Cubaniton]

Hi! I am hopeful someone can help me with a situation I had to deal with tonight. This is my first flock in a very long time. I have 18 chickens and 14 ducks integrated. Most of the chickens are 4 months old with threw Jersey Giants and one RIR about 3 months old. Everybody gets along fine, besides the original flock icing out the younger ones. But so far no agression.

Somehow in my original chick purchase two Cornish X got mixed in. I originally never intended to use chickens for meat, just wanted a healthy egg production, so I let the Cross X be and grow. I read a lot about keeping Cross X past a certain age. They are on a limited feed schedule and were doing fine. I built them a 200sqft coop. They do not perch on anything, they honestly look like chunky dinosaurs that wobble around and enjoy life.

I can't tell whether they are roosters, hens or one of each. I do believe at least one is a hen.

Tonight I went in to close the coop and I noticed one of the Cross X was outside far away from the door. Very unusual as they are certainly the first to tuck in. So I guided it to the door and the other Cross X came out of nowhere from the coop, with speeds I never even dreamed it could move, and jumped straight on the back of the one that was outside. It started screaming and tried to run away under the little ramp. I shooed the attacker away and went downstairs to get my gloves. By the time I came back the attacker was on the other bird again. I separated them again and ended up putting the bird being attacked inside the coop enclosed away from the rest of the birds.

It got dark so I observed only for a few minutes, but the agressive Cross X seems to only have a thing for the other Cross X. The other birds all seem to be unphased.

I was hoping someone would have some advice. Maybe it was mating? But the bird seemed very distressed.

I am only assuming, but I think that the aggressor picks on that one because it is the slowest one in the bunch, all the other regular size birds will get out of the way probably when they see the aggressor approach. Meat birds are not typically aggressive, that characteristic has been bred out of them, because they have to be raised in large groups and it is unacceptable to have aggressive birds killing each other in those circumstance, but now and then, small hatcheries will hatch small batches for sale to the public and not much care will be paid on the specific characteristics of those birds, so an aggressive one might be sold from time to time. If you plan on raising them for reproduction, only use the off springs for food, not for a breeding program, because you don't want to breed aggressiveness into your flock. Plus meat birds must be raised very differently than regular birds if you wish it to reach reproductive age, their feed must be severely restricted and controlled, so it is best to keep those birds separated from the rest or else they will eat all they can and just die from overweight. If you want more info on the meat birds, look into some of me previous comments or ask me. Bye.

 

[Cubaniton]

I only have 1 recent photo, I can definitely take more. The picture attached is of the one that attacked. It was already rather dark, but yes it was going for the neck when jumped on her. The second time it managed to pull out a few feathers.

It looks like a rooster, but I could be wrong. Keep an eye on it when you hear crowing and see if it's him. Feel the breast of your meat birds, if the breast feels like it's split in two, then they are way too fat, if when they stand, their legs are spread apart, then they are way too fat and must be placed on a restricted diet right away or risk dying.