crazy roosters

[gracie58]

my roosters are shaking their heads side to side, is that for mating or is something wrong? its the roosters that are mixed all different colors looks like fighting roosters.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Roosters do fight. You may need to separate these boys or rehome one of them. The ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster to 10 hens. Any less hens and the rooster can damage the feathers or even hurt the over mated hens. Never keep 2 roosters with too few hens.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. As TwoCrows said, the recommended ratio of roosters to hens is 1 rooster for every 10 hens as more roosters than the 10 to 1 ratio will virtually guarantee roosters fights, they can be very hard on your hens physically; over-breeding them, injuring them with their beaks and spurs, and battering them. When you get down to it, the only real reason you need a rooster is to fertilize eggs for hatching. I currently have 25 hens, no roosters, and I get loads of eggs without feeding any non-egg laying mouths, without the aggression, fights, crowing in the middle of the night, injuries, and over-bred and battered hens that frequently goes along with having roosters (especially too many of them). I think getting rid of the extra roosters will definitely quieten things down in your flock. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your flock.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X3 if you have too many roosters there will be conflicts, injuries and fights. Only keep one rooster for every 10 hen.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good suggestions above about removing some roos, you might also want to check your birds over very carefully, especially their heads, in case there is something else going on causing the head shaking.

 

[Dizzywitch]

What if its just one rooster that does it? I only have one with my six hens. I've watched him but haven't figured out a pattern to his shaking and bobbing. It's not his mating dance ...I know what that looks like.

 

[TwoCrows]

If you think he is having an issue, you might post this question in our emergency section for more help....https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures

Chickens can get ear infections, respiratory ailments and even worms can cause them to shake their heads.

 

[Michael OShay]

What if its just one rooster that does it? I only have one with my six hens. I've watched him but haven't figured out a pattern to his shaking and bobbing. It's not his mating dance ...I know what that looks like.

No matter what's going on with that one rooster, you need to cut your rooster number down to that 10 to 1 ratio or at some point you are going to have problems.

 

[lazy gardener]

Can you post a video? When you describe shaking and bobbing, specifically the bobbing leads me to think it's part of the "look at my manly wattles, and see how well I can woo you when I shake and bob in your general direction!" So, a video would help the experts in all things rooster to discern if it's just rooster theatrics, or if something else is going on. I have one hen who often shakes her head. It's part of a neurological problem she has, and you'll often see her inner eye lid pulled across the eye when she does this.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is he finding them food and telling the hens where it is? When a good rooster finds food for his ladies, he gives a certain sound and bobs his head, sometimes picking up the choice morsel and dropping it. That's the first thing I thought of when I read your post.