Drastic change in chicken behavior should i be worried?

[winteree]

See? It really pays to spend time observing your chickens.

Roosters are smarter and more devious than people give them credit for. Sometimes I think they're a little too smart for being a chicken. The thing with roosters is that they want to dominate everyone, you included. Keeping your hen from eating is likely his way of dominating her and you both. You need to take him down a peg by removing him from the picture.

I know you're real busy, and gone most of the day, but you need to do this. A separate pen would be ideal for during the day. Or if you don't have that capability, do you have a dog crate? It won't hurt him to be crated up for a few days. I've found that the rooster won't even soil the crate if you take him out and put him on a newspaper for a minute or two every two or three hours. Yes, roosters are naturally paper-trained.

After about three days, try them back together. If the behavior resumes, you'll need to crate him up for another few days. But separation really should work to nip this bad behavior in the whatever.

yeah i have a big old dog crate we don't use any more time to make a rooster jail. I'm not losing one of my chickens to another one of my chickens

 

[azygous]

Make sure you put him somewhere the hen can't see him and still be influenced by him.

This will work. Hopefully your hen will begin to eat again, and after a few days apart, try putting him back with her and see if she keeps eating. If she falls under his evil spell again, you may need to keep him from her for a week or more. It might take that long for her to regain her self confidence, something being alone will help bring back.

 

[winteree]

Make sure you put him somewhere the hen can't see him and still be influenced by him.

This will work. Hopefully your hen will begin to eat again, and after a few days apart, try putting him back with her and see if she keeps eating. If she falls under his evil spell again, you may need to keep him from her for a week or more. It might take that long for her to regain her self confidence, something being alone will help bring back.

will do. i will keep you posted