- Apr 6, 2014
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I am brand new to raising chickens and I have a dozen black-sex link hens and a rooster named Rodney that are all almost one year old. I don't know the rooster's breed but he is black as well. We raised the hens together as chicks and the rooster came into the picture in his adolescence. The rooster tries to attack me at every opportunity but does so less often with my husband but will try every once and awhile. It makes me not want to go out to the coop at all but obviously I have to in order to look after them 
. When I say attack I mean talons out thrashing. We live in a northern climate and it has been a very long and cold winter. They are in the coop for most of the day but on warm days they venture out where there are shavings outside. We give them compost and table scraps along with their feed. About 3 or 4 of the smaller hens are missing feathers on their backs, necks and heads. The rooster is missing feathers around his neck and the skin underneath is very red. He also crows constantly. Last summer there was no feather pecking but the rooster would attack in the yard on occasion. They free range in summer. Any suggestions? I have done some reading and a lot of answers seem to point towards culling.
. When I say attack I mean talons out thrashing. We live in a northern climate and it has been a very long and cold winter. They are in the coop for most of the day but on warm days they venture out where there are shavings outside. We give them compost and table scraps along with their feed. About 3 or 4 of the smaller hens are missing feathers on their backs, necks and heads. The rooster is missing feathers around his neck and the skin underneath is very red. He also crows constantly. Last summer there was no feather pecking but the rooster would attack in the yard on occasion. They free range in summer. Any suggestions? I have done some reading and a lot of answers seem to point towards culling.
