Food Agression

[Marian37]

My neighbors have a rooster. He is a very large rooster. He us not mean to me. But he us very food agressive with the Ladies. I have no idea what to do with him or how to make him stop. He Chase's the girls away from the food. He attacks the girls. Does anyone know what I can do to make him stop.

 

[Chickassan]

Is it your neighbors rooster chasing your girls or chasing his own girls? Do they feed him? The only thing I could recommend is to block him away from the hens either that or feed him. He might just be hungry.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Its this bird coming to your property and harassing your birds?

 

[centrarchid]

More information needed. How old is he and how are are your girls?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A strange post indeed. In all situations I know about healthy, active, and mature roosters feed their lady friends.

 

[Chickassan]

Seriously the only rooster I've ever seen get food aggressive with hens was starving to death.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I have a similar issue with one of my roo's as well he is food aggressive with everyone who comes near him when he finds a prime spot of scratch grains. The were all fledged together but "Big Red" as I call him is always the first out the gate to range with us all. They are all well fed I keep the 30 pound feeder full have a flock of 10 3 hens and 7 roo's it seems they are just 3.5 months old and he is much larger than the rest of the other roo's and a greedy boy. I am a first time chicken keeper, and pecking his back with my finger didn't get the desired response it just made everyone wary of me. What is the best way to either stop it or is that just expected behavior? Should I just let the flock sort it all out on their own? Red is kind of my favorite as he is the only one I can recognize visually from the rest of my Sumatras as the red face is an undesireable trait were I breeding show birds he would be a cull, or should I consider gifting him to someone with a mature flock with roo's that will put him in his place as I'm sure I have a neighbor who would take him off my hands? My straight run didn't come out as a 50/50 mix so don't care if I loose a few roos. One final note I'm expecting him to become a manhater as he is the only bird that ever bites me usually when I'm tossing out some fresh scratch. Also, he can't be starving their favorite little caterpillars are so thick in the yard right now it is beyond belief in my 2 car carport there are 1000's alone. In the grass they are thicker.

 

[aart]

have a flock of 10 3 hens and 7 roo's it seems they are just 3.5 months old and he is much larger than the rest of the other roo's and a greedy boy.

Get rid of 6, or 7, of your males within the next month of you'll have a sh!tstorm of aggression on your hands.
Seriously, what are your goals with chickens that you want to have that many males?

 

[Chickassan]

Holy smokes! 7 Sumatran cockrels and 3 hens? I'm all for a good chicken juggle but that's just crazy. You could definitely stand to lose several of those boys your girls will thank you big time. And as for your greedy biter don't keep him, he's going to be trouble Sumatras are already a bit iffy really beautiful birds but iffy. I agree though unless you've got a heck of an umbrella avoid the sh!tstorm while you still can.

 

[AllenK RGV]

The goal with the chicken is just to free range them on the property for pest control. We have loads of bark scorpions around and I know the chicken are asleep when those are active but I am hoping to cull the food supply for the scorpions. I'm considering ordering another lot of possibly 6-7 hens to raise as Sumatra are reportedly slow to mature. I'll keep an eye on him and possibly cull the little guy. As I stated previously, I ordered a straight run and got that crummy ratio from the breeder. Also we were expecting 80% to die and all lived so we didn't know what to expect. I read your replies to my wife and she is starting to come around to the idea of culling before she was opposed to the idea.

edit: How many chicken do you think I need to keep on a straight acre, in an environment that never really has a winter and the grass always grows?