Getting another rooster to school my cockerel

[sarah orr]

Hello,
I have a roster problem. He's 4 months old and really sweet to people and a little shy around us, but he's a total dick to the ladies. He plucks their feathers out, takes food from them, and chases them. I don't want to let him go, because my daughter and I have grown attached to him. So...I want to add a mature rooster to the coop in hopes that he'll school him. Thoughts? I have 16 chickens.

 

[LRH97]

It's more than likely a "coming of age" thing. If he's not too rough with them (not drawing blood or something way out of line) and not aggressive to you, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Chicken mating is not at all graceful, and I'm sure if you asked any hen, they'd tell you that roosters were the worst bird to have ever been created (if they could talk, that is!). Things will go smoother when everyone gets a little more "experienced." I also wouldn't add another rooster with only 16 hens. You don't want too many roos to hens. This could result in your hens being over-bred.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hello,
I have a roster problem. He's 4 months old and really sweet to people and a little shy around us, but he's a total dick to the ladies. He plucks their feathers out, takes food from them, and chases them. I don't want to let him go, because my daughter and I have grown attached to him. So...I want to add a mature rooster to the coop in hopes that he'll school him. Thoughts? I have 16 chickens.

That could happen. It could also happen that the mature rooster could beat the snot out of him, injure him, or possibly kill him. It may not happen, but it could. A bunch of mature hens would be better teachers. They don't put up with a lot of nonsense from a young punk cockerel. I'm guessing your "ladies" are about the same age? Your cockerel right now is as hormonal as a teenage boy. He's also awkward and clumsy. Chicken mating isn't pretty, and if you've got cockerels and pullets all learning together, it's not for the faint of heart, either. You could separate him for a few months until your pullets are laying therefore more receptive toward him.

 

[sarah orr]

Wow that's a lot to think about. My hens are the same age as him. I'll attempt to separate him not quite sure how to do this at the moment. I would need to do a little reconstruction on the coop. What if I get a gentle giant?

 

[Pork Pie]

Wow that's a lot to think about. My hens are the same age as him. I'll attempt to separate him not quite sure how to do this at the moment. I would need to do a little reconstruction on the coop. What if I get a gentle giant?

You have some really good advice already IMO. Separation is not totally necessary on a night time IMO (but easier), so you don't need to necessarily need to do anything to the coop - giving him a run with food and water should do the trick. This does mean that you would have to put him in his own run every day however, which can be a pain, at best. It may be better to build a makeshift coop and run for him, for the coming months. Chicken maths will dictate that you will get more chickens, so you will need a quarantine pen, and it could also serve as a grow-out pen / ER room in the future so its not a waste of time or money.

Not sure what you mean by a "gentle giant". A rooster may seem fine in his current home, where you would have the only opportunity to judge his temperament, but that could change into a different story once he gets to your place. He will need to assert his dominance which could be very unpleasant for your little upstart.

Separation is your easiest and safest bet for the moment, I'd say.

 

[aart]

Great advice from bobbi-j and CTKen.
FYI... they are called pullets and cockerels before one year of age, hens and cocks(or roosters) after one year of age.
Your cockerel is being totally normal, but it's not much fun for anyone.... even after you understand what's going on.

Do you have a medium or large wire dog crate?
That can work very well to separate a troublesome birds and foldable crates are a great tool for a chicken keeper.
I like this size, 24"L x 18"W x 21"H, good for one bird in segregation and I can carry it alone with up to 3 birds for transporting.
Add 1x2 cage wire under the tray, then you can put crate right on the ground or put tray under the crate to assess droppings and keep feet cleaner.
If new wire floor is installed carefully, you can still use tray inside crate when needed.

You have a very large coop? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1114420/pecking-problem#post_17162059
Might be a good time to build a separate pen within the coop to segregate him.

 

[sarah orr]

Thanks everyone. We're in the process of giving him his own space. He does draw blood on 2 of them. I will take everyone's advice and hold off on getting an older rooster.