Growing rooster cockerel and changes in flock temperament?

[Brightbird]

So about a month or so ago I was able to put my rooster cockerel outside with our two orpington hens, and up until now it was fine. But today I noticed a few things. One was that the cockerel was a bit less timid, in fact he tried to intimidate me for the first time. The second was that he had what I think might be growing feathers along his neck. I assume both of these means he’s going through whatever the chicken version of puberty is.


And the third was that one of the orpingtons, the more sassy of the two, was grumbling all day and nothing I did made her stop being upset. Gave them fresh water this morning, made sure they had plenty of food, let them out into the run, offered them a couple blueberries as a treat, even checked them for possible mites and thankfully there were none. If this is what I think it is then could the cockerel becoming less of a pushover than the hens are used to be causing the uproar? And if so, will the hens calm down on their own or should I be doing something to help them get used to the change. The cockerel isn’t aggressive toward the hens at all, he hasn’t fought them or anything, but I have noticed that he won’t back down or run away when the more dominant hen tries to intimidate him like she always did before. This is the first rooster I’ve raised from an egg so I’m not very knowledgeable on their growth.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do you only have 3 birds? And if I read this right, the hens are older than the cockerel. If so, how much space do you have in the run/coop? Free ranging for a couple of hours really does not count.

Often times, people with just a few birds, have much smaller set ups. In my opinion, roosters take more space than hens. So if you are least bit cramped for space, this may not work.

And cockerels are a crap shoot, some of them work, and some of them are nightmares. They can become incredibly violent. Some are worse with people, ok with hens, some are worse with hens, ok with people, and a lot are just way too aggressive with all.

If you have children, under the age of 6, I recommend that you are very aware of them around him. They tend to attack children first, then women, then men. A child can take it in the face. Roosters have ruined the whole chicken experience for a lot of people.

Most inexperienced people vastly underestimate how violent a rooster attack can be. Do have a plan B set up and ready to go, as a crate to separate him if need be. A fishnet can be of help catching him. Long sleeve thick sweatshirts or leather gloves will help and should be at hand.

As for your hens reaction, things are changing, and generally an all hen flock acts much different than a flock with a rooster. If you only have 2 hens, then a cockerel could over breed them. I think you are on the right track, as in you sound very aware of the nuances of your flock. Give it some time to adjust...but always solve for peace in the flock. This cockerel may not work out for you, only time will tell. There really isn't a lot you can do to change that.

It is always hard if the bird is a chick you raised, but raising the bird has very little influence on their future behavior.

Mrs K