Has my rooster lost his mind?

[seminolewind]

Nice rooster, very friendly, about 4 years old. I have 7 hens with him. For some reason, he's been chasing off my oldest hen so she hides in my carport all day. Today I sat outside with the food and water and she came over and ate and drank for about 45 minutes! Today he chased off two hens when I put scratch out. I have to say that he is mostly all alone during the day and the girls are in the carport. They all go to roost but no one wants to roost next to him. He keeps staring at me like I'm going to solve his problems.

I just don't understand him.

 

[Outpost JWB]

I don't blame them for not roost with him! Poor girls. Did you just add any new ones? Have you recently changed the coop? Or rearranged it? My 2 year old Speckled Sussex roo just recently spurred me repeatedly and was getting more aggressive. I put him in a dog crate for a couple weeks to reset the pecking order. I know that he rules the roost. But like the old saying goes, I rule the rooster! Since I let him out, he is acting better.

 

[seminolewind]

I don't blame them for not roost with him! Poor girls. Did you just add any new ones? Have you recently changed the coop? Or rearranged it? My 2 year old Speckled Sussex roo just recently spurred me repeatedly and was getting more aggressive. I put him in a dog crate for a couple weeks to reset the pecking order. I know that he rules the roost. But like the old saying goes, I rule the rooster! Since I let him out, he is acting better.

Pretty funny. Of all the roosters I've had, all have behaved very well around me except this little bantam roo who had little man syndrome. With this rooster, he has run off my Jersey hen on and off for a few years. The coop was re arranged 6 months ago. I keep thinking he has a brain tumor.

I have 4 SS hens!

 

[Outpost JWB]

I bought 4 SS chicks this spring at feed store because I want to breed my existing rooster with them in the spring. But 2 turned out to be roosters (you know how they are "sexed as females" LOL!) and one of the pullets died. The other one is good, but stubborn. She is beautiful. 5 or 6 months old.

Hope yours doesn't have a brain tumor. Maybe it is just the little man syndrome. And if it was arranged 6 months ago, as you know, that has nothing to do with his attitude. I'm stumped. Sorry.

 

[seminolewind]

My rooster with the girl problem is a Jersey Giant, LOL. Could it be that the girls are cranky because of molting?

 

[Outpost JWB]

I think mine are more sensitive when molting. Maybe it's lack of vitamins due to the molting.

I have 2 Jersey Giant hens and one gave me a Jersey Giant mix roo this past spring. His is super aggressive though. Yesterday when they were free ranging, if I could have caught him, I would have butchered him. It's coming soon. Just because I have too many and I don't feed a bunch of roosters all winter long. We have picked out one out of that group to keep for breeding. He (for now) has a free parking pass on our farm.

 

[Mogli]

wow sounds like a mean 4 year old Rooster no wonder the Hens Roost/sleep far away from him at nite, they dont like him i dont blame them poor Hens

 

[jtn42248]

Nice rooster, very friendly, about 4 years old. I have 7 hens with him. For some reason, he's been chasing off my oldest hen so she hides in my carport all day. Today I sat outside with the food and water and she came over and ate and drank for about 45 minutes! Today he chased off two hens when I put scratch out. I have to say that he is mostly all alone during the day and the girls are in the carport. They all go to roost but no one wants to roost next to him. He keeps staring at me like I'm going to solve his problems.

I just don't understand him.

What breed is the rooster? If his change in behavior is that radical after 4 years it is probably going to be permanent. You may need to house him apart from the others or actually find him a new home. Is he the only rooster you have? Did the change in behavior just happen all of a sudden or did it build up over time?

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
He's a Jersey. I've had Jerseys for 7 years. It's not a radical change. I have 5 roosters. If my girls continue to hide under my carport I will have to swap him out with the other Jersey. Then this one can go into a big pen with 2 hens that like him.

 

[seminolewind]

He acts like an alpha hen would act. She would get to eat first. Everyone else gives him space and waits till he's done. Lately I've been sitting with the feed bowl and the hens have been coming around me to eat. When I throw scratch, it looks like he has them trained to wait until he's done.

I guess I'm pretty used to roosters calling the girls and standing there while they eat. And if you give them something, they'll drop it for the hens.

I think he used to be that way, and I can't remember when I started to notice this. I'll check his weight tomorrow.