He did it again and I don't know what to do - Updated with a question

[claud]

They do sell a plastic fencing with small openings that you could use as a temporary inexpensive way to prevent them from sticking their heads through the fence. You can just attach it to your existing fencing.

 

[lauralou]

It's probably just my personality, but I have a really hard time keeping a roo, period. Bless their hearts, they just wear on my last nerve!

They really aren't necessary, and it seems to me that my little flock is much happier without one.

Edited to add: I have great luck rehoming roos on Craigslist.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
So, there ya go

The weird thing is, yesterday this same hen was squatting for him and seemed to have few issues with him, it was just this morning that it became a problem.

IME it works reasonably well between cockerels and pullets when they are both on the same page about what they're trying to do. The hysterics and injuries occur when he is, er, overly optimistic about whether she is offering sufficient consent to be mated. ("Oh look, she has paused in her travels for half a second and she doesn't see me here, I bet I can jump on and be done before she's even noticed, hey? Woo hoo, here goes!!!!!!!") He tries to hang on as she tries to flee, and all heck breaks loose.

To be completely honest, I do not blame pullets *one tiny bit* for being rather leery of some of their young male colleagues at numerous times. I'D probably try to squeeze myself through a wire fence to escape TOO. Fortunately they really do get more suave about it as they get older and getting to third base is no longer such a novelty

Pat​

 

[The Zoo]

Pat that is hilarious!
Made me smile and laugh out loud which I needed this morning.

I was about ready to send him off to freezer camp MYSELF this morning (veg or no) but I think I've calmed down. Maybe. A little. Depends on how long I have chickens in my bathroom.

As I told the carpenter, women like to be wooed with treats and dancing, not just jumped on. Roosters are from Mars and Hens are from Venus apparently.

 

[Country Heart]

Here are a few more options to consider...

- You might want to get him some more girls.
- You could try using a saddle, at least until he grows out of his difficult stage.

Here is an article about the saddle that might be helpful.

Saddle-up!
http://www.todaywebsitedesigns.com/files/ffusaexample5.pdf

 

[easttxchick]

Sounds like he might need a few more hens.

 

[The Zoo]

Thank you! I was planning on getting saddles at some point in time. Unfortunately, more girls is not an option as I'm limited on space and we can't change that.

 

[onthespot]

Another thing you could try, although it may seem counter intuitive. Put him in a very small pen so the hens just can't get away. They will learn to submit a lot quicker and get way less wear and tear from roo rodeo time. Once they settle down, so will he. I'm thinking three or four feet square. You can pen him separate in a cage, put him in with the girls for just fifteen or twenty minutes a day in the small area, large cage, whatever you figure works with what you have. Very little wear and tear, he learns, they have twenty three and a half hours a day that are in a roo-free zone, fertile eggs, happy hens, a roo that gets to learn his trade and earn his keep. I had a nice looking roo kept off in a pen with a door that led to the ladies. I let him in for about thirty minutes a day during chores. When I was done I would just shoo him back into his quarters and close the gate. Took him about three or four weeks to become a proficient gentleman and then he was fantastic after that.

 

[MontanaMomma]

Zoo,
When I got my five Leghorns, I began to think they were all roosters when their big red combs started developing, and they started showing territorial behaviors, and there were size differences among the five, so I can feel your pain. I raised them from chicks, but I am in town where roosters would disturb my neighbors and not produce any eggs. Luckily, they were all hens, but I'm not sure what I would have done if I ended up with a rooster or two. Maybe you could run an ad on Craigslist, Freecycles or Give Aways in the paper in your area with the condition he will be a pet only. There are people who breed chickens or simply want a rooster to watch over their flock. But it sounds like he is making progress with your girls, so maybe it will work out, and do try a different wire. If your chickens can poke their heads through the wire, that means other critters can too- skunks, raccoon, cats/dogs, etc. And I'm sure things will improve when their space is bigger. Good luck.

 

[The Zoo]

Well I have offered him up on freecycle and so far no takers. My husband is also going to check around his work since a lot of people he works with have hens and land or may know someone who does.
I have come up with this solution if we end up having to keep him - let me know what you think.

We have a coop/pen area that they've all been in until now. When the backyard landscaping/construction is finished we're going to have our fence company come out and build a fence that leads from the coop/pen to an area by our house the chickens can freerange in that will be fenced in as well. Literally a chicken run that can be reached from their pen and which we can block off and close down at night.

I'm thinking we build him his own little bachelor pad out there and there he stays until his hormones calm down and he starts behaving or the hens accept him better. He will have access to his ladies when I'm home (I'll only let the hens freerange when I'm home anyways) so I'm around if anything happens but he won't be able to have access to them when I'm gone (which is my biggest concern). We'll make him a nice, safe little place to sleep and there he will stay. I don't really have to worry much about predators and the run area is very protected with 8 ft tall fences (I will clip his wing too).