HELP! Chickens in field!

[Vickischics]

But, we ask questions. We find out more about the situation, because there are other possibilities besides an abusive roo. Predators, stress, all of those could be the answer. Jumping right to abusive roo is like seeing someone unconscious, and jumping to a heart attack. Sure it could be a heart attack, but there are other possibilities worth looking into before you draw the line. The OP’s problem is rather common, I dealt with it just earlier this summer, and it wasn’t an abusive roo. And even if it is an abusive roo, there are other solutions besides getting rid of him. You don’t rely only on the initial posting, you ask more questions to find out more about the situation. They could have a fox living in their yard, and getting rid of the roo wouldn’t help that at all.

Bottom line:
We need more details before we can confidently determine the problem and find a solution. If we jump to a conclusion, an innocent roo could be punished and the flock would lose a valuable tool.

Oops, next time I/we will ask more questions before I/we "jump to conclusions"
Thanks for your Insight to the OP's problem.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

My Hens (not all of them) don't like to venture out much either but it has nothing to do with an abusive Rooster, wild life YES they are scared now after encounters with a fox and a bear at night that tore off their window. Everyone is fine. I'm hoping time will help them come around. I give them, (Chicken gatorade) That's what I call it, put in their water and it really help them cope with the stress. I wouldn't just kill my Rooster either, he protects them.

If they are under so much stress you have to basically drug them, that's not good.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I still think the roo is the problem. Think about it:
He overmates them, aka he isn't a mellow guy.
He controls them, doesn't let them leave.
They are scared of him, and then RUN when they are pushed out of the coop.
The hens aren't healthy.
Why are you not wanting to rehome him?

 

[Vickischics]

My Hens (not all of them) don't like to venture out much either but it has nothing to do with an abusive Rooster, wild life YES they are scared now after encounters with a fox and a bear at night that tore off their window. Everyone is fine. I'm hoping time will help them come around. I give them, (Chicken gatorade) That's what I call it, put in their water and it really help them cope with the stress. I wouldn't just kill my Rooster either, he protects them.

I'm curious...what exactly is this "Chicken Gatorade" that you speak of to help them cope with the stress.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I still think the roo is the problem. Think about it:
He overmates them, aka he isn't a mellow guy.
He controls them, doesn't let them leave.
They are scared of him, and then RUN when they are pushed out of the coop.
The hens aren't healthy.
Why are you not wanting to rehome him?

Overmating could be due to him not having enough girls. He only has two, and he just lost one, according to what the OP said. It has nothing to die with how mellow he is, sometimes the most mellow roosters are the ones that overmate the hens. Sex drive ≠ Mellowness.
The controlling part is likely due to him having just lost a hen to a predator, and also due to the fact the OP stated there are many predators in their location.
That might not be fear, it may just be them wanting to go outside.
That isn’t the rooster’s fault, it’s because the hens have been trapped in the coop. He didn’t make them unhealthy on purpose.
Rehoming him would do harm then good in this situation, as the OP lives in a very predator dense area according to what they said, and Orpingtons aren’t the best at watching for predators. A rooster would be a good tool in their situation, and the rooster isn’t aggressive at all according to what they said.

I vote keep rooster, build predator proof run if the OP doesn’t already have one, and set more traps to catch the predators that live there. Maybe get some more hens while they’re at it.

 

[AidKD]

When did the issues start? I have a strong feeling this a predator issue, as that is a lot of animals that will eat a chicken you caught. Do you have a run or enclosure you can let your flock run around in? A predator proof enclosure is never a bad thing to have, and with that many predators free ranging seems very risky to me. Looks like you have a great rooster there, it sounds just like he is trying to protect his girls.

About 2 months ago. I do have a run that is secure but not huge. I let the chickens out throughout the day and I or another person is out most of the day. I always keep a very close eye on the chickens throughout the day and have never seen any predators other than cats (which I don't worry to much about) out in the daylight. I hatched him and made sure he was very nice. The last one I had ended up in chicken noodle soup. A little tough but still tasty. It would kill me to have to kill him. He's a very good protector and follows me around everywhere.

 

[AidKD]

I sometimes have that, but there are tons of regaler sized chickens.

To much money for me though.

 

[AidKD]

I still think the roo is the problem. Think about it:
He overmates them, aka he isn't a mellow guy.
He controls them, doesn't let them leave.
They are scared of him, and then RUN when they are pushed out of the coop.
The hens aren't healthy.
Why are you not wanting to rehome him?

Because he's a very sweet roo that protects the girls with his life. He obviously needs some other girls to put his attention towards. They're chickens, it's what they do.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Because he's a very sweet roo that protects the girls with his life. He obviously needs some other girls to put his attention towards. They're chickens, it's what they do.

True. I'm glad he's sweet.
I hope it gets better with the arrival of new girls!

 

[Vickischics]

Good Luck!