Help in solving chicken behavior :(

[myday502]

I have not sifted thru all the posts to see if this topic has been covered but I am in need of advice. I have two Roosters that rule the yard! They chase my ducks, and my hen. Will they outgrow this or is this going to be going on forever. We just got 4 more hens....chicks. I cannot let them out now anyway but do not want this behavior to continue. I gave to my neighbors a pair of polish chickens because "THEY" kept them out in the boundaries.
They are not mean to humans just to their own kind. One roo is a Barred rock and the other is a small Brahma. First I penned up the hen. Then the roosters chased and picked feathers from the ducks; so I just penned up the roosters.....help

I appreciate any info you can give me. I thought when they got older caring for them would get easier but NOT in my yard.
Thank you so much for any input.
Sincerely,
myday502 (Helen)

 

[debilorrah]

Let me first say

This place ROCKS!

Ok, now you mention one hen, and how many ducks? Two roos is one too many. The ratio for roos to hens is about 1 roo for every 8-10 hens. I have alot more hens than that and I have three roos. One doesn't know he is a roo yet, but yeah.

I think you have to get rid of one roo, or seperate one of them until you have enough hens to support a roos natural instinct to protect them and not fight with each other. With just one hen, they are going to continue to battle.

Chicks. See my BYC page for integration suggestions. Small chicks should not be in a pen with just one hen and two roos. They would never make it. Are they inside in a brooder? With a light?

Lastly, I am going to ask to have this post moved to the Chicken behaviors section where you will get more responses.

 

[Beekissed]

This will not stop and only get worse. I can't imagine why you want a roo if you only have one hen...poor thing will be ridden to death! Even with the extra chicks you have, two roos are one too many. I'd pen up the roos and let the other fowl run free. Then I would rehome them elsewhere...unless you want to incubate your own eggs or let a broody hatch a clutch, you really don't need roos.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Roos are also helpful to protect the flock from predators. However, I agree that this person does not need two. The OP could be new to chickens too, and probably needs information.

 

[myday502]

thank you for your input and yes, my only problem is we incubated all of the mentioned. We have 15 ducks and now 7 chickens but again 4 are chicks. We definately will get rid of one roo but I do not know which one! Frodo is a dandy and so is Bard... Thank you all! They are all about 15 weeks; will this behavior change? The chicks are not of course that age!

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Their behavior will most likely NOT change since they have already laid out battle lines. I would suggest choosing the roo the is the most friendly with the family and going from there. The Roo is not interested in the ducks, and they are only attacking them because they are in competition with each other for dominance.

 

[sourland]

Think teen age boys and raging hormones. That is the point at which your roosters find themselves. If possible, one should be relocated and more hens should be acquired. Once the hens are mature and more willing to breed, the behavior should improve somewhat. That being said, most roosters are oversexed and will wear the feathers off the backs of their favorite hens. If you don't want fertile eggs, periodically penning the rooster up away from the hens is an option.

 

[teach1rusl]

Oh yes...get rid of one rooster (or keep him in his own coop/run). Even with one though, at this age he'll still be hormonal and aggressive with your hens most likely, as he lacks finesse right now. Most say he'll get better with age, but it certainly won't be THIS year. If both of them are good with people, I'd lock one at a time up for a day or so and watch which is better with your hen and the ducks. I'd want one that treated my hens well, since THEY provide the eggs. And if the rough behavior (especially toward the ducks) continues after you get rid of one, I'd get rid of the "keeper" too.