Help my rooster is attacking one of my hens!

[Golden Lace]

That being said, I've never had black sex link chickens

 

[Mrs. K]

I too agree, cull the rooster. First year flocks really have much less stress if all hen flocks. Roosters raised with flock mates, get bigger and become sexually mature much sooner than their flock mate pullets. This allows them to physically harass the pullets, which creates huge stress in the flock.

Roosters take some experience, and even with experience they are a crap shoot, some are great, some are terrible regardless of your set up, or your actions.

Mrs K

 

[Golden Lace]

So true.

 

[ValerieJ]

I have successfully isolated the rooster. He is still in the orchard, but fenced away from the chickens. Had to clip his wings to keep him there. He has plenty of room and a makeshift coop at the moment. Shirl, the chicken being picked on, was able to be outside the coop all day yesterday. A couple of the larger chickens will chase her away if she eats too near them, and once they attacked her because she put her beak through the fence where Vern, the rooster, was and he pecked at her. Vern going after her seems to be their trigger to follow suit. Vern is such a beautiful Australorp, I hate to put him down, and no one around here wants a rooster who picks on the smallest chicken. So, now he is pretty stressed out and just paces the fence line. I wonder if I should put one of the larger hens in with him. He has a particular fondness for Lucy, a Buff Orpington. Would that help mellow things out? Or would I be developing a power couple who will pick on everyone? I read so much before getting chickens. I just didn't know all the questions I should have asked. And again, if I have to "get rid" of Vern, I wouldn't be looking to get another rooster. I didn't know if I wanted a rooster because I hadn't read up on them. I thought I bought 6 day old hens.

 

[ValerieJ]

One of the bantam boys spent two weeks in 'stir'

Folly's Place, What does it mean to put a chicken in "stir"?

 

[aart]

One of the bantam boys spent two weeks in 'stir'

Folly's Place, What does it mean to put a chicken in "stir"?

It's slang for solitary confinement.......you go stir crazy in solitary.

 

[ValerieJ]

Oh...LOL

 

[ValerieJ]

I have been talking about this on another conversation thread and thought I would update here as well. I spent some time observing the behavior of all the chickens this week and found out who the aggressors were. The rooster and one hen have decided to "rule the roost" with an iron fist. So, I removed them and set up a temporary coop and run for them separately. Now my littlest chicken is not being attacked and actually roosting with the other two girls in the coop again. I have one chicken who sleeps in a tree at night. It took us three nights to figure out where she was going. When it was time to close them in she would just be gone, and then she would show up in the morning. My coop is in my orchard, and finally on the third evening I spotted her in one of the apple trees. Too funny. I plan to have a more permanent coop built for the second run area as I think I'll keep the rooster and the one chicken out of the main run until all the chickens are full size. That might make a difference. If the rooster is still a problem at that point, he'll wind up in the crockpot for sure. Thanks to everyone who encouraged and advised me on this thread! I don't think I could do this without the Backyard Chickens gang.

 

[merrymutts]

I agree.....I have had to rehome my rooster as he was picking on two of my older hens...just bullying. Now that Bill the Rooster is gone then girls are much happier. I am currently incubating some Jubilee Orpington eggs and hope I get a nicely tempered Roo from this batch.

 

[ValerieJ]

I wish I could rehome my rooster. No one around here wants an aggressive rooster, except for the soup pot.