Help! Neighbor's rooster tormenting my girls.

[sjane74]

Ok I guess that didn't work. Will have to try it when I get home.

 

[sjane74]

Ok, here are pics of "Henry" and my girls. The last picture is what I find every morning when I go outside!

 

[centrarchid]

I can not see his spurs as clearly as I like but he appears to be about one year old, possibly a little less. Spurs are just coming into a point.

Pullets are not far from age where they will act like "hens". My estimate is that in 30 to 60 days they will come into lay.

 

[sjane74]

Is it too late for my husband and me to assert ourselves at the "top" of the pecking order? Maybe I already have...today he trotted away from me when I walked outside.

Also, would 7 chickens be considered too few for one rooster? Seems I have always read there should be at least 10-15 chickens per rooster, so the chickens don't get worn down with respect to mating.

Thanks again for your help!

 

[centrarchid]

I do not do the top of the pecking order thing. My intent is to be outside the pecking order and to be treated as something that it not a threat.

The sex ratio bit is over-rated. See following link where one rooster and one hen are involved. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882368/what-to-look-for-in-a-broody-rooster
I do this all the time for observing behavior which is not too similar from your setup.



I do similar in breeding pens as well. We used to maintain pairs on walks routinely. Damage from over mating seem to be mostly from a combination of confinement, male-male sperm competition, and hatchery derived males.

 

[sjane74]

Centrarchid - thanks again. one more ? If you don't mind: you mentioned putting him in a separate pen. Is that because they are only pullets or is that typical practice to have a separate pen?

 

[centrarchid]

I assumed you could take up neighbor's effort to get rid of a bird by taking it as your own. To benefit your management efforts you would then need control over the roosters movements and begin process of making him think your place is his in terms of an actual home base. Currently your location is a good place to get eats that also supports a bunch of juveniles (he does not care about their gender when juvenile) that get in his way. You can "reprogram" his concept of home base by confining him on your place for a while which would also wean him from his current flock. Keeping him penned separately will keep his insults against your pullets minimized during the reprogramming. The reprogramming part will make him quicker to accept the juveniles into his harem. So long as he is part of another flock he will be aggressive to outsiders.

 

[Flybybirds]

Is there a problem with taking the young too as your own? I don't see that he will do anything to the hens to hurt them. Is he aggressive towards your hens? Is he aggressive to you at all? Has he challenged you at all? That is not their usual job description. They are protectors of the flock!!!!! Usually they will protect to the death in some circumstances their flock. I have two roosters. People have told me that I have to have 20 or more chickens for two Roos. I have two roos for 14 and I don't have that problem of the Roos overtaxing the hens. They were also allowed to grow up together as young adults. My Roos only get their job done and then leave the hens alone for the rest of the day and night. Granted, not all are like this but that picture is of a young Roo. Mine are my flocks protectors. If there is a snake, skunk, raccoon for sure, or other predator in the yard they will sound off and hustle the hens together. From the picture he looks very young. Probably not much older than your juveniles. Right now he is just looking and interested in them and probably at what they are eating. It is true that pullets, hens, whatever and happier with a man around the house! LOLOL

 

[sjane74]

centrarchid - Thanks again for all your advice. My husband finally agreed to build the roo a small pen. Hopefully this week. For now he is doing his usual thing - strolls over to our coop at 5am or so and crows, then hangs out by my girls. When I first let them out in the morning, he chases them into the bushes (with me watching carefully), but for the rest of the day he does not bother with him, just sort of hangs around keeping a vigil.

Flybybirds - He was aggressive with my smallest hen once; he chased her and pecked at her for a few seconds until she ran into the bushes. He challenged me twice, but the second time I ran back at him yelling and threw a piece of wood in his direction (not at him). He has not challenged me since! You're very right - he is most interested in what they are eating. He's learned that when I call "Here, chickie chickies!" it means treats, and he now comes running when they do! We were going to put the rooster down (our neighbors gave us their blessing, they don't care for it/him) but thanks to centrarchid's advice, we are going to give him a chance with our flock. Just need to build him a little home base first.

 

[Flybybirds]

Sounds good. His aggression was maybe from being chased or you never know what. If you need any spur advice let me know I have a great article. Myself I do not care for a Rooster with spurs if you are going to keep them penned. If they are free range they will be his asset if predators come around. Sounds like you let your hens free range. Wish I could. I live on a large ranch and there are hawks, owls, and worse everywhere, day and night. So I built these PVC pens for them with covers so the hawks can get them. They are light weight so I can move them all over. Cenrtarchid's advice is always top notch.