HELP! new to chickens and my hens HATE my rooster!!

[mcanada1779]

HI, I am new to chickens I have only had them about 1 month. I have 1 rooster and 9 hens. all my hens hate my rooster. all of them scream when he climbs on which I have pretty much gotten use to. but I have one hen that hides under anything she can to get away from him. either he is chasing her into hiding or she darts when she sees him, im not sure. just wondering if this is normal. they have had a rough time so far. 3 got eat by a possum, 2 got sick and died, and my beagle has eat 2. I really want this to work out and I want them happy. oh and NO ONE is laying eggs. I was getting 1 a day from all hens. for the last 2 weeks I get 0.?????

 

[Veer67]

I had a friend's friend who's hens did the same. They were constantly harassed and mounted too many times by the rooster and became so stressed out that they stopped laying eggs. I would suggest either giving away the rooster or building the rooster his own pen.

 

[mcanada1779]

I have an inside coop in the barn connected to one outside the barn. I guess I can put all the hens in and lock him out. but then the hens don't get to go outside. I just feel terrible for this hen. she is always in hiding also she has something going on with her feet, they are huge. from what I have read it is some kind of mite?? I have been putting vasaline on them. I bought my chickens from an auction, probably mistake #1.

if I lock the rooster out of the coop I know my beagle will get him. that was the fate of my other 2 roosters. (we didn't know what we where doing when we went to the auction and bought to many rooster to hen ratio.

 

[donrae]

Pull the rooster out and let the flock settle down. You can just cage the rooster separate, or butcher him, whatever. Sounds like he's not a great rooster anyway, and you can always find another rooster later, trust me.

You might not get eggs this time of year, it's fall and they naturally molt and take a break during the winter.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

It's normal for some roosters but it shouldn't be acceptable to you because the excess drama stresses your hens out. You need this rooster because???