I have 8 hens and 1 rooster, all 21 weeks. For the past 2-3 weeks one of the hens, Lacy, has become terrified of the rooster. I have not seen the rooster act aggressive towards her or pick on her. The rooster has started mating with some of the hens but he is not overly aggressive. Anytime he walks towards Lacy she runs the other direction. He doesn't even have to look at her and she will go running. Anyone have any ideas why she may be acting this way?
A lot of hens act afraid of roosters because they simply don't want to be mated. Its not that they're afraid; its just that they've learned that being in close proximity to a rooster often gets them mated. So even if the rooster isn't particularly vicious, more sensible hens learn from experience and stay away. Of course, that is just my theory, speculated from watching my hens interact with my roosters. Sometimes, more submissive hens are fearful of dominant birds, including roosters, so that could be the problem, too.
