MrsAuberry00
Songster
The hen in question is a 2 y.o. BO and the rooster is actually still a cockerel at 6 mos. Several days ago, I discovered dried blood around the hen's comb and on her beak. I assumed it was due to her tussling with the rooster as she has always asserted, or tried to assert her dominance over him. Since that time, she doesn't leave the coop in the morning until I lift her off the roost and place her on the ground outside the coop. She has isolated herself from the flock whenever the rooster is present with them, (which is always,) and wanders around the property on her own.
This afternoon I went out to sneak her a few treats she wouldn't have to share and sat on a ledge in our landscape to do so. It was only her for a minute or so until the rooster saw I was outside and he approached. The hen began making the "something threatening is near" sound and jumped into my lap where she remained during the half hour or more I spent sitting on the ledge. When the rooster moved away, she'd calm, when he'd approach, she'd try burrowing under my butt. I ended up looking like a chicken loving pirate because he kept approaching and she literally climbed up my body to perch on my shoulder/neck. Anytime after that I'd put her down, once the roo saw she was down and alone, he'd run at her and she'd run and hide behind me.
I observed for over an hour, first shutting the girls in the run while the rooster was outside, (she would be fine until he got too close to the fence,) and then shutting the rooster in the yard and allowing the girls to roam the yard. As long as the rooster wasn't present, the hen stayed with the flock. When I let him out, she remained long enough to discover he was out, started to run away and was promptly chased by the rooster who jumped onto her back, (not in the "come on I want to love you" kind of way.) She then went back up into the coop and onto a roost while he went back to the flock.
Is this typical behavior of a rooster asserting his dominance over a hen who had previously been "the boss?" If so, what other behaviors can I expect and any idea on how long this will last? I fought to keep this rooster when my husband wanted to get rid of him, but I will not tolerate him terrorizing one of the hens, especially my favorite, sweetest hen. However, I also don't want to jump the gun and grab the gun if this is something that will pass. I'd never forgive myself if he ended up killing her, but I don't know if it will get to that point because I'm not sure what's going on. What would you do?
This afternoon I went out to sneak her a few treats she wouldn't have to share and sat on a ledge in our landscape to do so. It was only her for a minute or so until the rooster saw I was outside and he approached. The hen began making the "something threatening is near" sound and jumped into my lap where she remained during the half hour or more I spent sitting on the ledge. When the rooster moved away, she'd calm, when he'd approach, she'd try burrowing under my butt. I ended up looking like a chicken loving pirate because he kept approaching and she literally climbed up my body to perch on my shoulder/neck. Anytime after that I'd put her down, once the roo saw she was down and alone, he'd run at her and she'd run and hide behind me.
I observed for over an hour, first shutting the girls in the run while the rooster was outside, (she would be fine until he got too close to the fence,) and then shutting the rooster in the yard and allowing the girls to roam the yard. As long as the rooster wasn't present, the hen stayed with the flock. When I let him out, she remained long enough to discover he was out, started to run away and was promptly chased by the rooster who jumped onto her back, (not in the "come on I want to love you" kind of way.) She then went back up into the coop and onto a roost while he went back to the flock.
Is this typical behavior of a rooster asserting his dominance over a hen who had previously been "the boss?" If so, what other behaviors can I expect and any idea on how long this will last? I fought to keep this rooster when my husband wanted to get rid of him, but I will not tolerate him terrorizing one of the hens, especially my favorite, sweetest hen. However, I also don't want to jump the gun and grab the gun if this is something that will pass. I'd never forgive myself if he ended up killing her, but I don't know if it will get to that point because I'm not sure what's going on. What would you do?
