How Do Roosters Identify Hens?

[Ret]

I do not know how roosters identify the 'state' of a hen but good mature roosters know which hens are laying and which are not. My rooster will not mate any pullets until they are about to lay, and he will not breed any hens that are not laying. He will also not feed those hens, he will only give food to hens that are laying.
I haven't got a clue how he knows this but he does without fail.

 

[gailbelanger]

If you want to keep all of your roosters, can you separate them to another space until they get a bit older? This is the time where hormones are raging and they don’t know how to behave. Once they are over a year, you can take the most docile rooster and reintroduce him, see how it goes. And continue every week or so until they are all back together. You may find 5 is too many for your girls or when they get older & mellow out it might be ok. Your girls definitely need a break from them.

So it can get better? Good to know.
I've been giving away some hens with a rooster to a couple of friends. I actually had 6 now 5 and in a week I'll have 4.
I have about 55-60 new babies. I have some out in crates in the coop hoping to introduce them someday. One flew out when I was putting their feeder back in after filling it and 2 rooster went after her and would have killed her. I have one rooster who has gone at me 3 times, he might be in the freezer. I'm trying to get the roosters to not run from me by trying to hold them. I guess he's just doing his job but he's a little scary.
We'll be making a bigger coop during memorial weekend so I'll be able to separate them.
Thanks for the advice, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[gailbelanger]

Filing or cutting the tips won't stop gang raping or injuries only the nasty injuries like you described . I would make them a place of their own rather than allow the rape of my hens to go on. Good luck!

Thank you. Good advice. Some of them are being placed on their own...in someone else's yard.

 

[McChooky]

So it can get better? Good to know.
I've been giving away some hens with a rooster to a couple of friends. I actually had 6 now 5 and in a week I'll have 4.
I have about 55-60 new babies. I have some out in crates in the coop hoping to introduce them someday. One flew out when I was putting their feeder back in after filling it and 2 rooster went after her and would have killed her. I have one rooster who has gone at me 3 times, he might be in the freezer. I'm trying to get the roosters to not run from me by trying to hold them. I guess he's just doing his job but he's a little scary.
We'll be making a bigger coop during memorial weekend so I'll be able to separate them.
Thanks for the advice, it's greatly appreciated.

Every time my new rooster tried to flog me I caught him and held him down on the ground until he quit resisting. The only time I have to catch him is to clean and soak his feet in Epsom salt to cure his bumble foot.He stopped flogging me after the 4th or 5th time I held him down.He still runs from me when I go to catch him & hates being held.

 

[BDutch]

So it can get better? Good to know.
I've been giving away some hens with a rooster to a couple of friends. I actually had 6 now 5 and in a week I'll have 4.
I have about 55-60 new babies. I have some out in crates in the coop hoping to introduce them someday. One flew out when I was putting their feeder back in after filling it and 2 rooster went after her and would have killed her. I have one rooster who has gone at me 3 times, he might be in the freezer. I'm trying to get the roosters to not run from me by trying to hold them. I guess he's just doing his job but he's a little scary.
We'll be making a bigger coop during memorial weekend so I'll be able to separate them.
Thanks for the advice, it's greatly appreciated.

Good luck with you’re plans. Ik hope it works out for you to add more chicks in this situation with a bigger coop. 50 new ones need much space within a few months. And 25 more cockerels are a lot to handle. Planning ahead is important. Maybe you need a bigger freezer too?

I rather impose restrictions on myself. Before ‘I’* hatch new chicks there must be a good status quo and sufficient space (coop and run) for new chicks.

*(Buy fertilised eggs for a broody)

 

[Vicker]

And they have their favorites.

 

[saysfaa]

... Just curious: what are the cues that help a rooster ID a hen? Pheromones, maybe? Long eyelashes?

Behavior is probably part of it.

 

[cynikyle]

Have a single rooster with 4 hens in established flock. Am now adding 16, yes 16 new young hens. These new girls are still pretty young at just 6 weeks, but I expect one day soon the rooster will realize they are hens. Just curious: what are the cues that help a rooster ID a hen? Pheromones, maybe? Long eyelashes?

Chickens can identify people and other chickens very well, using their facial features to do so. At least that’s what I heard. And pullets generally act different than cockerels, more noisy and not as chill.

 

[gailbelanger]

Good luck with you’re plans. Ik hope it works out for you to add more chicks in this situation with a bigger coop. 50 new ones need much space within a few months. And 25 more cockerels are a lot to handle. Planning ahead is important. Maybe you need a bigger freezer too?

I rather impose restrictions on myself. Before ‘I’* hatch new chicks there must be a good status quo and sufficient space (coop and run) for new chicks.

*(Buy fertilised eggs for a broody)

No 25 more roosters!
The coop we have now is 6x18. The new coop is 8x40. Their yard is 32x32 right now and will be 32xat least 55 when done.
Plenty of room to separate if the need arises.
And we plan on getting rid of the roosters except 2.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

I know this is kinda a late response but my roo can definitely identify his girls and their ages. He won't mate anyone who is not laying. He's a super sweet boy too definitely a keeper LOL