How To Boost My Cockerel's Confidence

[PioneerChicks]

Hi everybody!

I currently have 3 cockerels, all of which grew up together and will be cocks in a couple of months. My OEGB, Finn, is Alpha. Bob, the humongous silkie roo is Beta. Peter (small silkie roo) is third and unranked in the roo order.

Anyway, Bob recently started beating up the other roosters. Long story short, he is now separated and I am searching for a new home for him.

For a couple of days now Peter has been Beta rooster, but the girls won't have anything to do with him. When he either herds them or tries to mate even the lowest ranking pullet will just peck him.

I want him to start mating the hens so their eggs will be fertile and I can hatch them. How do I booster his confidence? Does he just need time to adjust to his new role? Do I need to separate him for a while (which really wouldn't be convenient but I would manage)? Looking for advice.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Flock dynamics require that there is always a top dog rooster.
I'm gathering that your goal is to hatch mix breed chickens. How many hens and what breeds are they?
Your best bet if you just want him to mate all the hens is to separate all the other cockerels for about a week (depending on how many hens) to give him time to get around to all of them.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Flock dynamics require that there is always a top dog rooster.
I'm gathering that your goal is to hatch mix breed chickens. How many hens and what breeds are they?
Your best bet if you just want him to mate all the hens is to separate all the other cockerels for about a week (depending on how many hens) to give him time to get around to all of them.

I have 9 girls; 3 silkies, 2 EEs, 1 polish, 1 RIR, 1 Auracana, and 1 OEGB. And I have several more in the brooder. I don't really mind what kind of chicks I get, but I do want some pure silkies.

I know that there is always a top and bottom rooster, but do the bottom roosters ever get a chance to mate? When Bob was Beta he kept all the girl's eggs fertilized, but Peter can't seem to do one!

I'll keep your advice on mind and maybe try it in the spring, thank you!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The lower in the pecking order may occasionally mate but only when the others aren't around. What you'll get hatching is a gamble and if other roosters are mating, the occasional mating from a single rooster isn't likely to ever yield the offspring you want.
A hen can be fertile from a single mating for around 3 weeks. So that retained semen isn't going to be replaced by the occasional mating.
The only way you will get pure silkies is to separate the silkie hens from the rest of the flock. Discard/eat the eggs from them for the next 3 weeks and house the silkie rooster with them and after 3 days, start collecting the eggs for hatching. So you are looking at close to a month AFTER separation from other roosters before you can reliably set eggs that will be pure silkies.

 

[PioneerChicks]

The lower in the pecking order may occasionally mate but only when the others aren't around. What you'll get hatching is a gamble and if other roosters are mating, the occasional mating from a single rooster isn't likely to ever yield the offspring you want.
A hen can be fertile from a single mating for around 3 weeks. So that retained semen isn't going to be replaced by the occasional mating.
The only way you will get pure silkies is to separate the silkie hens from the rest of thee flock. Discard/eat the eggs from them for the next 3 weeks and house the silkie rooster with them and after 3 days, start collecting the eggs for hatching. So you are looking at close to a month AFTER separation from other roosters before you can reliable set eggs that will be pure silkies.

Thank you so much!