I need advice!

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lipzard

lipzard

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Picked up 8 chickens and 2 ducks from tractor supply. All seemed well for months,but soon they all turned 5 months old. I ended up with 3 bantem roosters, a Barred rock rooster and a Rhode island red rooster,two rock hens and 1 bantem hen. The roosters have bothered the ducks so much now my sweet duckies even bite me.The big roosters almost killed the little bantem girl trying to mate her. I have obtained so many bites and scratches this week my arms and legs hurt. I raised them so I don't want them to just be eaten,but they act as if they are all nuts now. What can I do? I am not enjoying them and stressed beyond belief as rotating and cleaning takes up to two hours twice a day now. HELP!
KEYSVILLE,GA
 
Those are teen roos for you!
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There isn't really anything you can do to stop a teen rooster from acting on instinct. Bantam roosters may find a home, it can be harder with common breeds like plymouth rocks or Rhode Island Reds. You could try acquiring more hens, as more hens means the roosters will spread out their romance.

I tried to get 6 proven pullets and 4 straight run Barred Rocks at a feed store and ended up with 8 roosters and two hens.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Best of luck!
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Really all you can do is rehome them, keep them in pens away from the girls(and banties & ducks) or invite them to dinner. I know it's easy to say because they aren't mine. But, they are stressed, the hens are stressed, YOU are stressed. Removing them from the flock will de stress everyone left. Rooster anatomy is not the same as a drake. They may be injuring your ducks in serious ways. I know drakes breeding chicken hens can badly damage or kill them.
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join the flock! Sorry to hear about your troubles and stresses :hugs I totally agree with the advice that drumstick has left for you. They need separating before someone even you gets injured. It's always easy to say just cull them but sometimes this is the best way if you can't find homes for them. I've just recently had to cull 2 boys from a hatch i did. Out of the four that hatched 3 were boys. I've found a home for a hen and roo but not the other 2. They were starting to fight as they got into the teenage stage causing each other injuries. I know sometimes it seems harsh but there are so many unwanted Roos out there I've found this the best way. I know in my heart it's the right option for me. They have had a good life, well loved, fed and cared for and the end is quick for them. I know then they are not unscrupulous hands or not been cared for well.

Good luck and I hope yiu are able to find homes for them or a set up where you can keep them apart :fl
 
Hi, welcome to BYC!

Sorry to hear you're having issues with your flock. Raising chickens can be an enjoyable hobby but not all aspects of it are fun. Drumstick diva and Yorkshire Coop have given you some very good advice. Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself, the pullets and ducks safe and to get back to having fun with poultry.

Nice to have you here!
 
Thanks for everyone's advice. I have been keeping them separate for a while but everyone once in a while a pen pops open or somthing happens and someone gets outs. Also when I am moving them around pens to get everyone out is when I get it. I have to pick the roosters up to transfer pens and they get me. My duckie surprised me because he had never bite me before.
As for eating them I could not or would not do that anyway..lol. I am a vegetarian,have been for 17 years,so that is out of the question. I am trying to find a better pen situation so that I am not handling them daily and was hoping maybe just maybe I could find a farm to take one of them. The thing that confuses me is why does the roo get obsessed with the ducks?They will stand at their cage ,pacing hoping for a chance,do they usually do that? The bantems do not mess with the ducks but the Plymouth is obsessed and the rir will given the chance.
 
lipzard said:
Thanks for everyone's advice. I have been keeping them separate for a while but everyone once in a while a pen pops open or somthing happens and someone gets outs. Also when I am moving them around pens to get everyone out is when I get it. I have to pick the roosters up to transfer pens and they get me. My duckie surprised me because he had never bite me before.
As for eating them I could not or would not do that anyway..lol. I am a vegetarian,have been for 17 years,so that is out of the question. I am trying to find a better pen situation so that I am not handling them daily and was hoping maybe just maybe I could find a farm to take one of them. The thing that confuses me is why does the roo get obsessed with the ducks?They will stand at their cage ,pacing hoping for a chance,do they usually do that? The bantems do not mess with the ducks but the Plymouth is obsessed and the rir will given the chance.
Click to expand...

If your roos were raised around duck than they may just be confused. I have heard it is fairly common for roosters to try to breed with ducks and vise versa.

I hope you can find them an awesome home!
 
Lost one of my roos,the bantem that was a sweet heart. Just wakled in and found him dead in the cage.No clue what happened. He was fine when I checked him that night. So I have no idea what happened. He was always a baby though,very sweet and I did have to get him unchoked a couple months back. So I guess somthing went wrong with his esophagus.Why couldn't a mean one have went...lol. That sounds so mean.
 

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