I need some hep with an incident that happened with my Roosters regarding pecking order

[Feathering Farm]

Some of you will think that you know what this is about. Nope, the issue that happened with my Roosters revolves around bullying. So I have two New Jersey Giants. One is white and the other is Blue with other highlights.

I also have another but he doesn't get picked on. So these chickens have grown together I have hand raised them myself. Oh right and I only have one hen. So the two Roos are best buds and the big Roo the blue one has the hen. That isn't the real issue, the issue is the Blue Roo attacks the white Roo all the time whenever he is near him especially eating he bullys him.

At times I get busy and feed hem late at night, they all come down to eat besides the one White Roo. I pet him and he gets all glittery. He even sleeps alone so I understand the issue is he is bullied even the comb is droppy and it's freezing here in California at night (finally) so I doubt it is dehydration.


So I watched, and he didn't eat or tried to eat and well he didn't. I grabbed him and he was hesitant but he got use to it as he remembered that I love him very much and hand raised them. Tried to feed him by hand nothing.


When I saw him fighting more at the end I knew he wanted back in he coop. I did so and he quickly flew up alone.

I went to the other side grabbed my flashlight... and I kid you not talked to my Blue Roo as if he was a human child. I kept flashing the light at him then pointing it to his brother being all alone. He had those pissed off eyes and I kept looking at him and showing him his brother while saying "why do you this bud he is your brother why be so mean look at him he's all alone".

Then the Blue Roo looks away and I gently tap his back and again show him his brother being alone. This is something idk so bare with me. I think he had a change of heart right here and then. His pissed off eyes looked more shocked open. The other sweet Roo understood it seemed and went to comfort him by sleeping next to him and he muzzled real close.

Idk if the Blue Roo understood that his brother the white Roo is really hurt and barely eats and maybe he realized what he has done? And the sweet Red Roo noticed and understood what I was trying to explain to the Blue Roo.

I will get them chickens they barely grew to be adults BTW and noticed this behavior recently.

Has anyone seen this or thinks that I said is true or? Thank you.

 

[BDutch]

Are these cockerels? How old are they?

Your numbers male/female are not right.
3 hens and one rooster is doable if the rooster/cockerel is not over-mating.
But the other way around is no-go. Separate the boys so they don’t see the hen, asap. She has no life if she starts to lay eggs.

Buy more pullets, preferably of the same age. Or if your hen is mature, more adult hens, to give your lonely hen company. Then choose the cockerel/ rooster you want as flock-master. Keep the other boys away and out of sight of the hens.

Most people kill and eat surplus cockerels. Some people try to rehome them. But keeping a seperate setup with just roosters is possible if there are no hens to trigger their hormones.

 

[nao57]

Animals do have spirits. Lots of people think so. It was only in recent years that the Gentile spirit of peoples of European descent began burying their heritage and started to think that you had to prove something and see it with your eyes for it to be true. There's really more than 1 way to think about things.

People pray about their animals for safety for them and for yourself. Doesn't make sense that you couldn't pray for them to get along and not hurt each other. Or to stay calm tempered.

And we don't see air, or atoms... yet we don't scorn or mock them like we do faith and many things we can't see of other things.

When Rome fell, the kings and kingmen of Europe were obsessed with kingdoms and lording it over others. They all were obsessed also with being the next Charlemagne, and having the biggest empire. This is they European history is so bloody. Every century tons of wars. There's even some wars before WW1 that they considered world wars in other eras also.

Anyway my point with the empires and kingmen being referenced is how brainwashed much of the culture and society is, to especially seek rank and abandon what our culture and heritage USED to be before empires and kingdoms.

So go right ahead and try out different experiences and ideas. Make tests and try things with your life, and with applies skills, and with your animals. And try to especially experiment with your faith and prayer. What do you have to lose...

...

So one thing you can try with animals that aren't getting along, is to not put down all their food in 1 spot. This helps them to avoid food competition caused infighting. And many people do this, and it works very well to curb trouble. You basically set part of the food down in 1 area, and then go a distance away to do the 2nd pile far enough away that the others can see it and still be farther away from whichever 1 is the bully so that he can't be there. The bully can't be in 2 different spots at once.

Also, note that in winter the animals have to keep their temperature up so their body burns more calories and they need a bit more food to compensate. This turns into more food competition, which can cause trouble if you don't compensate for it.

Good luck.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You ask if we think your bully understood what you said. Answer: I don't know, but I would be interested to know if there was a change in the bully's behavior going forward. Please keep us posted. And good luck.

 

[The Moonshiner]

No, I don't believe for a minute that what you're describing is what was happening.
Sounds like your set up is lopsided and not working. I'd imagine it will go back to exactly how it was.
Maybe it's just that after ready "New Jersey Giants" i cant stop thinking of a bad episode of Jersey Shore. OK so I'm no help here.

 

[Feathering Farm]

We'll see what happens all, today I watched them all. I kid you not the Blue Roo at times left his girl to go hang out with the two Roos and they would just run from him and he would run after them without any attack. So idk it seems maybbbbe he is trying to fix what he caused?

When I went inside, I pet all of them and I noticed the Blue Roo was less pissed off than his usual self. They are 1 year old. So I will get the two Roos some Hens.

I know the White Roo wants to lead so badly and I want to do that.

The other issue is one part of his comb is droppy and his face is kind of dark.

I will try to remember to post a pic tomorrow. Thank you all for the advice and kind words!

 

[saysfaa]

We'll see what happens all, today I watched them all. I kid you not the Blue Roo at times left his girl to go hang out with the two Roos and they would just run from him and he would run after them without any attack. So idk it seems maybbbbe he is trying to fix what he caused?
...

If they are running from him then he is not going toward them to hang out with them. They can tell the difference in what his intentions are from all sorts of subtle (and sometimes blatent) cues.

He is not trying to fix the problem of the other roosters being lonely. He is trying to fix the problem of them maturing enough to show more interest in his hen.

I will get the two Roos some Hens....

This will certainly help the current hen.

It may or may not help the current two lonely roosters depending on how many hens you get and how much space the flock has. If you get two hens, they won't pair up so each rooster has one hen.

 

[BDutch]

We'll see what happens all, today I watched them all. I kid you not the Blue Roo at times left his girl to go hang out with the two Roos and they would just run from him and he would run after them without any attack. So idk it seems maybbbbe he is trying to fix what he caused?

When I went inside, I pet all of them and I noticed the Blue Roo was less pissed off than his usual self. They are 1 year old. So I will get the two Roos some Hens.

I know the White Roo wants to lead so badly and I want to do that.

The other issue is one part of his comb is droppy and his face is kind of dark.

I will try to remember to post a pic tomorrow. Thank you all for the advice and kind words!

Did you read my advice.? Don’t wait and see unless you like to see casualties.

Read @Shadrach ‘s article about roosters to start with if you want to learn about rooster behaviour.

 

[Feathering Farm]

Here it is my White Roo.

 

[Feathering Farm]

Are these cockerels? How old are they?

Your numbers male/female are not right.
3 hens and one rooster is doable if the rooster/cockerel is not over-mating.
But the other way around is no-go. Separate the boys so they don’t see the hen, asap. She has no life if she starts to lay eggs.

Buy more pullets, preferably of the same age. Or if your hen is mature, more adult hens, to give your lonely hen company. Then choose the cockerel/ rooster you want as flock-master. Keep the other boys away and out of sight of the hens.

Most people kill and eat surplus cockerels. Some people try to rehome them. But keeping a seperate setup with just roosters is possible if there are no hens to trigger their hormones.

That's what I plan to do, they are around 6 months old. I honestly just want them all to be their own. As in they all have privileges