I need your good advice

[CrazyChickenLady 285]

Hello there my chicken loving friends! I could really use some advice.
I have a small flock of chickens. A little over one year ago I was given a gift of 5 chicks but one turned out to be a roo... He is a good guy. One year old and very friendly with people but unfortunately, a little shall we say, overly enthusiastic about his four ladies. This is a concern that has been brewing for a little while. The flock has grown up together and in the last few months there has been an increase in the number of squabbles and ladies losing their feathers etc. I purchased 'hen saddles' in an attempt to afford them some protection but yesterday I pulled him off of his 'favorite' lady. He had a beak-full of her feathers and she was bald from the back of her head all the way down to her tail. I currently have him isolated in 'Rooster Jail.'
The four ladies now have the run of the yard but they have never been without his protection before. Other than his unwanted advances, he really has been a great protector and manages his little flock very conscientiously. I live in a forest and there is no shortage of predators, now I am a little bit concerned for their safety without his presence.
I do know that my chicken-to-rooster ratio is off, and I am in the process of raising a few pullets to even out the 'attention,' but it will be several months yet before they can be integrated.
My question for you is, should I continue to isolate him from the ladies to protect them from him? Or should I allow him out with the ladies during the day to help protect them from other worse things that might be lurking in the woods? I feel as though I am stuck between the proverbial 'rock and a hard place' and I cannot decide which course of action is best for protecting and caring for my girls. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.

 

[Chicks in VA]

@MysteryChicken

 

[MysteryChicken]

How much space fo they have? Do the ladies have enough space to run, to escape his advances?

I think this boy needs more hens, he seems to be overly vigorous. He is also more likely a roo that's never learned manners, since he's never gotten smacked around by older hens.

I do keep an odd number of roosters, & hens, have very minimal issues. I have hen saddles if needed, especially when it's peak breeding season, but it eventually settles down after about a month.

 

[CrazyChickenLady 285]

You are exactly right! He has grown up with these girls and never had an older hen to teach him manners! I also need more hens because he is certainly 'overly vigorous' I am raising pullets now to add to his flock, but they will not be mature enough to integrate for at least another 3 months. So my quandary is about what to do with my unmannered roo in the meantime? Do I subject my ladies to him because he may protect them from potentially worse things? Or do I keep him separated until the flock is larger?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I think a big part of your problem is that 4 hens is less than half the average recommended amount of hens per rooster. In most cases when you do not have enough hen for a rooster saddles won't be enough and they will all have bald patches. Is he only pulling feathers when mating? Since they don't have hands that's how they hold on and when the same hens are being mated over and over again their feathers will pull out very easily.

 

[MysteryChicken]

You are exactly right! He has grown up with these girls and never had an older hen to teach him manners! I also need more hens because he is certainly 'overly vigorous' I am raising pullets now to add to his flock, but they will not be mature enough to integrate for at least another 3 months. So my quandary is about what to do with my unmannered roo in the meantime? Do I subject my ladies to him because he may protect them from potentially worse things? Or do I keep him separated until the flock is larger?

Well, two options. You can keep him, & see if he changes as he matures more with added ladies, or you can replace him with a young cockerel.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

So my quandary is about what to do with my unmannered roo in the meantime? Do I subject my ladies to him because he may protect them from potentially worse things?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Rooster's are ultimately no protection from most predators in my opinion.. they're just front line sacrifices. A head hen can make predator warnings.

For me.. I keep a stag pen as sometimes the boys need a little time to mature. I would keep him in "jail" but still in sight where they can still interact.. he can treat call, serenade, and drop wing shuffle dance.. basically court the ladies, learn some manners and earn their favor even more in the long run. Maybe even allow full visitation one day a week or something to that effect. Experiment some, and see what works for you.

His immaturity along with the extended daylight hours probably have his hormones raging.

Not all boys will engage in over mating like this. I've kept plenty of smaller flocks and even multiple roosters (2-4 ratio). Some will over mate a favorite regardless of so called correct ratios.

If he's as good with people and valuable to the hens as he sounds then a little maturing time is worth it.. I wouldn't allow my hens or any bird to be brutalized like that under the guise of something worse MIGHT happen.. allow them to recover some also.

The other option if you're sure HE is what keeps predators at bay.. consider putting the girls in a secured run during this time out from him instead of free ranging.. while I prefer free ranging especially when weather is perfect.. I do go on lock down during times of high predator load.

Maybe integrate them all back when the new pullets are ready to go in.

For me, it's not about punishing the boy but protecting the ladies. And if he's harming them even unintentionally that's no protection at all. Just my 2 cents.

All birds are individuals and all flock dynamics are quiet dynamic. I can't tell you what is the right thing over all for you and your flock but I can say I don't allow it in my flock and it's cause for dinner if continued.

Best wishes!

 

[CrazyChickenLady 285]

I think a big part of your problem is that 4 hens is less than half the average recommended amount of hens per rooster. In most cases when you do not have enough hen for a rooster saddles won't be enough and they will all have bald patches. Is he only pulling feathers when mating? Since they don't have hands that's how they hold on and when the same hens are being mated over and over again their feathers will pull out very easily.

Yes - I think this is precisely the situation. There simply are not enough hens at present. We had not counted on having a roo - he was a surprise out of the 5 'hens' that we thought we had. We are raising more pullets to even out the ratio but they are not old enough yet to be integrated into the flock. Which is the reason for my question about what to do in the meantime. Separate him from the hens in the meantime to spare the four ladies from his repeated attentions? But this leaves them potentially open to predators as they do enjoy wandering outside of the yard. Any advice at all about how to make it through the next three months would be gratefully appreciated!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yes - I think this is precisely the situation. There simply are not enough hens at present. We had not counted on having a roo - he was a surprise out of the 5 'hens' that we thought we had. We are raising more pullets to even out the ratio but they are not old enough yet to be integrated into the flock. Which is the reason for my question about what to do in the meantime. Separate him from the hens in the meantime to spare the four ladies from his repeated attentions? But this leaves them potentially open to predators as they do enjoy wandering outside of the yard. Any advice at all about how to make it through the next three months would be gratefully appreciated!

The chance of your rooster successfully warding off a predator is low as they are in most situations just as vulnerable as the hens. However, the chances of your hens being over mated and possibly injured by your rooster is much much higher.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Can you do a look but no touch run beside him with the new pullets for a few weeks? When will they be ready to lay?