I think our hens will die if we don't out the rooster.

[CluckerFamily]

something I thought about just now is ...
we put some shiny wind spinners and wind sock up to deter the hawks, do you think this has anything to do with his behavior? It has gotten worse since putting them up.

Take them down to see! Hopefully that is what it is!

 

[13hensandaroo]

Yep, he's our only rooster. Ive always loved how the rooster would protect his girls, this one is over the top over protective.

I'll take down the shiny things and flapping wind sock and see if he's better. I'll get back with you.

 

[bobbi-j]

You have a young, hormonal cockerel who is mistreating your pullets. Take down the spinny, flappy things and see if it helps (I’m guessing it won’t). If it doesn’t, you could try separating him for a few months and see if he settles down, or you could just put him in the freezer and be done with it.

 

[13hensandaroo]

You have a young, hormonal cockerel who is mistreating your pullets. Take down the spinny, flappy things and see if it helps (I’m guessing it won’t). If it doesn’t, you could try separating him for a few months and see if he settles down, or you could just put him in the freezer and be done with it.

I took down all the shiny flappy things and crated the rooster away from the girls last night. I'll give it some time but I did notice when I let the girls out this morning, as soon as the wind blew they all headed back in the coup as if that's what they were suppose to do. Not huddled like the rooster has them do but hopefully over time they wont be so skittish.

thanks!!

 

[keesmom]

This is our 3rd flock and we've never had a rooster like this.
He keeps the girls in the coop just about all day. We have a small coup only meant to house them at night and to lay eggs, not to be huddled all day in the hot weather without food or water.
He is a Buff Orpington always to us a gentle breed, but this guy hates the Rhode Island Reds, and the Leg Horns. He's only slightly nice to one hen and lets her eat for a very short time before he chases them all in the coup. they are screaming all the time because he's grabbing them by the neck. The only place they can get away is on top of the coup where he can't get and theres no food or water there.
I have to go out several times to stand over them and let them eat and drink.
I've even shut all the doors to the coup so they can't get in and he makes them stay huddled just about on top of each other under the coup, not letting them eat or drink.
They are all the same age 16 weeks.
My daughter doted over him while he was young and I think this may have caused this.
Will he outgrow this?
Do I separate him for a time.
Do I serve him for dinner?
.

He's not a rooster, he's a cockerel. A young hormonal cockerel ready to start breeding anything he can catch, and the pullets are at least a month away from wanting that sort of attention. To avoid the harassment they are spending all day hiding from him, even if it means not eating and drinking.

I see you've separated him. I would keep him separated at least until they start laying, and possibly even longer. Or just put him in the freezer and enjoy the pullets.

 

[Tamdog]

I took down all the shiny flappy things and crated the rooster away from the girls last night. I'll give it some time but I did notice when I let the girls out this morning, as soon as the wind blew they all headed back in the coup as if that's what they were suppose to do. Not huddled like the rooster has them do but hopefully over time they wont be so skittish.

thanks!!

You say you put the rooster away... but the hens ran back in a corner as "soon as the wind blew" Perhaps it was not so much the rooster.... but they themselves were afraid of the wind socks, chimes and flappy things and would run hide in a corner when the objects moved. Of course the rooster would also react to the objects as well. You removed those objects but you still have skiddish hens. ( an probably a skiddish rooster now) I would give it some time now that the objects are gone. When my hens were that age if there was anything blowing or they heard a crow they would all run to the corner and huddle. Maybe the rooster was scared.

 

[13hensandaroo]

Yep, I think so too.

 

[13hensandaroo]

He's not a rooster, he's a cockerel. A young hormonal cockerel ready to start breeding anything he can catch, and the pullets are at least a month away from wanting that sort of attention. To avoid the harassment they are spending all day hiding from him, even if it means not eating and drinking.

I see you've separated him. I would keep him separated at least until they start laying, and possibly even longer. Or just put him in the freezer and enjoy the pullets.

He has not tried to mate yet, or if I've missed it, only one hen likes him to be anywhere close.

 

[The Happster]

You say he was chasing them around and grabbing their neck feathers. That's not him taking them for a picnic. That's a young cockerel attempting to mate.
He is causing stress for them, and separating is a good idea.
Likely he'll calm down a bit, but meanwhile that isn't exactly pleasant for those poor pullets.

 

[K0k0shka]

You say you put the rooster away... but the hens ran back in a corner as "soon as the wind blew" Perhaps it was not so much the rooster.... but they themselves were afraid of the wind socks, chimes and flappy things and would run hide in a corner when the objects moved. Of course the rooster would also react to the objects as well. You removed those objects but you still have skiddish hens. ( an probably a skiddish rooster now) I would give it some time now that the objects are gone. When my hens were that age if there was anything blowing or they heard a crow they would all run to the corner and huddle. Maybe the rooster was scared.

Not necessarily. Even if the pullets aren’t afraid of the shiny things, they could’ve been conditioned to expect rooster harassment whenever the wind blows (because the rooster was overreacting to the shiny things) and now it has become an automatic response to hide from him when the wind blows, even though he’s no longer there. Give them some time, they’ll get used to it. Chickens can get accustomed to environmental factors pretty quickly (lights, sounds, movement, etc) when they see there is no threat.