I'm Losing My Mind...aka The Joys of Chicken Ownership. Also, HELP!

[Chickassan]

He's just being a rooster, you have alot of girls so he has nothing to do with your eggs going down. I would let him mingle if it was me, believe it or not hens like having a rooster he's security for them.Chicken love is rough its comb biting and ruckus, roosters don't bring Barry White and roses sadly. So what's going on is normal.

 

[Abriana]

Maybe he'll quiet when he gets older. My rooster chases the hens in the morning like he's nervous. I think he might stop as he gets older, maybe he's just excited now.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs Both eggs had the bull's eye. In the thread I linked to, there is a black and white photo that shows the blastoderm better, but here's the photo.
View attachment 1052903

As far as size when we purchased, it had a small comb. I can't give an educated guess as to age, but I do have a photo of them the first day we got them, (it is the one labeled as Daisy.) I don't know how helpful that is.
View attachment 1052906

It does look fertilized. I would guess his age to be about 5-8 weeks when that picture was taken, so he could be about 4 months of age now, so he could be breeding your hens, have you seen him mate yet?

 

[bobbi-j]

Oldhen pretty much covered it. May I

Hello everyone, I am here to ask rooster questions.I am not familiar with Roo raising. We bought a batch of what we thought were all laying hens. Well there was 1 Rooster. I never wanted a rooster. And now I have one. So, we have 11 older ladies 3 years old. And 14 new girls plus the Rooster. 18 weeks old. Well , he has nothing better to do than chase tail. The girls all run away and the older ladies , well let's say they stand their ground with him. When I fist saw him attack" my hens (that's what I call it lol) Because it horrified me how he took her down by her comb and clamped his "Talons" to grip her while he did his business. I came unglued! I wanted to shoot him. Those are all my ladies!! I shooed him away and locked him in a coop because he does this all day long!! Well egg production has came to a stand still. Is it because he is stressing them out, because they are running from him all day long? I just fixed the protein problem now this. They are all in good health eating great, drinking great, still doing what chickens do. They all are co mingling well with each other, Other than the Rooster. I am trying to find him a nice home to go to but until then what can I do? Do I keep him locked in the coop by himself? The coop is split in half one half for raising chicks and the other half for the older ladies and they can all see it each other until I integrate them together. So he can see all the ladies and not be completely alone. Not that cruel! So, I guess you can say I am being a mother hen and protecting my babies. lol! Any advice would be great! Because I know nothing about Roosters. Thank you!

Your "rooster" is a cockerel. He's just coming into breeding age and full of hormones. His little chicken brain is telling him that his job is to breed, breed, breed, so he's following what his brain is telling him to do. Your older girls are doing their job, standing their ground and teaching him some manners. The younger pullets aren't sexually mature yet, so they are running away from him. I would not keep him locked in the coop by himself. If the idea of his breeding your females bothers you that much, you really should either find him a new home or put him in the freezer. As far as egg production, do your chickens free range? If so, they could be laying just about anywhere.

 

[aart]

Some of you may be familiar with my seemingly endless threads asking for sexing and breed assistance... some of you may not, but trust me, they're there. I thought having a small flock of chickens would be a fun, relaxing venture and smiled at images of myself serenely collecting eggs and scattering scratch as fluffy, definitely female chickens scratched and pecked all around me.
Cut to reality as I worry about bumblefoot, heat stroke, lice, mites, wormy poop, pale yellow yolks, cockerel or pullet, who's pooping water, I think this egg is fertilized, why haven't I heard any crowing, why does it keep laying down like that, and what the hell keeps moving the bricks away from the pen every night?!

Yeah.... but....you are hilarious, articulate, ask in all the right places with plenty of details and clear questions. So, I salute you and Thank You for many chuckles.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Oldhen pretty much covered it. May I

Your "rooster" is a cockerel. He's just coming into breeding age and full of hormones. His little chicken brain is telling him that his job is to breed, breed, breed, so he's following what his brain is telling him to do. Your older girls are doing their job, standing their ground and teaching him some manners. The younger pullets aren't sexually mature yet, so they are running away from him. I would not keep him locked in the coop by himself. If the idea of his breeding your females bothers you that much, you really should either find him a new home or put him in the freezer. As far as egg production, do your chickens free range? If so, they could be laying just about anywhere.

We've got a few posts in this thread co-mingling. My cockerel isn't separated from the flock and I have pullets who haven't started laying, (that we know of,) but another person posted a question on this thread about their rooster and a drop in egg production.

 

[IamDavesWife]

Just wanted to jump in and say that I'm enjoying your threads...I'm just darned happy to know I'm not the only one who's thinking all these things

 

[aart]

We've got a few posts in this thread co-mingling. My cockerel isn't separated from the flock and I have pullets who haven't started laying, (that we know of,) but another person posted a question on this thread about their rooster and a drop in egg production.

Yeah, @raerae65 hijacked in with a question and I think that's the one @bobbi-j was actually responding too.
I really miss the 'Thread Starter' label on OP posts in threads.

 

[bobbi-j]

Yeah, @raerae65 hijacked in with a question and I think that's the one @bobbi-j was actually responding too.
I really miss the 'Thread Starter' label on OP posts in threads.

That's exactly what happened. I should have quoted the one I was answering. I miss the "Thread Strarter", too....

 

[snow5164]

Hello everyone, I am here to ask rooster questions.I am not familiar with Roo raising. We bought a batch of what we thought were all laying hens. Well there was 1 Rooster. I never wanted a rooster. And now I have one. So, we have 11 older ladies 3 years old. And 14 new girls plus the Rooster. 18 weeks old. Well , he has nothing better to do than chase tail. The girls all run away and the older ladies , well let's say they stand their ground with him. When I fist saw him attack" my hens (that's what I call it lol) Because it horrified me how he took her down by her comb and clamped his "Talons" to grip her while he did his business. I came unglued! I wanted to shoot him. Those are all my ladies!! I shooed him away and locked him in a coop because he does this all day long!! Well egg production has came to a stand still. Is it because he is stressing them out, because they are running from him all day long? I just fixed the protein problem now this. They are all in good health eating great, drinking great, still doing what chickens do. They all are co mingling well with each other, Other than the Rooster. I am trying to find him a nice home to go to but until then what can I do? Do I keep him locked in the coop by himself? The coop is split in half one half for raising chicks and the other half for the older ladies and they can all see it each other until I integrate them together. So he can see all the ladies and not be completely alone. Not that cruel! So, I guess you can say I am being a mother hen and protecting my babies. lol! Any advice would be great! Because I know nothing about Roosters. Thank you!

I'd get rid of him, you didn't want a rooster , they are way more stress then they're worth unless you want to hatch eggs ....