Is it me or the rooster?

[Lisa Wood]

Point of lay is when pullets start laying eggs, meaning they are sexually mature and will usually submit to mating soon before beginning to lay.
A 'good', mature cockbird will not mount a pullet that is not sexually mature....a young cockerel will try to mount anything it can.
Some cockerels are more discerning than others, some are so rambunctious that folks will separate them until they and the pullets are more mature.

CR is correct, male chickens do not have a penis...the male and female touch their vents together, often called the 'cloacal kiss', the male releases sperm which the female draws into her vent and is moved 'upstream' to where it can fertilize a yolk......that little shake a bird give s after being mated helps it along the way.

Thankyou Art. It seems I have commited an error by asking twice. You have explained it well. I have looked and researched on this list, and other resources as well, with no more knowledge till now.

 

[Lisa Wood]

Honestly, I don't blame her for screaming and fighting. She's still a baby, barely in adolescence for a chicken. He's maturing a lot faster than her, and he has no older birds to keep him in check. 

Since he's pretty precocious, I'd consider pulling him for a month or so until the pullets gains some sexual maturity. Even at that point, there is a lot of confusion and noise when they're working out the mating thing. But, at least your pullets will be physically ready to be receptive to his advances and they can mutually figure out things. 

I agree with your suggestion. I think its interesting to note the big girls do put him in his place. Or at least they say no and refuse him successfully. So in addition to being over sexed, he is not picking on someone his own size. He is being a bully and opportunist if I put it in people terms.
My husband is out of town working. But I will have him fix another rooster space when he comes home.
We did go for a walk tonight, me and the roo. Not for sexual infractions, but for bopping the little girls in the head when they were foraging for scratch. He got to come in house, meet all dogs, see his old room where he was a baby, and see a dog crate he can stay in if neccessary.
After speaking to you, I am hoping later when all the girls are old enough, the others will take some heat off my little legbars.
I am just basicallygonna pay attention to your posts and ignore the rest. Thanks again.

 

[Lisa Wood]

Oops! I meant you and Art! And I also get unconfused from LazyGardener. )

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have successfully bred one rooster to a run or yard full of hens and pullets by putting the cock bird on a tether and tying him out where the hens and pullets had access to him but where he could not bother another rooster by fighting at him through the wire.

Every evening the hens would all visit this one rooster who was confined inside an imaginary 18 foot circle by a 9 foot long leash. They all sauntered up to him and you could tell that they were there for service.

Sometimes the hen or pullets would squat out of range of the rooster and he couldn't reach his sweet heart but every time that I saw this happen the hen moved closer to the rooster and squatted again.

Despite being free as a bird to make their own choices, after everyone of these voluntary matings my hens all acted exactly like your hens did.

 

[Lisa Wood]

I have successfully bred one rooster to a run or yard full of hens and pullets by putting the cock bird on a tether and tying him out where the hens and pullets had access to him but where he could not bother another rooster by fighting at him through the wire. 

Every evening the hens would all visit this one rooster who was confined inside an imaginary 18 foot circle by a 9 foot long leash.  They all sauntered up to him and you could tell that they were there for service.

Sometimes the hen or pullets would squat out of range of the rooster and he couldn't reach his sweet heart but every time that I saw this happen the hen moved closer to the rooster and squatted again.

Despite being free as a bird to make their own choices, after everyone of these voluntary matings my hens all acted exactly like your hens did.  

Oh! Too funny! And excellent idea. You mean your hens were just pretending to be pure and innocent!?
I am seperating him till they are all of the age of consent. After that, if he is still too high on his horse, this is an excellent idea!
I am in SC. About ten years ago you coild just drive along and see cocks tied by thier feet to barrels. Since we had a cockfighting scandal involving a politician, we dont see that by the side of the road anymore.
I am sure your rooster was content.

 

[aart]

..... but for bopping the little girls in the head when they were foraging for scratch. ....... a dog crate he can stay in if neccessary......

I've got a suspicion that this male is not going to be one of the 'good guys'.........I'd take that crate right out to the coop and put him in it.

 

[Lisa Wood]

I've got a suspicion that this male is not going to be one of the 'good guys'.........I'd take that crate right out to the coop and put him in it.

Ok. I will get er done today. Do you mean day and night?

 

[aart]

Quote: Depends on how much time you have or want to spend monitoring/managing the situation.

You could either keep him locked up 24/7,
or let him out once in awhile and see if his attitude has improved,
then put him back in the minute he starts misbehaving again.

I'd keep him locked up 24/7 for at least a couple days at first tho,
give the girls a break.....

.....and him time to think about his bad behavior(tongue in cheek).

ETA: I'd strongly suggest you seriously think about getting rid of him altogether.
If this is your first chicken keeping experience, it will be much more pleasant with him gone.

 

[Lisa Wood]

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Depends on how much time you have or want to spend monitoring/managing the situation.

You could either keep him locked up 24/7,
or let him out once in awhile and see if his attitude has improved,
then put him back in the minute he starts misbehaving again.

I'd keep him locked up 24/7 for at least a couple days at first tho,
give the girls a break.....

.....and him time to think about his bad behavior(tongue in cheek).

ETA: I'd strongly suggest you seriously think about getting rid of him altogether.
If this is your first chicken keeping experience, it will be much more pleasant with him gone.

I have to locate another crate if we are talking 24/7. The one I was considering was if I over nighted him, so I will need that one for a dog.
So, let me guess. In your experience, there's about zero chance he can be managed with dominance training, right?
This is exactly why I didn't want a rooster. I had read alot before I ordered chicks, and decided since I have never had chicks, to stick with the easy plan and just get females. They were auto sex, and he was obviously a mistake.
My husband is out of town working, but he will not be cooperative. I just recently had to euthanize a rescue dog, and he chose hope over expert knowledge. I had to proove to him I was correct.
But I dont have to deal with that right this minute. He may insist on housing him seperately. I will just have to wait and see.

 

[Lisa Wood]

He is a chicken, hes not a bully, or an opportunist or any other anthropomorphic emotional trait.

Hes a chicken who is maturing and learning how to be rooster. Yeah it looks mean and kinda violent but chickens have been doing this for thousands of years.
I think they kinda have it figured out.

Separate him if it will make you feel better, but I would leave him be and let them figure it out. 

A CHICKEN!? Are you positive? You mean like the kind you make fried chicken out of!? I mean, did you see his photo get a positive ID?
Thanks for telling me, cause I REALLY thought we bought a flock of ostriches! Thanks so much, Imma gonna ask for a refund, or replacement birds.