Is my rooster getting bullied??

[Firsttimehens1234]

I have a very sweet and very big rooster that is 15 weeks old who lives with 4 other roosters and 3 hens all the same age. But lately I have noticed that he will be the first to go to sleep alone,he will sit alone in a place only he can get in,he will be the last to eat and run away from the other roosters.he doesn’t have any open wounds or bleed but he just doesn’t act like the other chickens. I am tryin To sell the other roosters

 

[Tonyroo]

Sounds like he's at the bottom of the pecking order. Watch them carefully, as they get older there going to challenge each other which might end in death.

 

[Mrs. K]

Whew - you have a mess starting and it is apt to get much worse with that ratio. If I count right you have 5 cockerels and 3 pullets all at 15 weeks of age. That is almost a perfect recipe for a wreck.

Yes, I think he is getting bullied, and more than likely not enough to eat. With that many cockerels you are going to have cock fighting, especially if you have a smaller coop/run.

I think the pullets are going to be next, with multiple matings, feather pulling, and biting by the other roosters. That ratio of roosters can literally wear pullets to death, and rather a horrible one at that.

You really need a way to separate birds, I am a wondering what kind of set up do you have as in measured space, and type of coop. Not sure where you are, but going into winter with that ratio of males to females is not good.

I would cull all the roosters ASAP. If you cannot cull them fore personal use, re-home them and do not ask questions. Do not try and sell the roosters, give them away. You have too many to wait.

At the very least, you need some dog crates to separate birds immediately ready to go, even if you think they are all getting along. How cockerels act today, is no indicator how they will act tomorrow, and when it goes south, it seems to do it out of the blue.

Mrs K

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

Whew - you have a mess starting and it is apt to get much worse with that ratio. If I count right you have 5 cockerels and 3 pullets all at 15 weeks of age. That is almost a perfect recipe for a wreck.

Yes, I think he is getting bullied, and more than likely not enough to eat. With that many cockerels you are going to have cock fighting, especially if you have a smaller coop/run.

I think the pullets are going to be next, with multiple matings, feather pulling, and biting by the other roosters. That ratio of roosters can literally wear pullets to death, and rather a horrible one at that.

You really need a way to separate birds, I am a wondering what kind of set up do you have as in measured space, and type of coop. Not sure where you are, but going into winter with that ratio of males to females is not good.

I would cull all the roosters ASAP. If you cannot cull them fore personal use, re-home them and do not ask questions. Do not try and sell the roosters, give them away. You have too many to wait.

At the very least, you need some dog crates to separate birds immediately ready to go, even if you think they are all getting along. How cockerels act today, is no indicator how they will act tomorrow, and when it goes south, it seems to do it out of the blue.

Mrs K

Thank you for your answer,in about a week all of the pullets and one roaster is going into their new coop, and the rest will either be re homed or eaten.the one who was getting bullied is now in another coop a little smaller and I’m thinking about adding the either one of the hens or all three(2 of the hens are inseparable and always together and the 3 one is very tame and will get along with any chicken) but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to leave 4 roosters alone?

 

[Mrs. K]

The four roosters should be fine all together... for a while. If they have enough space.

 

[Dakota8472]

nom nom nom. tasty chickens.

 

[LizGio]

I have a very sweet and very big rooster that is 15 weeks old who lives with 4 other roosters and 3 hens all the same age. But lately I have noticed that he will be the first to go to sleep alone,he will sit alone in a place only he can get in,he will be the last to eat and run away from the other roosters.he doesn’t have any open wounds or bleed but he just doesn’t act like the other chickens. I am tryin To sell the other roosters

http://www.adoptabirdnetwork.com/chicken-sanctuaries-list.php

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

A little update,2 of the roosters are now sold,and the 3 remaining roosters have a really good Peking order so I have yet to see any of the roosters fight and only one of the roosters jump my pullets