Is "plucking" normal?

[Mmmmary]

Hi all! Sorry if this is repetitive, however I saw in the answers to other posts that the best advice is given with specific details such as rooster age and flock size.

I have a flock of 6 girls, and 1 roo. 4 girls are 1 year, 9 months, and 2 other girls are 9 months old. The rooster is also 9 months old. The rooster fully has his spurs in. They live in a large, free standing coop and run, I'd say about 20x20 with both included, and about an 8 foot roof, and get let out to free range about 3 times a week. They have toys in their run, and are given food enrichment every few days as well.

Basically, the issue we are running into is that he is chasing and plucking our two Leghorns, and one of the EEs he was raised with, while totally ignoring the other 3 girls (2 Speckled Sussex, 1 EE). He doesn't seem to be doing any damage outside of the plucking, but our girls are getting pretty stressed out. He is extremely friendly with us and with the pigs, the only aggression he has shown is plucking the chickens he is chasing. I would say he is significant bigger than all of the hens.

The biggest things I'd like to know:

1. Is this something we are doing wrong? Flock size too small? Not enough free range time? Not enough space?

2. If not, is this a behavior he will grow out of, or do we just need to cull him?

3. If he will grow out of it, what can be done about it in the meantime? For right this second, we have him in a Great Dane sized dog crate in the run, to keep him off the girls. Is this safe for him, at least temporarily? We could probably get a proper rooster pen up this weekend if needed.

We also plan to add 4 additional hens as soon as we build a coop extension, which will likely be once spring is fully here.

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would leave him penned for a good long while. Currently his hormones are surging under increasing daylight. Sometimes young roosters need to sit out their first spring. He may or may not grow out of it. Here because I have many roosters to choose from I would put him in the freezer and try again. A good rooster should woo, and tidbit hens, not chase and pluck them. I have had overzealous young roosters turn out better after they mature more.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Sounds like hes trying to force the hens to mate with him...id send him to freezer camp that attitude wont change

 

[Mmmmary]

I would leave him penned for a good long while. Currently his hormones are surging under increasing daylight. Sometimes young roosters need to sit out their first spring. He may or may not grow out of it. Here because I have many roosters to choose from I would put him in the freezer and try again. A good rooster should woo, and tidbit hens, not chase and pluck them. I have had overzealous young roosters turn out better after they mature more.

Is it safe for him to stay in the large crate for a bit, or should we aim to get a rooster pen up this weekend? If possible we would prefer to not cull, but obviously if that's the best choice, that's what will happen.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Is it safe for him to stay in the large crate for a bit, or should we aim to get a rooster pen up this weekend? If possible we would prefer to not cull, but obviously if that's the best choice, that's what will happen.

As long as you clean it regularly, and he had a roost he should be fine. I've penned roosters for months in pens. You can always set up something in the run for him to stay in. You can try releasing him occasionally to see if he's improving or not.

 

[Mmmmary]

As long as you clean it regularly, and he had a roost he should be fine. I've penned roosters for months in pens. You can always set up something in the run for him to stay in. You can try releasing him occasionally to see if he's improving or not.

I think I will go this route for now! If he's not improving, to the pot he goes in a couple months.

 

[Ridgerunner]

1. Is this something we are doing wrong?

Nothing that I can see.

Flock size too small?

People that believe in magic numbers may tell you so, but my flock is often the same size and I don't have those problems. You can have the same issues or none of these issues whether you have one rooster with one or two hens or one rooster with over 20 hens.

Not enough free range time?

Unless that much room is available practically all of the time I do not consider it useful for behavioral issues. If something is going on where they need the space, they need it then, not tomorrow.

Not enough space?

7 chickens in 400 square feet. That should be lots of room.

2. If not, is this a behavior he will grow out of, or do we just need to cull him?

Could you describe that plucking? What exactly is going on? When does it happen? Is it all of your girls or only certain ones? Is it only during mating? Is it only on the heads? Is he eating the feathers he plucks?

I have trouble answering this type of question unless I have a clue as to what is actually going on.

3. If he will grow out of it, what can be done about it in the meantime? For right this second, we have him in a Great Dane sized dog crate in the run, to keep him off the girls. Is this safe for him, at least temporarily? We could probably get a proper rooster pen up this weekend if needed.

To me the only question is how predator proof is it. If it is predator proof he should be fine.

We also plan to add 4 additional hens as soon as we build a coop extension, which will likely be once spring is fully here.

If you want the extra hens by all means get them. But do not get them just to solve this issue. It seldom does. It just means you have to go through an integration with the other stuff going in.

If possible we would prefer to not cull, but obviously if that's the best choice, that's what will happen.

You can always cull him and start over. That may be the best solution. But since I don't know what is actually going on I cannot recommend one thing over another. But I'll ask, why do you want to keep this specific cockerel?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think I will go this route for now! If he's not improving, to the pot he goes in a couple months.

If I have the room I always try to give them all a chance. It can sometimes take until late summer before they calm down enough to be released permanently. The good thing that comes from penning them is they should quickly learn to tidbit and talk to the hens through the fence, and it teaches them a different way to interact with them.

 

[Mmmmary]

Nothing that I can see.


People that believe in magic numbers may tell you so, but my flock is often the same size and I don't have those problems. You can have the same issues or none of these issues whether you have one rooster with one or two hens or one rooster with over 20 hens.


Unless that much room is available practically all of the time I do not consider it useful for behavioral issues. If something is going on where they need the space, they need it then, not tomorrow.


7 chickens in 400 square feet. That should be lots of room.


Could you describe that plucking? What exactly is going on? When does it happen? Is it all of your girls or only certain ones? Is it only during mating? Is it only on the heads? Is he eating the feathers he plucks?

I have trouble answering this type of question unless I have a clue as to what is actually going on.


To me the only question is how predator proof is it. If it is predator proof he should be fine.


If you want the extra hens by all means get them. But do not get them just to solve this issue. It seldom does. It just means you have to go through an integration with the other stuff going in.


You can always cull him and start over. That may be the best solution. But since I don't know what is actually going on I cannot recommend one thing over another. But I'll ask, why do you want to keep this specific cockerel?

Describing the plucking:
He will chase down those three specific chickens, and as they try to escape, grab them by their feathers. The other 3 will squat for him, and he ignores them. It's possible he is mating them when I am not watching, but I have watched him ignore them. I am assuming he is trying to mate the three that he chases. None of them have missing head, butt, or vent feathers, only back and wing. The other three are perfectly fully feathered. He doesn't seem to eat the feathers, although I haven't watched for it either. We find stray feathers pretty frequently.

I would call it pretty predator proof. We put it inside the run, and the run itself is predator proof, or rather, nothing has gotten in, in spite of trying, and the crate can keep our crazy dog in just fine, so I doubt anything could get him.

As for the extra chickens, they are planned no matter what. Wether the boy stays or goes, we plan to get them. If the roo goes, we probably won't get another rooster to replace him. We like to sit in the hot tub while they free range, and the pigs free range with them, so hawks aren't a big concern. Their free range area is also double fenced. It's about an acre fenced off from a fence 3 acre property.

As for this specific boy, he is extremely friendly to everyone and everything except these three chickens. I also generally believe in second chances, even for chickens, so if his behavior could realistically change, and we can keep the flock safe in the meantime, I don't mind the inconvenience of keeping him separated. I'm not really worried about inconveniencing myself, I just want all the animals in my care to have the best life they can.

Another commenter said it wouldn't be detrimental to him to keep him separated, so for now, I think that's my plan. We will build a rooster pen this week, and if he doesn't improve in a few months, unfortunately he goes to the pot.

 

[Mmmmary]

If I have the room I always try to give them all a chance. It can sometimes take until late summer before they calm down enough to be released permanently. The good thing that comes from penning them is they should quickly learn to tidbit and talk to the hens through the fence, and it teaches them a different way to interact with them.

Ultimately, I am not super worried about if I'm being inconvenienced or anything, we have the time and space to pen him, I just want to make sure all the animals get the best life they can.