Is this rooster crazy

[Lisa08]

Hello. New to chickens and found myself with an unexpected rooster. Is it normal behavior for him to come out of the coop in the morning piffed up like a basketball and prancing ... Like so aggressive that he wont let his hens eat and chases them all around the run? Its got to the point that the hens dont follow him out of the coop anymore! They are about 17 weeks old. I feel bad but I let him out of the run and let the hens out into the run... Close the doors and put him back in the coop. Ugh!

 

[Mylied]

Teenage hormones. Yes normal. He'll outgrow it. If you had an older roo or hen to teach him, he'd learn faster. You can keep him seperate til he matures more but I usually let them work it out

 

[keesmom]

I'm guessing they are all the same age?

He's a hormonal cockerel, ready to start breeding anything he can catch. Pullets mature more slowly and are not ready for that sort of attention yet. Is he chasing them all day and keeping them from eating and drinking? If so you may want to keep him separated until the pullets mature more and start laying.

 

[Lovem all]

It's normal. The girls are telling him whats what. Just make sure everyone can eat/drink. Maybe set up to places where that can be done.

 

[aart]

Even my full grown cocks liked morning mating.

 

[RebeccaRN]

Hello. New to chickens and found myself with an unexpected rooster. Is it normal behavior for him to come out of the coop in the morning piffed up like a basketball and prancing ... Like so aggressive that he wont let his hens eat and chases them all around the run? Its got to the point that the hens dont follow him out of the coop anymore! They are about 17 weeks old. I feel bad but I let him out of the run and let the hens out into the run... Close the doors and put him back in the coop. Ugh!

Mine does that too but only first thing in the morning, he leaves the girls alone for the most part for the rest of the day. They are all 20 weeks old today and its been going on for about 3 weeks. I hear he will grow out of it.

 

[centrarchid]

Every morning, the dominant adult male does the balled up "showing cotton routine" where he mates females coming off the roost. With mine, which I have several I observe, they peck any flock member they do not try to mate and the pecked bird gives a submissive response. If social groups close together, then the rooster may attempt matings with hens outside his social group.

Such roosters typically come off the roost before anyone else. The cotton at base of tail is particularly evident on wild type colored males and may be most important under low light conditions.