jail for mean rooster?

[kleinheksel farm]

I have a rooster that is a big meany to my other rooster. he's pretty decent with the hens, but just mean to the other rooster. I've heard of people putting their chickens in "jail" or a seperate cage that is visible by the others, but i've only heard of this with hens. will it just make my rooster more mean if i separate him from the others? i have a rabbit cage i can set up in the run so they can all see him in there alone. what do y'all think?

aaron

 

[HHandbasket]

We do it with Rico, our ginormous black mottled java rooster. He comes after me... nobody else... whenever I'm out in the yard. He's fine to all the other chickens, but when I come out in the yard in a skirt or shorts and he can see my scary lilly-white legs, he comes after me. Usually, I just catch him and put him under my arm and carry him around like that for a while & that mellows him out, but yesterday he continued his aggression after I picked him up, continued to kick and bite me so he got to spend 4 hours in chicken jail while the rest of the flock scratched and pecked and had a good time. His hens visited him and tried to bust him out, but to no avail. He was appropriately contrite upon his release from Rooster Jail but was at it again this morning.

He's about 2 steps away from the roasting pot. I have too many sweet, good-natured roosters who have never shown any aggression toward any humans or other chickens to put up with this crap from him. The last thing we need is a mean rooster leading our flock.

 

[the3ofus+oursixchicks]

i am in a situation where i have 3 hens and ended up with 3 roosters. 2 of the hens are buff orpingtons one barred rock. the roosters are 1 barred rock, 1 cucko maran . these 2 are huge and one we dont know what he is. and he is little. is there a certain size i should keep for my hens? or will they be ok?

 

[colebarnhart]

If he is nice to your hens then leave him alone, he is just the alpha roo and that just sounds like natural behavior.

 

[kleinheksel farm]

Quote:
well i would, but he picks on the other roo until he's limping. He continues to limp worse and worse, so i figured i'd try to do something about it. i would separate the roo that is getting abused, but i think that would just make it worse.

 

[chickenlady08]

It sounds as if he needs to go. I rehome my meanies cause it is no need to have mean boys around when there are nice ones that can take care of your hens.

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
well i would, but he picks on the other roo until he's limping. He continues to limp worse and worse, so i figured i'd try to do something about it. i would separate the roo that is getting abused, but i think that would just make it worse.

It sounds like you have too many roo's and I would isolate the injured roo and yes that will put him lower on the pecking order, but I personally wouldn't want to punish or isolate the one that has been good to the hens and has proven his dominance. The alpha is the one you want to be the leader and do the breeding and etc., not let the weaker inferior ones take over because you took away the main guy.

If he was being mean to the hens or attacking you or your family then yes absolutly, isolate or get rid of, but it sounds like he is pretty good and just doesn't like some of the other boys. Which is natural, I don't support cock fighting nor have I ever been to one, but the people that do that are basically just providing a venue and letting nature take it's course. The sky is blue, the earth and moon are round and roosters fight and that is just the way it is and if they grow up together they get along much better but only because they have already established who the alpha is.

 

[kleinheksel farm]

they are growing up together. not sure if this is a factor or not, but they are 5 months old now... do you think this is just a phase until they have their order established? they've grown up together since chicks (weeks old). maybe i just need to wait it out. i'd like to keep both if possible... do you guys think that the picking on will get better with time?

 

[pips&peeps]

If you seperate, it will be worse when they are put back together.

 

[dandydoodle]

I am no expert by any means. Just curious though do you have pens where you could separate the roos from each other and give both of them their own girls. If you have the space and want to keep them both maybe you should provide them with their own space. If all goes well once they have established they are the man with their own hens maybe you could let everyone free range together. I would think if they have their own ladies they will go their own way when free ranging and leave each other alone.

Good luck