Lonely rooster

[Cataudellab014]

my first post here!! Recently got into chickens this past April. Bought pullets from a local chain farming supply store and came to realize we ended up with 8 roosters. We decided to auction 7 of them and keep one until we got egg laying hens (what we originally wanted). Our rooster is now by himself and displaying some alarming actions that's I have to see any of our roosters do. Scratching his full food feeder, walking in circles, etc. is there anything we can do for him while we're waiting on our new chickens? I feel like a bad chicken mama!! Thanks!

 

[azygous]

Don't fall into the trap of ascribing human emotions to your rooster. He's less likely to be in need of an antidepressant or emotional intervention than vitamin therapy.

At the risk of trying to diagnose your roo with very little in the way of information about him, I'm guessing he has a vitamin deficiency causing neuro problems. Try giving him one capsule of vitamin E per day along with a half of a selenium tablet. If no improvement in a couple days, try adding a B complex tablet to the mix.

If this is indeed the cause of his alarming unusual behavior, you should see rapid improvement.

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!!

How old is he?
What and how exactly are you feeding him?
Did he act like this before you got rid of his hatch mates?
How long have his hatch mates been gone?
How long until the 'new chickens' arrive....and how old will they be?
Sorry for all the questions, but can't answer yours without more info.

 

[Larry Bond]

Welcome to byc! im new here to, ur not alone!

 

[Cataudellab014]

@azygous not that I am assuming human emotions but he was raised with the other roosters from hatch so I can see how he could be acting out based on the fact that everything he has known is now gone! Thanks for the advice!

@aart he is about 23 weeks! We are feeding him pellet from a local feed mill (we live in Lancaster county) he gets some in a slow feeder and some scattered on the ground for picking as per usual when the other roosters were here I have no made a change. He did not act like this prior but when I approach his pen he starts scratching the dirt/hay up and has become aggressive towards me. The other roosters have been gone about a week now and the chicken will be arriving in about a week. They will be mature already laying hens. I don't mind answering! I'll take all the advice I can get!

@Larry Bond thank you for the welcome!!

 

[aart]

@aart he is about 23 weeks! We are feeding him pellet from a local feed mill (we live in Lancaster county) he gets some in a slow feeder and some scattered on the ground for picking as per usual when the other roosters were here I have no made a change. He did not act like this prior but when I approach his pen he starts scratching the dirt/hay up and has become aggressive towards me. The other roosters have been gone about a week now and the chicken will be arriving in about a week. They will be mature already laying hens. I don't mind answering! I'll take all the advice I can get!

What is the protein and calcium percentage of the pellets?
Not sure your state requires this be listed on bag/tag.

Sounds like he's agitated and nervous because his flock is gone, not unusual.
Chickens don't like change and it can take them awhile to get over it.
His aggression towards you does not bode well, especially if you're new to chickens, he wants to dominate you.
At 23 weeks it's hard to say how he will react to new birds.
He's young, dumb, and full of.....
His demeanor may change, or not. He may be very hard on the incoming birds, or they may kick his butt depending on their age. You may be better off taking him to the auction too and just having a female flock for now.

How old will the new birds be?
Do you have a plan for integration?
Just putting them together may be disastrous.
At the very least I'd have a separate enclosure/cage to isolate him if it doesn't go well.

 

[azygous]

Now that the age of this roo is known, it's entirely possible his behavior is coincidental to the absence of his buddies and it is in fact due to hormones.

He's at the age when cockerels begin secreting hormones that will govern their role in the flock, leading to the protection and mating of hens.

The sudden flow of hormones, just as in teen humans, can be confusing to a young cockerel. When you add this into the mix of him suddenly losing his mates, it does cause anxiety.

The best thing to do is stay as calm as possible around him, moving slowly and deliberately, no sudden moves that will cause him to react defensively.

When you add the new birds, I would definitely keep him isolated in a separate enclosure from them until they've reached point of lay. If he sees the youngsters every day and can interact with them through a see-through barrier, he will be fine with them once they reach mating age at around five or six months.