Mean rooster

[Chickenmama15]

So, we have 15 hens and one rooster. Lately the rooster has been mean to some of the hens, this morning he chased the polish, pecking at her then cornered her which is when I caught him.... they will be 16 weeks old on Monday. Any ideas to why he is being mean? He has always been so sweet.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Hormones. Separate him until he learns to treat his ladies better. Couple weeks, I've read.

 

[Chickenmama15]

Hormones. Separate him until he learns to treat his ladies better. Couple weeks, I've read.

Really, thank you. This is my first time with chickens so all info definitely helps.

 

[Chickenmama15]

 

[Diannastarr]

So, we have 15 hens and one rooster. Lately the rooster has been mean to some of the hens, this morning he chased the polish, pecking at her then cornered her which is when I caught him.... they will be 16 weeks old on Monday. Any ideas to why he is being mean? He has always been so sweet.

yes i know what you mean , i hate to see that going on, the poor little pullets , i cant stand the screaming , when i see that .! those roos go into a pen , or put them out with older hens they will take care of them ...lol.. but usually i prefer a pen , granted a large pen, mine are like 20x20 feet or larger and there they stay until they are older like a year or so & can be nicer HA, but one thing if you try to stop them the roo can see you as their problem getting between the hens and them and thats when they can turn mean ..! so you dont want that , so put them in a pen and the only time they see you is when you are feeding them and being nice to them that is the best way to go in that situation .

 

[Chickenmama15]

They don't mind being alone? I put him up and he was yelling like. He was mad at me. I let him back out, and so far he has been good.....

 

[Hensndoes]

So, we have 15 hens and one rooster. Lately the rooster has been mean to some of the hens, this morning he chased the polish, pecking at her then cornered her which is when I caught him.... they will be 16 weeks old on Monday. Any ideas to why he is being mean? He has always been so sweet.

Is your roo 16 weeks also? If so he is a cockerel. He hasn't learned grace yet and his hormones are kicking in. And your pullets are likely coming into lay driving him nuts. Our roo used to chase the ladies every morning. Like really tear after them. Then we learned (and so did the girls) that if they just line up at the feeders he let them be while he stands back all proud that he got his ladies to eat. He's calmed down now that he is over a year old and a classy roo.

 

[Chickenmama15]

Yes he will be 16 weeks on Monday. Thank so much. I can't believe they go through so many changes

 

[rebrascora]

He will not grow out of it in two weeks. It will usually take several months

Mostly the problem is that he has hit sexual maturity before the pullets and is at the whim of his hormones and with no adult birds to keep him in check he is doing what his hormones are driving him to do. He will eventually learn some gentlemanly behaviour but not until that initial surge of hormones has subsided. Your pullets are also not ready to deal with his advances and may get injured as they struggle to get away from him. Feather loss is a usual consequence but occasionally pullets get scalped or gouged under their wings and can very occasionally be killed. It also stresses them at a time when their bodies are changing and can leave them prone to depression and even viruses. He will not like being penned on his own and it will stress him initially, but you need to decide where your loyalty lies. He should settle down as regards being stressed after a few days if he can still see the girls, but it needs to become his permanent home for several months. You only need to move a bachelor pad out of sight of the pullets if there is more than one male in it, as seeing the girls may encourage them to fight.

Good luck figuring out a solution to your problem but remember, there will be more occasions when you are not able to intervene than when you are there and can rescue the pullet. The polish will also be at a disadvantage because her vision is restricted by her crest, so she will not see him coming until it is too late. She may therefore be a more easy target for him than the others, assuming you have a mixed flock and become the brunt of his advances.

 

[chickens really]

Agree....The pullets are not mature so do not submit to his randy ways..He is full of hormones with no common sense yet....Young Cockerels are teenage boys with feathers....