mean young roosters

[wayneo]

I have 10 wek old aruacanas. The two roosters wont leave the 21 hens alone they are literly atacking them and getting on top of them. I know this is normal but at week 10 and 1/2 the hens are being tortured. What to do.

 

[Mahonri]

Either get rid of the roos or separate them.

 

[vickig]

Get rid of at least one of the roosters, they are competing with each other. Poor girls.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They are just listening to those raging hormones they are just starting to experience. The only problem being the girls aren't quite ready for it. Things will settle down once the boys and the girls get the whole mating thing figured out. You have enough hens for two roosters, but if it really bothers you get rid of one (or both) of the roos.

 

[vickig]

I think a 2 to 10 ratio is a bit much myself.

 

[wayneo]

thanks for all your help it is alittle bothersome to the wife. but i tell her its just part of raising chickens.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Are the hens loosing feathers off their backs due to over-mating?

 

[wayneo]

All feathers are in tacked. I don't seem to see any loss of feathers anyway.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Tell her a good rooster is worth his weight in gold. He protects the flock and will put himself between a hen and harm. With my two boys no matter what they are doing one of them, usually Thor, has an eye on the sky. Zeus is the one of mine that's more the ladie's man. I absolutely fell in love with him the day I saw him pick up a huge cricket, call Lil' Bit (my runt) over, and hold out his beak for her to take.

 

[citygal/countrygalRN]

My Leghorn is named "Barry White" for a reason. He is the lady's man with a low crow.

Archie the Amerucana is more mild. They both defend the girls from the turkin cockerals we have free ranging as well. I have a total of 15 roo's, due to poor judgement and too much enthusiasm at the hatchery. I bought a incubator clean out special set- 15 unsexed grab bag of chicks. I got two hens and 13 roos in the mix.

I ordered two roos, and they are with the girls free ranging. The other roos are penned, for the very reason you described above, over zealous lovers. We affectionatly refer to the 6 ranging roos as "the nerd herd" cuz the other roos beat the snot out of them if they are together. We have had to modify the coop to create 3 separate areas for the chickens to roost at night.

But the 13 unplanned roos will be in my freezer in afew more weeks.