My poor young roo is being henpecked!!

[L1sa]

Hi ladies

One of my Isabrown hens went broody last year so I got her a clutch of fertile eggs of which she managed to hatch one little boy. He's a Plymouth Rock and so affectionate towards me. He's just turned 3 months and mum has only abandoned him this week. The poor little soul is now being pecked and violently chased by 3 of my 4 girls (including mum!) and he tends to spend a lot of his day inside the coup hiding. Will this change as he grows and matures to a big boy? Or do I need to do something about it now? I hate hearing him screaming running away from them.

When I go in the coup I'm sure he thinks he's a parrot as he jumps on my back and sits on my shoulder!

Lisa

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Typically there would be more chicks present to sort of form a mini-flock until they integrate fully. He is young and smaller still so the Hens do not want to lose their position in the pecking order to him and are putting him in his place. Now while all that is fairly natural behavior, if he is being terrorized then you could separate him for a couple weeks to give him a chance to put on weight and size to be better able to stand his ground which will happen eventually it is just a matter of time. It is your call really, if you think he is in danger then put him in his own pad but there is not much else you can do until he is big enough to fend for himself at the dinner table, so to speak. Best wishes.

 

[ChickenChaser9]

He looks adorable! If you do separate him, it would ideally be where he could still see the other hens in the flock to help him feel less lonely and I would take the time to handle him gently and fondly in hopes that he will treat you humans in kind when he is older too.

 

[L1sa]

Thank you that really helped me relax about it.

I don't really want to seperate him yet, but when things get a bit much or his screaming gets too loud, I do let him out to free range to give him and the girls space.

He seems like such a sweet bird and seriously can't imagine him turning into one of those vicious Roos you hear people talk about. I've purposely handled him loads in the hope that he will stay that way! But I guess I'll have to wait till the hormones kick in!

I was shocked by mum however, who was such an attentive mother, that she could turn on him like she has. She used to protect him!!

Thanks eggsperts!

 

[aart]

It's totally natural for the broody mama to 'wean' her chicks away from her.
It's often disturbing to us humans, even if we do understand chicken behaviors.
They often do it way sooner than 12 weeks.

Handling a cockerel frequently will not necessarily keep him human friendly, it may in fact do just the opposite.

I'd have a separate enclosure ready to isolate him.
Are you sure you want a male in your flock?
If you don't want to raise more chicks, there's no need for him.
He may get along with the girls eventually, or it could be a bloody(literally) disaster.

 

[dekel18042]

Hi ladies

One of my Isabrown hens went broody last year so I got her a clutch of fertile eggs of which she managed to hatch one little boy. He's a Plymouth Rock and so affectionate towards me. He's just turned 3 months and mum has only abandoned him this week. The poor little soul is now being pecked and violently chased by 3 of my 4 girls (including mum!) and he tends to spend a lot of his day inside the coup hiding. Will this change as he grows and matures to a big boy? Or do I need to do something about it now? I hate hearing him screaming running away from them.

When I go in the coup I'm sure he thinks he's a parrot as he jumps on my back and sits on my shoulder!

Lisa

As long as you don't see blood, I would let him go. If you see any blood, separate him immediately. It isn't a bad thing for a young cockerel to be hen pecked, so to speak, and have to rise through the ranks (Which he will). These tend to make the best flock roosters and seem to be more human friendly than the young cockerels who were an oops boy in an all girl order or were raised only with chicks their own age and were always at the top of the pecking order.