My Rooster is attacking one of my hens!!

[cafarmgirl]

My Rooster (A Rhode Island Red) keeps attacking one of my hens. I have no idea why he keeps attacking it my husband and I believe that he thinks that it is a rooster but it is definitely not we got it last year as a bitty at chick days at tractor supply, the bitty was in the same crate as the americaunas but is definitely not an americauna, the hen produces a light brown egg as opposed to a colored egg. Any suggestions as to why the rooster is attacking the hen.

It is very frustrating having to quarantine a chicken!!!!!!

So this is a hen that was new to the flock that you integrated? I have a similar problem with a hen I adopted from a neglectful owner a couple years ago. My rooster never would accept her. He doesn't all out attack her but if she goes in the coop with the flock he will give her a hard peck. She now lives with a buddy in my goat barn. It sounds like you are either going to have to rehome the hen or the rooster if he is attacking her that badly.

 

[NCchick1924]

Yea she's a different breed, he does fine with the others I don't know what the issue is but I have ees and rhode island reds, but the hen he's attacking is a completely different breed than any of them. But they roost together so I don't know.

 

[kari_dawn]

I really do not understand, when I say attacking I really mean attacking. The roo was flogging her pretty bad, almost took out an eye and pretty deep cuts on her chest and neck. Now the hen just goes to my neighbors house during the day or hangs out in the woods until time to roost but still roosts with them but is not seen in the daytime.

In all honesty, if he is being that brutal, I think it is time for him to find a new home...there are far too many good, gentle roos out there to tolerate that kind of brutality. New girl or not, it's not acceptable...

 

[WildBillHicks]

i talked to a guy at my feed store. i told him about mt BO roo attacking my barred rock hen. he said he has heard a lot of ppl with barred and dominick hens have the same problem and usually they have to separate them and if that is not possible them to give one of the two away. i guess this problem will only be resolved when i give the roo to a good home. here's the hen he picks on. im not giving her up. no way.

 

[the1much]

does the hen lay well? does she allow him to mate with her? is she sick? does she pick on anyone?

 

[donrae]

In all honesty, if he is being that brutal, I think it is time for him to find a new home...there are far too many good, gentle roos out there to tolerate that kind of brutality. New girl or not, it's not acceptable...

This. I don't buy that "different breed" theory, no other species does that, they just know "chicken", not "rir" or "ee", etc. I know, now dozens of folks will feel the need to come on and tell their story of why a different breed can be ostracized, but I'll never buy it so save your breath. A rooster's job is to be nice to the girls. If he's not nice, he's not doing his job and thus you should "fire" him.

 

[the1much]

This. I don't buy that "different breed" theory, no other species does that, they just know "chicken", not "rir" or "ee", etc. I know, now dozens of folks will feel the need to come on and tell their story of why a different breed can be ostracized, but I'll never buy it so save your breath. A rooster's job is to be nice to the girls. If he's not nice, he's not doing his job and thus you should "fire" him.

somewhere on here i know i have pics of my "yard birds" i musta had 20 different breeds,, and if they didnt like each other it was always personal quarrels, never "racial",, they jus see feathers and thats it. i agree with ya

 

[WildBillHicks]

i dont think it's a breed issue, either. i have buff, ee, sexlink, red, old english, leghorns, wyandotte, barred. i tried googling to see if some scientist/behaviorist could help but came up empty.

 

[Wjeffgriggs]

I had this happen also. If the roo even saw this particular hen he would be out for blood. It got to where I had the keep the hen isolated from the roo and when I let them free range this hen would stand on my deck staring in the window by the door. She wanted in! She was stressed out and lossing weight and quit laying do to this. The roo was killed by a dog so I really never resolved the issue, but she is back to normal and looking healthier than ever since.

What I noticed leading up to this:
just my theory but everything was fine until the rooster wanted to start mating with her. She never wanted any part of this. About 2 weeks of the roo trying and getting denied that is when it turned violent. I think the rooster was kicking her out of the flock because she would not let him mate with her.

 

[NCchick1924]

Yea I think thats the problem, that she won't let him mate with her but I told my husband I'd put a bullet in him before I let him start killing my hens, roo stew would be good haha, he is a pretty roo though but I'm sure I have another roo with the new bittys i have