My rooster is attacking one of my hens!

[JustMyCluck0303]

I need help please. My BL Roo (Col. Sanders) just started viciously attacking our smallest hen! We have 15 chickens (2 roosters, 13 hens - no problems between Roos so far). They have been raised together since they were hatched. They are about 5 months old and 4 of the hens are laying right now, but my Buttercup, Little hasn't started laying yet. In the last few days the rooster has been chasing her around and I thought he was just trying to aggressively mate her, but it really doesn't seem that way to me anymore. I had noticed her head was bleeding and put some Blu Kote on it and kept an eye on her thinking it was some of the other hens but then I noticed that he is definitely the aggressor. She has been hiding herself for days in the coop while everyone else strolls about the run. Every time she tries to venture out into the run (treat time) he immediately attacks her, pecking hard at her head and trying to rip off her tiny comb. She doesn't seem scared of any of the other chickens, but if he peeks his head into the coop while I'm checking on her, she goes bananas and hides her head underneath a corner of the coop to protect it. I am thinking of trying some Pin-less Peepers. Does anyone think this will help or have any other suggestions? This sounds really mean but if I can't find something that works ASAP I am ready to cull him before he kills her. She is my favorite and is the friendliest chicken I've ever had. She is quickly losing her rank among the other girls and despite being the smallest, before she had to hide all day she was in the mid to upper level of the pecking order.

 

[sourland]

Culling him does not sound mean to me. Any human or hen attacking rooster gets eaten so as to assure that his genes are not carried on.

 

[JustMyCluck0303]

Thanks. I guess we'll see how the Pin-less Peepers work. Until then, I've separated her into her own section of the coop with some chicken wire until they arrive in the mail.

 

[sourland]

By separating her you may have made her integration back into the flock more difficult. I would put her back with the flock and separate him until the Pinless Peepers arrive. Good luck at resolving this problem.

 

[JustMyCluck0303]

Well, shoot. That was my first instinct, too! I was struggling between putting him in or her... I just made a make-shift cage with some garden fencing inside the coop under the dropping shelf since that's where she has spent the last few days hiding anyway. When I get home, I'll put some more Blu Kote on her to see if it keeps the others from picking at her boo-boos, then switch him to solitary confinement and see how it goes for her with the rest of the flock. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[ChirpyChicks1]

Good luck!

 

[JustMyCluck0303]

Bad Rooster

 

[sourland]

He's being good now.