My rooster is being rough with the hens; should he go to a new home?

[Alexandra33]

So I've got a Lavender Orpington cockerel who is currently 5 1/2 months old, going through that evil stage, and making quite the nuisance out of himself. He's done all of the following: ripped feathers out, chased a particular hen ruthlessly until she's too tired to fight, grabs them viciously by the head and attempts to hold them down, leaves their combs bleeding after his business is done, left a huge wound on Alex's neck that wraps all the way around, left a huge split down the middle of one of my Wyandotte's rose combs that bled into her nostrils, and completely terrorized almost every hen in our flock. So would you get rid of him, or keep him until full maturity? The only thing that keeps my from mentioning the possibility of freezer camp is the fact that he's great with people and children. Very respectful, non-aggressive, and calm. And I also have him separated from the rest at the moment while we make a decision. Thanks in advance!

-Alex

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Keep him separated, and maybe for months, I have had to keep some locked up for six months before they mature enough. Drawing blood is a bit too much though. I pen mine separately within the coop, I randomly let them out to observe their behavior, I then put them back the minute I hear a hen screaming. Some improve with time, others don't. So it depends if you want to provide separate housing for a while to see if he calms down, otherwise I wouldn't keep him, drawing blood is a bad thing.

 

[Alexandra33]

Thank you so much! What do you do with regards to separate housing within the coop? We have provided him with an extra large dog crate/kennel/cage inside our own coop for the time being, but I don't know how that will work for a few months.

-Alex

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We have built a separation pen within our shed, it was worth the effort because I use it a lot for young roosters, it is roughly 3 by 6 feet.

That's a young bantam in there, I can keep two large roosters in there as necessary, and every so often I let them out to run around before recapturing them. You could also use some fencing to form a pen, I have become inventive over the years.

 

[donrae]

Are all the hens the same age he is? If so, I might consider separating him for a few months and let them mature. But overall, I wouldn't be impressed at all with this rooster. I've raised a lot of young guys and they don't act like that. Granted, most of mine have older hens and/or an older rooster to kick their butts.....if you have older hens and he's treating them this way, I'd say give him the axe.

 

[Alexandra33]

Nice setup, @oldhenlikesdogs ! I really appreciate you sending me a picture for ideas.

@donrae , all but 4 of these are much older than he is. At first, they beat the snot out of him, but then I guess his size got the best of them at some point. Funny thing is, he has never managed to dominate the ducks, who frequently goose his lavender rump.

Thank you so much for the input! T.Roo's currently separated from the rest of the flock. My mom and I decided to wait it out for a couple months and see how he matures, but if he still treats the hens roughly after a certain deadline, there will be no place here for a grown rooster who mistreats our baby girls. I'm just hoping he outgrows it, seeing as he's wonderful with young children and adults.

-Alex

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Hope it works out, I have seen a few buttheads turn around after being in the pen. I too have goosing ducks, funny how the species interact. Be aware that roosters will have a hormonal surge in the Spring and you may have to wait past it. And remember the big breeds take longer to mature, they can take up to two years to finish growing. Good luck.

 

[Alexandra33]

Hope it works out, I have seen a few buttheads turn around after being in the pen. I too have goosing ducks, funny how the species interact. Be aware that roosters will have a hormonal surge in the Spring and you may have to wait past it. And remember the big breeds take longer to mature, they can take up to two years to finish growing. Good luck.

Thank you for the warning.

I'm amazed that it could take him that long to mature; so it might take more than a couple months of waiting time.

I must agree that it's pretty amusing how ducks and chickens can't relate. Might I specify that it's my Cayugas who do the goosing?

-Alex

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They do seem to be mature behaviorally by 10-12 months, but I am always amazed how much thicker and bigger they continue to get physically. My ducks are muscovy hens, they goose someone than talk to each other about it, cute.

 

[Alexandra33]

Bad news. First off, I must thank everyone for your help, but I realize that all these separating measures will no longer be needed. He attacked me today, with no warning whatsoever. I know what signs to look for of impending aggression, too, but he didn't even give me time to prepare for it. This will not be tolerated, so tomorrow we're going to take care of him. As much as it breaks my heart, because I really liked T.Roo, what he did was unacceptable and with two little brothers toddling around, it is simply not safe to have an aggressive rooster around.

-Alex