Need help/information with Rooster behavior

[Lobzi]

I have a relatively newly acquired rooster (going on 5 months) that I got to keep my lone chicken (going on 3 months) company. At first it seemed ok, though Chickie was a bit afraid of Roo. I figured it was because she had not been raised to this date with other chickens, on humans.
Now Roo has started bullying and chasing Chickie. She has become clingier than ever to me. She won’t stay in the yard with him unless I go out too. Often times she will beat me up the stairs to the house if she knows I am leaving the yard. Is there anyway I can change this rooster's behavior toward her? He is not aggressive toward me, and actually cowers to me so I know he considers me Alpha Chicken which is good. I just want so much for the two of them to get along. Are they just young yet? Can I expect things to improve between them? Thank you in advance for your advice on this.

 

[gritsar]

Is he bullying her or trying to mate? In chickens it looks pretty much like the same thing.

 

[Lobzi]

When they are hunting for bugs together, he charges her. He runs toward her and of course she cries and runs toward me if Im around. Is it the age when they would be trying to mate, at least he with her? She seems too young yet to me.
I appreciate your response, thank you.

 

[gritsar]

Yep. My boys will be 14 weeks old tomorrow. They've been trying for weeks now. The girls, same age, aren't interested yet. Boys will be boys.

My SO and I were just laughing about this behavior this morning. It's always the same scenario...the roo gets that look in his eye, the hens closest to him see it and run. If he does manage to snag one by the back of the neck the hen will scream like she's being killed and twist every which way trying to get loose while the roo tries to get on her back. So far, the hens have always managed to escape; leaving the roo standing there, usually with a mouth full of feathers, and a look on his face that clearly says "Was it something I said?!?"

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Roosters can be fertile at 20 weeks. He is either trying to mate or trying to establish dominance. Either way, you need more chickens. A good ratio of hens to roos is 10 to one or so. If he is not mating her already, he will be soon and repeated matings can really tear up a hen. I recommend more hens for the guy or finding him a new home.

 

[Laffindog]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but one of the posts raised a question for me........

"The girls, same age, aren't interested yet."

Will hens actually sit for mating or will they usually always try to get away?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Buster]

Quote:
Some hens sit for mating and some don't. Some roosters like certain hens more than others. You can tell when their backs get bare or their heads get bald.

 

[Laffindog]

I see. Thanks, Buster!

 

[farm_mom]

Yeah.....your roo is probably trying to establish his dominance as well as mate. Roos can"handle" as many as 25 hens. You may want to think about acquiring more hens for your flock because you're going to have one overmated and traumatized hen on your hands. Good Luck!

 

[Lobzi]

Thank you all so much for responding, sharing information and offering your advise. I very much appreciate it. Should I not try to discourage this behavior or intervene in any way then? So far, if I see him charge her, I have been yelling and clapping my hands at him.