New rooster being mean with the hens...

[ronikins]

I have had him about a week and half now. He's a RIR and there are 22 BO hens. I was told he was 5 months old (I think he MIGHT be younger than that... he's just now crowing). My girls will be 5 months in about a week.

Every once in a while, he just coos for one to come over and then grabs their comb and doesn't let go for about 5 seconds! I feel just awful for the poor hen. They usually end up with injuries to the comb afterwards. I know he will be aggressive when he's sexing them up but this has me scratching my head. He's definitely not aggressive with me or my dog or cats, just the hens.

Is this normal?

 

[FireTigeris]

He hasn't figures out what to do yet?

Does he mate them at all or just get started?

Possibly either he's just a tiny bit too young OR he has bad instincts.

 

[ronikins]

I haven't seen EXACTLY what he does every time. So I'm not real sure he's starting to mate. It might be that. But the one time I did see it, he just grabbed her comb and held on until she could wiggle loose.

Bad instincts?

 

[chicmom]

Rooster can be really rough on the hens. Maybe, since he's new, he's trying to show dominance to the hens and show them that he's the boss. It's really a bit too rough if he's making their combs bleed though, and you say he's doing this WITHOUT actually mating?

Depending on the extent of the injury to the combs, I might just give him more time. He is young. But if he is really damaging those combs seriously, I'd make him into a nice soup.

 

[ronikins]

Aw I don't wanna have to cull him

I just lost our first rooster 2 weeks ago.

He isn't damaging the combs that bad. They end up with a little tiny tear usually. I've noticed a speck of dried blood here and there. Yesterday, one girl ended up with a decent tear but it was still pretty small. I'm really not sure if it's mating or just bullying.....

I'll give him more time. I'm thinking (re: hoping) he might be asserting his authority and he'll stop eventually. I'll keep an eye on him.

Thanks..

 

[Kev]

That's normal. He's just now getting the instinct for mating- they get an urge to grab heads at first, "without knowing why".. they can really fumble around and accidentally injure the hens until they finally go through the mating motions then the light bulb comes on, and the injuries should taper off once he learns how and when to properly mate.

 

[ronikins]

Thank you! I feel better. I kinda figured that's what it was all about. I just feel so bad for my poor hens

 

[sourland]

He's trying to figure out how to do "it", and the hens are too young to accept his advances. I would put him in a pen by himself until the hens become sexually receptive- onset of egg laying. At this point they will squat for him and not resist his advances. Takes some of all species longer than others to get things right.

 

[maurerwerks]

I have a SLW roo and 11 hens who are all about 11 weeks old. The roo, Cyril, is beginning to get a little rough with the girls - one or two of them in particular. Having gone through hormonal changes with my goats, I know that animals usually come out the other side and can turn into really wonderful animals (think teenage boys!

).

Here's my question... looking ahead to a few weeks/months of hormone raging rooster, are there first aid supplies I should keep on hand for my poor hens?

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Quote:
Very normal!!!