New to chickens, is my rooster acting normally?

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pattyh

pattyh

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 29, 2011
11
0
22
Harsens Island
We have 10 chickens, 6 Rhode Island Reds and 4 Buff's. One of the Red's turned out to be a rooster. He comes down out of the roost every morning and crows, but the hens never seem to come down anymore (We have had them since February, got them as chicks). We leave for work at 7 and come home around 5. At 7 they aren't down out of the roost nor at 5. We seem to have to push them out and I'm getting worried that they may not be eating or getting water. The rooster seems to be the only one down all the time and constantly crowing, like he wants them to join him, but they won't. We have discussed "taking care of him", but we would like to keep him around to fertilize eggs. Not sure what to do, or if this is normal.
 
Is the rooster being rough on his hens? Is something scaring them? If it's the rooster it should be apparent by their appearance and the way you see him behave with them. Sometimes a young cock can be a little rough which can make them reluctant to come down.
 
The only time my birds ever did that was in the winter when there was snow on the ground (aka. the white death to chickens...lol).
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sorry i can't be more help.
 
Mine are out at the crack of dawn.

I would move them in the mornings out of the coop. Maybe they just don't like the rooster.

I had a few hens that would avoid a rooster at a young age, I separated the rooster away from the hens. And after a few days of taking her out of the coop, she would come out with the rest.

I left the rooster where he could see the hens, and they could see him. I put him back after a few weeks, but eventually had to let him go into a pen with other hens because they just did not care for him at all. They were happier with a different rooster that was more laid back and not as "randy".

Hens do want a rooster that will take care of them
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Mine are out at the crack of dawn.

I would move them in the mornings out of the coop. Maybe they just don't like the rooster.

I had a few hens that would avoid a rooster at a young age, I separated the rooster away from the hens. And after a few dayas she would come out with the rest.

I left the rooster where he could see the hens, and they could see him. I put him back after a few weeks, but eventually had to let him go into a pen with other hens because they just did not care for him at all. They were happier with a different rooster that was more laid back and not as "randy".

Hens do want a rooster that will take care of them
lol.png
 
He seems to be being rough w/ them. Holding them down and such. We can hear them "screaming" sometimes. So I'm assuming that's why they refuse to come down. Do we just wait it out or off him? They are all around 19-20 weeks old. Not even sure if he's old enough to cull yet. Like I said, my boyfriend and I are both new to this. He says "Eh, they're fine." I'm the one that is the emotional one and don't want them to be stuck in the top of the coop all of the time.
 
I would like to keep him around, but he does seem to rough with them. I can't let him out of the coop, we have neighbor dogs that are bird dogs and sometimes they get loose. He would end up as their dinner and not ours
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We are gone 9 hours a day at work and I would rather be home to watch them. We do let them out to roam the yard and he seems okay then.
 
Welcome! If he is THAT rough that they refuse to come ot he may be a canidate for freezer camp. Roosters are usually the easy ones to find on here or Craigslist on flyers at the local feed store??? Maybe seperate him for a day and se if they come out without him?


 

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