non-dominate roo - trying to attack mother hen

[CoopBoots]

Just chiming in here because recently I'm having the same problem.

I have two broodies in my main coop, five hens in the yard, one old dominant rooster, and a pretty big sub-flock of pullets and cockerels hatched this spring -- some native (hatched and raised by a broody and integrated from early on) and some being introduced months back. Everyone gets along while mostly staying within their particular sub-flock.

One of my introduced cockerels is blooming and is leader of the young groups--or at least the most dominant. He intervenes in low level fights and when other cockerels go after the grown hens. He does go after the hens himself but they mostly kick his butt and run him off.

Suddenly, he's taken an interest in going INTO the main coop (he and the other littles actually sleep elsewhere across the yard) and attacking my main broody ON the nest. He actually runs her off and then continues the attack. And I've seen him try to mount, but this doesn't look like that at all--face grabbing, flogging with both legs. Two days now he seeks her out, so now he's in see but no touch jail from everyone.

My theory is, the broodies spend a lot of time away and they seem to suffer status loss with everyone. Plus even my old rooster dislikes broody "posturing" and seems to want them to stop displaying it around him. I think the poor dumb young cockerel just sees her as an outright stranger who is acting dominant/threatening and he can't stand it, although the seeking her out part is pretty weird.

My solution is the partial separation I have going on now. Curious if anyone else has thoughts on what is so offensive about broody hens to other chickens... Lol... Cause even my other hens seem to get annoyed by them. The cockerel just seems to be displaying an extreme response.

 

[LaFleche]

Broody behaviour states very clearly " stay away and leave me alone!"

An already hormonal cockerel should be able to read and understand broody behaviour and act/behave accordingly around broodies, rather protecting them from other hens attacking her instead of driving them off the nest and flogging the broody.

If he was displaying this antisocial behaviour here in my flock I would butcher him the same evening.

I do not tolerate antisocial behaviour in my flocks:

Two years ago I butchered an otherwise gorgeous French BCM rooster from my breeding stock that suddenly decided to attack my two broodies and drive them away from the feed and water.

 

[CoopBoots]

@Shadrach, I hope I'm not bothering you by tagging you on a behavior question. Cockerels being aggressive to broodies... Is this something you've seen in the wild, or is this a complication of not enough space in a backyard setting, perhaps? Perhaps nesting spaces should be more private than what I've provided, thus preventing such an encounter in the first place.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach, I hope I'm not bothering you by tagging you on a behavior question. Cockerels being aggressive to broodies... Is this something you've seen in the wild, or is this a complication of not enough space in a backyard setting, perhaps? Perhaps nesting spaces should be more private than what I've provided, thus preventing such an encounter in the first place.

Hello CoopBoots.
It isn't something I've seen once the chicks have hatched.
Rooster, cockerels and some hens will drive a sitting broody hen away from the food and tribe; this is common behaviour.
Hpwever, once the chicks have hatched and the rooster has imprinted the chicks, most of that stops apart from with some middle ranking hens.

As you suggest, space may be an issue. Free range junior broodies tend to nest away from the tribe and only introduce the chicks to the tribe and return with them to the tribe coop when they are about to stop mothering them and start laying eggs again.