Odd Rooster Behavior

[kkormos]

I have two white plymouth rock roosters and only one of them acts like a rooster! The second is definitely a rooster with his larger size and big tail but he has a short comb, doesn't crow, doesn't hump the hens, and isn't aggressive. He doesn't fight the other rooster, but does act like a leader to a batch of our hens. The two roos were raised together so at first I thought it was just the pecking order of dominance, the bigger one showed dominance at such an early age I figured the second roo just didn't want to fight for it. But now he is old enough (born october) that he should be getting on some hens and crowing, but still nothing. We believe everyone must contribute so since he isn't laying eggs or fertilizing any he might be going to the stew pot soon. Is it possible he would be getting on hens when nobody is looking? But why isn't he crowing? I swear he's a rooster lol.

 

[Pyxis]

How old are they? My roosters sometimes don't start crowing until 8+ months old. Sometimes their hormones just take awhile to kick in. Do you have any pictures of him? Then we could tell you for sure if he's a rooster.

 

[sourland]

A dominant rooster can actually suppress testosterone production in a subordinate. In effect his dominance may be chemically 'castrating' the subordinate rooster.

 

[kkormos]

A dominant rooster can actually suppress testosterone production in a subordinate.  In effect his dominance may be chemically 'castrating' the subordinate rooster.

That's exactly what I was thinking! He has never shown dominance and they were from the same batch of chick's so the other rooster has always been the alpha. So if I were to get rid of the dominant one, would the other start to mature as a rooster and be more manly?

 

[kkormos]

And I will post a photo in an hour or so.

 

[sourland]

Generally when such an 'effeminate' rooster is given his own flock separated from the dominant rooster he will regain his mojo.

 

[centrarchid]

October hatch is very much in the cockerel age-class / young rooster. Give him a little more time.

 

[kkormos]

The first photo is of the dominant rooster and the second photo is of my other. As of yesterday I separated them and gave them each some hens. My older hens are with the dominant rooster (they are older than both roosters and not very mild mannered lol) and gave the weaker rooster some hens his age that are more friendly toward him to give him a confidence boost. There haven't been any changes in attitudes of each of them but it's just been one day.