Old English attitude

[jeepchick]

I have 2 Old English that I got 2 weeks ago, one is a roo, and while trying to figure out what chicks to put in what brooder because I have lots of different ages and sizes and breeds right now I cant seem to make him get along with ANYONE! This little roo has such a nasty attitude the only one I can put him with is the little Eng girl. I tried putting him in with the older chicks....there are 2 silkies, 2 polish, 1 cochin and a polish frizzle which are all alot bigger them him and hes just awful! I went out to chick screeching and found him dragging my black and white polish around by her head feathers! She is at least 4 times his size. I grabbed her out and cuddled her and for a few minutes and tried to put her back in and she freaked out. So i had hubby take him out and after cuddling her for another 20 minutes she let me put her back in. He also apparently HATES silkies because he does the same thing to them. Are Old English just nasty by nature? Are they just really territorial? I think he has little man syndrome or something because hes just nasty. Hes not nasty at me just the other chicks. Anyone familiar with this breed that can tell me a little more about their dispostition or suggest a breed he might be compatable with so I dont have to build ANOTHER coop lol

 

[CowgirlPenny]

My friend "inherited" a bunch of Old English Roos and hens when she bought her house, and the Roosters fight ALL the time.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Wow he does sound like a little terror.

I have a bunch of OEG which I inherited from the previous property owner. He got them because they are very self sufficient birds, great foragers who can fly pretty well. They actually used to forage all day(main source of nutrition) and roost in the rafters of a shed on the property. One summer there was a raccoon attack in the shed and the OEG flock refused to go back. They roosted in the trees all summer and all survived.

My roos don't fight a lot once they figure out a hierarchy, but they are in great big aviary enclosures with our waterfowl. They may not take to confinement as well as other breeds.

I do have a OEG/RIR mix who was raised with cochin and Orp. They were in a coop together and didn't fight.

Maybe you can try placing the tough guy with his hen in a dog crate within the coop or run for a while.

 

[Chickenpoor]

All of my OEGB roosters are mean. Just a few weeks ago I reached into one of the pens to get the their water bowl to clean it and give them fresh water and before I knew it the rooster came out the door and got me in the side of my right hand with his spur, it went to the bone. It was the first time I've been spurred in all my years messing with chickens and I've got to say it did hurt for a few minutes afterward. I had an aching pain from where he spurred me up to my pinky finger. Lets just say after that incident I went out that night with one of those dog toe nail grinders and grinded everyone of the OEGB roosters spurs down to a blunt end.

 

[MustLoveHens]

Quote:
I have raised both Old English and American Games. The roos don't play well with other roos however they should be tollerant, protective, and decent to their hens regardless of the breed they are with. A good OEGB or American Game roo will watch over his hens, protect them from danger, make sure that his hens are well cared for and even stand up to preditors. They also are very tollerant and friendly toward people including children, as well as pets and other farm aniamls. They are great foargers and prefere to sleep in trees or as high as they can reach in a coop.
I culled my roos if they were mean to hens, people, or pets. I did not want to have that meanness in my lines. Toward other roos however, they are very territorial. That is why the are kept in seperate pens by those who breed them.
Your little one sounds just like one I culled this year. He was from TSC of all places and I got him and a few others to go with a chick that was the only one to hatch out of some eggs I was incubating. He was fine with the chicks he grew up with, but when I put him in with the other chicks I have, he was a total punk. Mean and vicious toward them. Doing what yours was doing. Since he would not give in or up, but just kept beating up the other chicks, I culled him. One of the other chicks from TSC is a little OEGB - Winston is a perfect gentleman. Fine with the ones he grew up with and fine with the group he got introduced to. Super sweet toward me.
When they are that young and that mean it's not a good thing because they should be acting like a "normal" chick would in the same situation. It's not until the Game cockerels hit about 6 months that they get territorial where they need to be seperated. They do play "fight" like all young chicks instintually do, but at about 6 months the "off" switch kinds melts down and they need their own space.
To be honest, unless you want him to breed to the hen and you can give him his own pen, I'd cull him. If he were mine, I'd cull him anyway since I won't tollerate that level of aggression in a chick regardless of the breed nor will I breed him.