Please help! Rooster attacking hen(s)

[austintexasredhead]

I wouldn't have kept a cannibal either. I used to see birds pecking at dead birds back when I fed a layer ration, so make sure your birds are getting enough protein in their ration so they don't go looking for it.

Good info - thanks!

 

[austintexasredhead]

Sorry for the impending loss of your rooster, and hope the hen recovers well. I had a young buff orpington rooster, about 1.5YO, one fine morning the ladies were very upset. I open the coop door to find him with his head up a dead hens cavity, the hen penned in a corner trying to get under something. I grabbed him, he was covered with blood, then the hatchet,,, I am not sure if he killed the hen, but she would hide from him like that. I did move the rest to another area, just in case it was not him.
Good roosters can be found, craigs list always has a few from free to $25,,,

Yes, she is recovering quickly. Although I'm not sure how successful she will be at hunting bugs with one eye! Thank you for the info - you have been very helpful.

 

[austintexasredhead]

Thank you ALL for your thoughtful advice, wisdom, and kindness! We have permanently eliminated the abusive rooster. My hen only has one eye, but she is recovering quickly. What I have learned from this is that I need to educate myself on roosters and their behavior. Thank you!!!

 

[Clemmy]

quarentine or see if it will change. I dont have a rooster, but thats my personal advice

 

[austintexasredhead]

Are sure it’s not him being very aggressive while mating them?Is she fighting him back?
From what I have read some chicken personality’s just don’t clash,just like some humans getting along while others don’t.
I have a rooster who currently has a personal vendetta with one of my hens but nothing this serious.I don’t think it’s a disease issue because you separated her and he moved on to a new hen.

Maybe try isolating him until spring is officially over.And if he can’t act right,throw the whole rooster away.

No, it's not aggressive mating behavior. He has mated successfully with her previously and she didn't fight. This behavior just began a couple of days ago. It's more of a personal vendetta as you say. He was trying to keep her away from him and the flock. He would chase her, beat her up, she would run away, and he would continue to chase her. Very weird. Anyway, we've eliminated him. Thanks very much for your concern at taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.

 

[austintexasredhead]

it might, it might not, given how violent that was. That's a long separation for a very social animal.

I agree. I couldn't bring myself to isolate him for a year from his flock. I feel like that would be more torture than killing him. We have culled him and have hopefully learned from this experience. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[austintexasredhead]

That is a long time to keep him locked up.
You will have other problems trying to reintroduce him.

I agree. I feel like keeping him isolated that long is cruel and unusual. And then, to reintroduce him a year later....could be catastrophic. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Not even I knew some ofthis,as much as like and focus on mine,great info.

Greetings austintexasredhead,

I hear in your words, that you also care about your rooster. I understand that, totally.

But, here's my experience with roosters...not only are they social creatures, they have instincts, and intelligence. Roosters are a lot like parrots, as far as their capacity to learn. Even though a parrot ranks higher in intelligence. Thus, I have had great success in training my roosters. First they learn, I am stronger, then, they learn words and phrases.The phrase, "No Peck", is the first thing they learn. Some learn by one year old, some like my current, RIR, "Frito", learned by 1.5 years old. He was very powerful and extremely aggressive as a youngster. Now, he is my buddy, follows and comes on command. If I tell him not to bother a certain hen, he walks away. Yes, he knows all the hen's names, the cats, and the dog's too.

Training a rooster involves understanding the instincts and over riding them by appealing to the intelligence of the bird, with training. And even with training, instincts will sometimes overrule. Especially when hormones are riding high, like now during Spring. But, here's where maturity, along with training can allow the rooster to develop into a well rounded leader of the flock.

Here's your problem - your rooster has been learning from his instincts. These instinctive behaviors of aggression, have been reinforced by your decision not to intervene. So, in a way, you have taught him this is OK.

I have read that chickens can learn over 300 words, and recognize 500 faces. Their level of intelligence is usually dismissed, because it takes a lot of time to train them. Time that many keepers don't have. Running a farm, homestead or family can be demanding and time consuming.

To answer your question: will isolation help. No. It most likely will make him either depressed, and/or, more aggressive.

I don't know if he can un-learn what he has already been doing. In the future, there are going to be hens that he doesn't like, or that don't like him. During breeding season, roosters don't take well to refusal. There are many posts, about roosters even killing hens.

In my opinion, this is a challenge for a keeper that has the time, patience, and experience to correct, if it is possible.

These are my thoughts on your rooster. I hope they are helpful in some way.

God Bless

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Thank you ALL for your thoughtful advice, wisdom, and kindness! We have permanently eliminated the abusive rooster. My hen only has one eye, but she is recovering quickly. What I have learned from this is that I need to educate myself on roosters and their behavior. Thank you!!!

I am so very sorry that it came this, and I am sorry that your hens have been injured. It really is hard to find information about roosters, but, there is one here on BYC that you may like to read.

Here is the link.
www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-ever-misunderstood-rooster.72932/

 

[getaclue]

I don't often advise anyone to cull members of their flock without trying to correct behavior, but in this case, cull immediately. No, he was NOT showing normal cock/cockerel/rooster behavior. Yes, inexperienced cockerels are a bit rough until they learn, that's normal, but the majority will not say their roosters were as abusive as yours.