Plucking Feathers

[LeslieRowley]

hey all,

I have a Delaware Rooster thats going on 6 weeks and he started plucking out my other chickens feathers, one severely enough it started bleeding. Since finding one with the blood I have removed him completely for 2 days now. The chicks feathers are growing back in and no issues since removing him. He is NOT our only roo, we hatched and it looks like i MIGHT have 4 hens in this bunch out of 13 . Since isolating him, he also has stopped attacking my hand completely. I would really hate to have an early cull on him, is there a chance that if I put him back in with the flock (in their newly finished coop where they would all be introduced new to it) he will stop the feather pulling ? Ideally I would like to keep him until ita time to cull to eat (like I said, I just have way too many roosters so planning on this/ rehoming a few). Any advice/experience is appreciated. I just want my glock majority safe and he got 5 of my chicks pretty good.

This is a pic at 3 weeks before he started being an asshole. (We still call him Annabelle).

 

[Mrs. K]

Some chickens just cannot take over crowding at all. They are the first to start trying to make more room by attacking other birds. Often times what was more than enough room when one starts to brood chicks, RAPIDLY becomes NOT ENOUGH room. If that might be the case, then I think putting him with the flock in a new set up with a lot more room and some hideouts might work well.

If it doesn't then you better just get it over with. Some birds just do not work with some birds. He might do better in another flock, but he might not.

Mrs K

 

[LeslieRowley]

Some chickens just cannot take over crowding at all. They are the first to start trying to make more room by attacking other birds. Often times what was more than enough room when one starts to brood chicks, RAPIDLY becomes NOT ENOUGH room. If that might be the case, then I think putting him with the flock in a new set up with a lot more room and some hideouts might work well.

If it doesn't then you better just get it over with. Some birds just do not work with some birds. He might do better in another flock, but he might not.

Mrs K

Yes thats what i was thinking but they definitely had a lot of space and plenty of toys to entertain with. We moved them all out to the coop together after a few hours of allowing them all together in the brooder to see if he started again. He didn't really attack, he was put back into place. He did lash out at the girls, which is what he was doing before but just slightly, not plucking anymore. Ill be checking in the morning again and every couple hours to ensure he isn't doing anything to them. If so, ill have to cull.

 

[LeslieRowley]

Some chickens just cannot take over crowding at all. They are the first to start trying to make more room by attacking other birds. Often times what was more than enough room when one starts to brood chicks, RAPIDLY becomes NOT ENOUGH room. If that might be the case, then I think putting him with the flock in a new set up with a lot more room and some hideouts might work well.

If it doesn't then you better just get it over with. Some birds just do not work with some birds. He might do better in another flock, but he might not.

Mrs K

Just a day later and we will be culling. Moved them all out to the coop and in the morning saw him attacking the one he got the worst again and she was bleeding. I brought the girl inside to fully heal and he is back in isolation. Oh well we tried.