- May 28, 2012
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Hello,
First time poster and first time chicken owner as of this Feb. We have a mixed flock of about 23 birds, 8 are bantums. They are half free range as they have about 1600 sqft with a smaller secured coop area, and they get on in the yard on weekends. We have one full sized rooster. He is a very handsome Barred hybred with feathered feet. Not really sure how we ended up with him, i think the guy we bought them from threw him in gratis.
Anyways, he's began to be fairly aggressive with several of out other birds, including the bantum hens. He pecks their head and kind of roughs them up. What has us most troubled is that he has also singled out our favorite americana that is really tame. She is so stressed by it that she either won't come out of the coop at all or will come out and then fly out and spend the day in the yard by her self. If we try to put her back in, the rooster comes across the coop like a dart and goes at her.
I understand the whole breeding thing, but is this behavior something we can expect to continue or something he (they) will grow out of? We like the rooster, but my wife gets upset by this behavior and it doesn't really make sense to me. We also have 3 or four bantum roosters. Are they going to start beating on the bantum hens? We have someone who may be interested in the rooster for their flock, but how can i be sure he's not going to start problems there? Thanks for reading. I would appreciate experienced replies only.
First time poster and first time chicken owner as of this Feb. We have a mixed flock of about 23 birds, 8 are bantums. They are half free range as they have about 1600 sqft with a smaller secured coop area, and they get on in the yard on weekends. We have one full sized rooster. He is a very handsome Barred hybred with feathered feet. Not really sure how we ended up with him, i think the guy we bought them from threw him in gratis.
Anyways, he's began to be fairly aggressive with several of out other birds, including the bantum hens. He pecks their head and kind of roughs them up. What has us most troubled is that he has also singled out our favorite americana that is really tame. She is so stressed by it that she either won't come out of the coop at all or will come out and then fly out and spend the day in the yard by her self. If we try to put her back in, the rooster comes across the coop like a dart and goes at her.
I understand the whole breeding thing, but is this behavior something we can expect to continue or something he (they) will grow out of? We like the rooster, but my wife gets upset by this behavior and it doesn't really make sense to me. We also have 3 or four bantum roosters. Are they going to start beating on the bantum hens? We have someone who may be interested in the rooster for their flock, but how can i be sure he's not going to start problems there? Thanks for reading. I would appreciate experienced replies only.
