Randy Juvenile Delinquent Rooster...

[ShanasCastle]

My eight juvenile delinquents are just four months old and are a combination of Wyandottes, a RIR, and a New Hampshire Red. The roo is a Wyandotte and boy, has he ever developed fast! He’s already jumping on my girls, who of course scream like they’re being murdered. He’s so ready and they’re so not that one of my larger girls now has a sprained ankle... Everyone’s on edge and avoiding him, which seems to make him even more determined to hump them to death. Other than separating them or putting him in the crock pot, is there anything I can do to make the transition to “henhood” easier for my girls?

You can try spritzing their bodies with lemon or orange essential oil. Maybe separation, with the ability to see each other but not able to harass the hens so much? My hubby brought home a rooster that his buddy had, who btw was causing problems in his old coop/flock. I put him in a small coop/run that's attached to the hens for couple of days. My hen wasn't suppose to be old enough to lay yet (17 weeks old) but today she laid her first egg. She was very interested in him so after some AWESOME advice from people here, I put her in with him. It went smoothly but he IS a very zealous rooster. None of the Problems he was causing. He's sweet, affectionate, and a gentleman for a young roo. There's an article that I read here on BYC about dealing with rooster....I will try to find it! It's an older but a GREAT read!!

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Sitting on the roost... He won’t go in the coop. At least he’s secure in the run. He’s surrounded by fencing and the doors are latched and locked. Now the question becomes, how the heck do I get him to go in his coop??

 

[ShanasCastle]

Sitting on the roost... He won’t go in the coop. At least he’s secure in the run. He’s surrounded by fencing and the doors are latched and locked. Now the question becomes, how the heck do I get him to go in his coop??

I find bribery works well lol
Favorite treat? A bit of scratch?

 

[aart]

Now the question becomes, how the heck do I get him to go in his coop??

Has he been in the coop yet?
Is there a roost in there?
An access door for you?
Take him off the run roost well after dark and put him in the coop.
Is the mesh on his run 2x4?
If so, it could be a raccoon reach thru risk to leave him out in the run overnight.

 

[ShanasCastle]

You can try spritzing their bodies with lemon or orange essential oil. Maybe separation, with the ability to see each other but not able to harass the hens so much? My hubby brought home a rooster that his buddy had, who btw was causing problems in his old coop/flock. I put him in a small coop/run that's attached to the hens for couple of days. My hen wasn't suppose to be old enough to lay yet (17 weeks old) but today she laid her first egg. She was very interested in him so after some AWESOME advice from people here, I put her in with him. It went smoothly but he IS a very zealous rooster. None of the Problems he was causing. He's sweet, affectionate, and a gentleman for a young roo. There's an article that I read here on BYC about dealing with rooster....I will try to find it! It's an older but a GREAT read!!

Found the article but can't figure out how to link. The user is Yazzo. Article is called the definitive guide to roosters. Very helpful information written in a funny, easy to follow format.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

It is 2x4 inch fencing, but he’s pretty settled right in the middle of the roost. Well out of reach. And yes, he has a roost and treats inside the coop. There’s an access door for me in the back, you just can’t see it from the picture. I put pine shavings in the coop, which might be the problem. He’s used to sand, so maybe with the stress of the move and separation from his girls, he’s just not loving the single life yet. I’ll switch out to sand tomorrow and see if I can entice him in...

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Found the article but can't figure out how to link. The user is Yazzo. Article is called the definitive guide to roosters. Very helpful information written in a funny, easy to follow format.

Yeah, I read that already. It was helpful. He’s actually quite a nice cockerel. He doesn’t mind people, crow obsessively, or do anything unexpected. He’s just a horny teenager who isn’t quite the ladies man he thinks he is!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He will adjust. I recently removed a little boy who was breeding his siblings at 3 months. Take about a week for a chicken to get comfortable with a new home, or situation.

 

[aart]

It is 2x4 inch fencing, but he’s pretty settled right in the middle of the roost. Well out of reach. And yes, he has a roost and treats inside the coop. There’s an access door for me in the back, you just can’t see it from the picture. I put pine shavings in the coop, which might be the problem. He’s used to sand, so maybe with the stress of the move and separation from his girls, he’s just not loving the single life yet. I’ll switch out to sand tomorrow and see if I can entice him in...

He's in the center now,
but if double teamed by coons he could will end up against the wall.
I'd just put him in the coop after dark.
Does the pop door close and lock?
Is there any other ventilation?

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Yep, he has a window in the coop and the chicken door locks as does the people door and the access door on the back of the coop (for cleaning). I’ll keep trying to entice him in today. It’s a rainy day and there’s a bowl of Scratch in the coop, so he might wander in on his own. Poor baby...