Removing a rooster from the flock

[Riparian]

In the early winter my hens started to pull out the feathers on my roosters neck, around the same time i closed the door on their coop for the winter. Now he has a bald neck, and the temperatures are about -25 here and he is suffering from cold exposure.

I have a younger rooster, a barred rock that has always gotten along with this roo but he has suddenly turned on him since he has become weak.

I need some opinions on what to do. It seems that i cant leave him in the coop anymore, the hens keep eating his feathers and the younger rooster keeps attacking him.

I know I can nurse my roo back to health if he could just have a few weeks in the warmth and some time for his feathers to grow back. But If I remove him from the flock will i be able to incorperate him back into it again? my hens loved this roo. They followed him around everywhere, and he looked after them.

What would you do? cull off the younger rooster? cull off the older one? or should I seperate him and get him back to full strength and hope I can get him back into the heirarchy?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dacjohns]

If you separate them and bring the older rooster back to full strength there will probably be a showdown when you reintroduce him.

If the younger rooster shows signs of being a good rooster I would seriously consider culling the older one.

 

[Mahonri]

I agree with David.

Unless you are set on keeping him and getting rid of the BR.

 

[ozark hen]

I agree with the above posts.

 

[Riparian]

I hear you guys. Thanks for the advice. Its just a real shame, this rooster did nothing except let his girls pull his feathers out. And he has been such a good rooster.

 

[notsooldmcdonald]

Maybe you could rehome him? Someone with a small flock of younger hens or pullets?

Just a thought.
-Christian

 

[lovemychix]

I didn't know my roo was a roo for awhile because the hens pulled all his tail feathers out!!! He finally grew some, and he was a good roo....besides he was out to kill my kids.

The hens still pecked him and he let him. He was twice their size and could have stopped it but he was just good to his girls I guess. With my new chicks I'm noticing again that the roos are getting pecked. I guess they are just hen pecked. I would seperated him for a while until they are bigger or he gets ummmm....more @@!

 

[Riparian]

I made the decision to seperate the old roo. The younger BR took a pretty bad swipe at him and there is blood now. Nothing serious.

I will make the decision on which one to keep soon. Im not all that crazy about the BR anyhow. But I will consider it.

Thanks for the advice guys.