Ribh's D'Coopage

[WhoDatChick]

14 weeks, boy, you got a ways to go. At least he won't be real big. How much separation could you manage? If you could keep then apart but visible for a while and then start providing short supervised visits with the flock I think that might ease the flock through his growing pains. Just an idea.

I'm not sure how much you can take on. This will take your time as well. Otherwise the flock will figure it out eventually but it will likely be painful until they do.

Thank you so much Bob! This is great advice...

 

[WhoDatChick]

He’s your only boy right? Does he show any other behavior issues? I’ve forgotten exactly how many hens you have all together

He might settle down nicely with time, or he might not... it’s really hard to say. Is Goosie laying yet? And if so is she a new layer? my very new layers and girls that weren’t laying yet we’re the ones the most freaked out by Mr Marans attentions, then he learned to go to the more accepting ladies.

It really takes them all a while to get the whole hang of the “mating” bit down, and for the girls to figure out it’s his affections and not an actual attack, even if they are older, if they haven’t had a rooster before. When I put Chickie Hawk in with the older hens I took from the farm everyone freaked out for several days, and it was a few weeks before they were all “ok” with his affections.

If they have space to escape him I would give it a little bit before you jump to separate him, unless he’s doing real damage. He will need to practice his courtship and techniques to get the hang of it... it’s a learning curve, and taking him away from the ladies could have a negative impact on his attitude (I think this was a contributing factor to my issues with Chickie Hawk)

I’ve noticed that the young male urges seem most prominent first thing in the morning, then things settle down. And remember chicken mating can look very violent, especially with a young cockerel that hasn’t a clue what goes where, and how to get the ladies to like him. 14 weeks is young, I would give them all some time but keep a close eye on things for problems like bare necks, cuts on their backs, or him getting too roughly schooled by the older/bigger girls for his behaviors. When I added the farm girls into Chickie Hawks pen I had to separate him for his own protection, the 1/2 his size little hens where fit to kill him from the moment he tried to mount one of them. So things can be deceiving.

Thank you Kris!! This gives me hope.. I feel like it is probably just normal stuff going on like you are saying... not too much over the top.. yes, Goosie is young still.. 17 weeks this week so that’s probably exactly what is going on with her.. not to mention she’s at the very bottom of pecking order and being the weirdo that she is and all .... Vinny seems to be very active in the later evening... could be because of the heat.. I feel like I could see possible potential in him so I’d like to keep trying with him. Hopefully all it is is just as you are saying... and I’d like it if one of the more dominant older gals would put him in his place.. but like I said he is only trying with the ones I think he thinks he can push over or get away with...

I have Vinny... 6 one year old standards... 1 one year old Silkie (his mama).. 3 seventeen week old standards... 3 fourteen week old Cochins (his sisters)... and 3 nine week old EEs... whew! Yall can see why I have so many issues... yall should see bedtime ... live and learn! Never again

 

[WhoDatChick]

He’s your only boy right? Does he show any other behavior issues? I’ve forgotten exactly how many hens you have all together

He might settle down nicely with time, or he might not... it’s really hard to say. Is Goosie laying yet? And if so is she a new layer? my very new layers and girls that weren’t laying yet we’re the ones the most freaked out by Mr Marans attentions, then he learned to go to the more accepting ladies.

It really takes them all a while to get the whole hang of the “mating” bit down, and for the girls to figure out it’s his affections and not an actual attack, even if they are older, if they haven’t had a rooster before. When I put Chickie Hawk in with the older hens I took from the farm everyone freaked out for several days, and it was a few weeks before they were all “ok” with his affections.

If they have space to escape him I would give it a little bit before you jump to separate him, unless he’s doing real damage. He will need to practice his courtship and techniques to get the hang of it... it’s a learning curve, and taking him away from the ladies could have a negative impact on his attitude (I think this was a contributing factor to my issues with Chickie Hawk)

I’ve noticed that the young male urges seem most prominent first thing in the morning, then things settle down. And remember chicken mating can look very violent, especially with a young cockerel that hasn’t a clue what goes where, and how to get the ladies to like him. 14 weeks is young, I would give them all some time but keep a close eye on things for problems like bare necks, cuts on their backs, or him getting too roughly schooled by the older/bigger girls for his behaviors. When I added the farm girls into Chickie Hawks pen I had to separate him for his own protection, the 1/2 his size little hens where fit to kill him from the moment he tried to mount one of them. So things can be deceiving.

Oh, and no other behavior issues really... when things are getting crazy I’ll step in between them and he will go the other way.. so here’s hoping

 

[WhoDatChick]

Evening folks

WhoDat I too would monitor and give it time. I rarely separate the young cockerel unless he's destined for the freezer.

Okay great! Thanks so much! I think I’ll try to wait it out a bit.. but yall know me and my patience with the chickens... cuz ,well.. you know... CHICKENS BE CRAZY

 

[WhoDatChick]

Here is my sweet Patsy "defending" her flock from Jabberwocky's attentions. She had just knocked Jabber off of Hattie and he was not happy with her.

He was one gorgeous boy! Such a shame! I love a gorgeous rooster and the sound of crowing truly fills me with joy!! I absolutely love it!!

 

[BY Bob]

He was one gorgeous boy! Such a shame! I love a gorgeous rooster and the sound of crowing truly fills me with joy!! I absolutely love it!!

I loved his crowing and he was beautiful. My wife was behind us trying to keep him. Somehow I knew better. She really loved that boy until, out of the blue, he attacked her and almost knocked her down. Then he was dead to her. She is Italian and does hold a grudge, Lol. In 32 years I've managed not to get all the way on her bad side.

 

[BY Bob]

Okay great! Thanks so much! I think I’ll try to wait it out a bit.. but yall know me and my patience with the chickens... cuz ,well.. you know... CHICKENS BE CRAZY

There is no danger in waiting it out as you can always separate. You will need to decide if it is too much for your flock.

In general roosters will always work with the end of the pecking order. He finds them food and will intercede with them if the top of the order tries to enforce the pecking order too vigorously. In exchange they will be grateful and welcome his attentions. The bottom also tends to be the younger more fertile members of a long term flock.

I would expect Vinny to keep focusing his attentions there.

 

[Ribh]

There is no danger in waiting it out as you can always separate. You will need to decide if it is too much for your flock.

In general roosters will always work with the end of the pecking order. He finds them food and will intercede with them if the top of the order tries to enforce the pecking order too vigorously. In exchange they will be grateful and welcome his attentions. The bottom also tends to be the younger more fertile members of a long term flock.

I would expect Vinny to keep focusing his attentions there.

Now that is really interesting & makes heaps of sense. My one foray with roosters was a disaster ~ but then I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or what was going on. No~one could get near our place because of those boys.

 

[rjohns39]

Wow, Evening Jeannie

 

[Kris5902]

There is no danger in waiting it out as you can always separate. You will need to decide if it is too much for your flock.

In general roosters will always work with the end of the pecking order. He finds them food and will intercede with them if the top of the order tries to enforce the pecking order too vigorously. In exchange they will be grateful and welcome his attentions. The bottom also tends to be the younger more fertile members of a long term flock.

I would expect Vinny to keep focusing his attentions there.

That was exactly what happened when I first introduced Chickie Hawk to his ladies, suddenly the Columbian Rock had a friend/protector and the pecking order got all shook up! But it was only a couple weeks before things settled down. The top hen in there would even defend me from his actual attacks at first, so imagine my surprise when he was being a real jerk and I walked straight at him holding him back with the trusty chicken stick, and she swooped in and attacked my stick holding hand from the side and behind. Turns out once she decided the little pink wasn’t that bad after all she was just as willing to defend her man from me!

Mr Marans on the other hand, being about the same age as all the pullets he was in with, favors the top hens. But she was also the first to start laying by a week and to accept his attentions. Now sometimes Mr Maran will have an “extra frisky” morning, if the ladies really aren’t having it, (and I know this probably isn’t the best solution, but so far hasn’t created any problems for me, and I do this because the tractors are a little small when you consider how many chickens are in them so there’s not much room to evade his affections for them) I will pick him up and hold him foot ball like but in front of me, gently stoking his comb which sort of covers his eyes a bit and calms him down. Only for a minute or two until all the ladies are out at the feeders and eating and when I put him down he remembers his manners and gets to showing them the food they are already eating! Might not be a good idea though it works with him it wouldn’t with Chickie Hawk or Sammy...