Roo bullying hen

[Flockking]

So I have this roo RAY
I had him and a group of other chickens from day old

They all grew up together though the pecking other was determined at a young age amongst the roo but later changed as they begun to hit puberty

Ray was the lesser male while young but hit puberty first and took over

So now he's the boss and have been so nice to everyone in the flock, including the other two roos
But recently he started picking on this particular hen CHARMING

ray Is a small roo
Not too small like the bantams but not as big as an average sized roo, then charming is a massive hen which ray can't mount due to size, so I don't know if that's his reason for the bullying

He messes her up badly
Never lets her be
He treats her like an enemy which sight disgusts him an acts like she's an enemy roo, hitting her with his spurs

Now she refuses to leave the coop with one of her eye's shut I think he hurt her


This behavior started recently and it's really bad cus charming is my mum's hen and just started laying
My mum's not happy with the act and threaten to hurt ray if I don't do something

Someone please

 

[azygous]

Ray is a frustrated little roo and he's taking his frustration out on Charming. She needs to be protected from him at all costs. I've seen in my flock the consequences of not protecting such a hen from a frustrated roo. It's tragic.

First, treat her eye injury or you will be dealing with infection if you aren't already. Flush with saline daily and apply an antibiotic eye ointment to the eye twice a day. Terramycin is best, but Neosporin will work.

There may be no patching up the relationship between Ray and Charming, so I wouldn't take a chance on even trying. Rooster grudges can last as long as the roo lives. You may end up needing to find Ray a new home, even if it's in a soup pot.

 

[Ridgerunner]

They all are 7months and 2weeks

Yes, you don't have roosters and hens, you have immature cockerels and pullets, though since she is laying she's somewhat acting as a hen. Puberty can be a rough time. He is hopped up on hormones and is trying to wrest dominance. Since he is so hopped up on hormones he doesn't have any real control. He probably is not recognizing that she is accepting him. The other boys are also in puberty but probably at different levels. It can be a mess later too.

Often when they get through puberty they settle down a lot. Often does not mean all of them or always. And with three boys it can get and stay really messy as they mature. There are a whole lot of unknowns that could happen.

So what can you do? You can remove that cockerel. I don't know what will happen as the other two mature between themselves or with the girls but that specific problem would go away.

I would not leave things as they are. That is sometimes an option but not when that pullet is getting hurt.

You could isolate that boy and give him a chance to grow up. Sometimes, maybe often, when they get out of puberty the hormones settle down and they can dominate the girls based on personality instead of having to resort to force. How long would you need to keep him isolated? Maybe a month, maybe 5 or 6 months.

You could try keeping all three or two of the boys in a bachelor pad with no girls. They often don't fight if there are no girls to fight over. Many people keep multiple boys with a bachelor pad.

I have no idea which would even work for you, let alone which would be best.

 

[3KillerBs]

In fact, if these are your first chickens, it's probably best to get rid of all the males and have a year of a female only flock to get your chicken experience in before dealing with cockerels/roosters.

@Mrs. K has great advice in re cockerels.

 

[3KillerBs]

Is Charming a dominant hen who is refusing to submit to an upstart young cockerel? Is she even a hen, or just a young and inexperienced pullet?

Hormonal young cockerels can cause a lot of problems, but so can very dominant hens who won't submit to the male properly.

How old are these birds? If the cockerels are just starting to hit puberty you're probably in for a lot of drama before it's over.

How many cockerels do you have and how many pullets? While the often-suggested ratio of one male to ten females is about fertility rather than behavior, the fewer females per male the more likely you are to have problems.

Separating all the males until the hormonal storms have calmed down is probably a good idea. Then choose the ones you really want to keep.

 

[Flockking]

In fact, if these are your first chickens, it's probably best to get rid of all the males and have a year of a female only flock to get your chicken experience in before dealing with cockerels/roosters.

@Mrs. K has great advice in re cockerels.

No this isn't my first flock
Mum has been keeping chickens since I was 6

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes charming is the dominant hen even over the other 2 roo but accepts ray as her superior

I have a total of 3 roos to 9 hens though only ray and romeo mounts the hens the 3rd roo ain't interested at the moment, but ray doesn't seem bothered by Romeo

They all are 7months and 2weeks

That's a very high ratio of males to females. I'd want 25 or 30 girls of laying age to try to keep 3 cockerels.

While some breeders *do* keep pairs and trios without problem, the breeding groups are in separate pens with the males not needing to compete with each other. When the males are competing for the hens they will mate more often and more forcefully as part of their dominance conflicts.

 

[Flockking]

T

That's a very high ratio of males to females. I'd want 25 or 30 girls of laying age to try to keep 3 cockerels.

While some breeders *do* keep pairs and trios without problem, the breeding groups are in separate pens with the males not needing to compete with each other. When the males are competing for the hens they will mate more often and more forcefully as part of their dominance conflicts.

There is no violence
The males aren't competing for dominance, food or hen attention

Just rays recently developed behavior

 

[3KillerBs]

T

There is no violence
The males aren't competing for dominance, food or hen attention

Just rays recently developed behavior

The bullying of the hen falls into what I'd consider violence.

 

[Flockking]

The bullying of the hen falls into what I'd consider violence.

Sorry the violence I meant was between the roos