Roo problems starting?

[chickw/chicks]

I got my first chicks in April. There are six of them. Two Bantams,1Rhode island red and 3 regular hens. One of the bantams turned out to be a rooster. I'm hoping to keep him and not to have to seperate them. But now at 14 weeks I see him already being mean to my girls. He seems to do it mainly in the morning right after I let them out of the coop for the day. Is this normal and how much worse will it get?

 

[onedozenphyllises]

What do you mean by "being mean"? Can you be more specific?

 

[rancher hicks]

What you perceive as mean is typical roo behavior. The pecking order is being established and when your girls are ready it won't seem so brutal. In fact my girls squat if I reach down and i can pick them up more now that they've started to lay.
I wonder if it would help to seperate them until the girls start to lay.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

I am going through the same thing. My roo was sweet as cotton candy and now he doesnt like me anymore. He also walks up to my girls and grabs their neck and head feathers. Yesterday he started breeding them, it seem to be getting better as far as the girls squacking so loudly. My rooster will have 19 girls to himself so i think everything will work out okay.

 

[onthespot]

That is the beginning of mating behavior, normal behavior for that age of chickens. Also normal that the hens don't cooperate in the beginning and it gets noisy and rambunctious while they sort things out about mating. I would just ignore it and in a while they will all settle down and be one happy family.

 

[chickw/chicks]

By "being mean" he runs up to them and grabs on to them with his beak and chases them around. Right after there very skittish around him and try to stay away from him. He also does this weird one wing flapping thing in circles.

 

[cybercat]

He is courting them. When the hens get closer to laying they will be all over him but for now he is mature and they are still chicks. Do not worry about your little roo he will be put in his place if need be by the girls. Just give them till closer to 20 weeks and you will see a big change with them and him.

 

[chickw/chicks]

OK thanks hearing all that makes me feel better. I'm attached to him and don't want to have to find him a new home.I'm hoping him and the girls will be a happy family.