Roo showing aggression towards chicks

[Jewels1935]

My Birchen Cooper maran roo who's aprox. 7 months old has been pecking at his chicks lately. My Silkie hen hatched the babies inside away from him. I've been letting the babies free range (with me on guard) but he's going after the chicks. My roo is a great protector, he loves his hens, and has never been nasty to humans. He even makes the girls their nest, and lays next to them while they lay eggs. Could he be seeing them as 'newbies" to the flock, since she hatched them inside, and not in his presence? The chicks will be 2 months in January.

 

[Rosaleen]

I have three 10 week old cockerels in a grow out pen with four pullets. Next to that pen I have five 6 week old chicks. Pens are facing each other and they all get to visit each other through the fencing. Anyway, one of the cockerels is very aggressive and quite nasty. The other day I said to myself, "enough is enough". I took him out of his pen and put him in the main pen with the hens. After getting picked on by the ladies for about two minutes, I opened the door where he bounced out. I then put him back in his pen and he has been a good boy so far...we'll see how long that lasts. Perhaps a change a scenery may change your roo's attitude.

 

[Jewels1935]

Quote:
Good solution!

Well my roo isn't nasty at all. he's actually quite the lover, even towards my family. I really think if the chicks hatched outside with him around, he would accept them as "his" and not look at them as a new pecking order to be done. I think that's what's going on.

 

[1muttsfan]

If you want your chicks to survive, it would be best to separate him completely from them. He is still a teenager and may be unreliable until he is older.

 

[Jewels1935]

Quote:
Thanks! I agree so I'll keep dad put up when the babies are free ranging.