Roost-er Misbehaving on the roost

[LaurenRitz]

I am at a loss. I lost my old rooster but I have two cockerells (about 30 weeks) so I introduced them to the flock. The girls are ignoring them at this point, but every night there's a nasty ruckus and the girls don't want to go into the coop.

So a few nights ago I watched the process. The larger of the 2 climbed to the center of the roost and proceeded to bite/peck/knock off any of the girls that climbed up. The only one he ignored was his brother. He kept it up until he couldn't see any longer, then sat there with his wings flared and pecked anyone who touched him.

I isolated him, thinking the smaller cockerell would work better, and last night he did exactly the same thing!

Their bachelor pad had a horizontal roost just a few inches off the ground. He does look unsteady on the roost and I wondered if it might be balance, until I saw him grip the roost and go nearly head down to peck one of the pullets who had dared come up on the lowest rung.

Any idea what's going on here, or what I can do about it? There seems no animosity toward the girls until they go in the coop.

 

[LaFleche]

I am at a loss. I lost my old rooster but I have two cockerells (about 30 weeks) so I introduced them to the flock. The girls are ignoring them at this point, but every night there's a nasty ruckus and the girls don't want to go into the coop.

So a few nights ago I watched the process. The larger of the 2 climbed to the center of the roost and proceeded to bite/peck/knock off any of the girls that climbed up. The only one he ignored was his brother. He kept it up until he couldn't see any longer, then sat there with his wings flared and pecked anyone who touched him.

I isolated him, thinking the smaller cockerell would work better, and last night he did exactly the same thing!

Their bachelor pad had a horizontal roost just a few inches off the ground. He does look unsteady on the roost and I wondered if it might be balance, until I saw him grip the roost and go nearly head down to peck one of the pullets who had dared come up on the lowest rung.

Any idea what's going on here, or what I can do about it? There seems no animosity toward the girls until they go in the coop.

Although a bit of pecking order readjustment is normal occurance at roosting time, I have never seen anything like you described with my cockerels. At the moment I have three 19 weeks old half brothers with the main flock and they very slowly and carefully sneak in when the head rooster has chosen his preferred spot for the night.

Have yours ever been submitted to some lectures in behaviour around flock mates by the more senior hens?

Maybe install a poop board underneath the roosting bars and see if it helps. And a little light as well until all have settled. They just might be afraid to lose their balance when approached or touched and fall off into the dark as they are not used to the height.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Unfortunately they were raised in a brothers-only bachelor pad, followed by being in my bachelor pad for months (I got them at 16 weeks) where they could see the girls but not touch. So no, no flock discipline of the kind you describe.

There is a light in the coop, so I'll turn it on tonight and see what that does. Their coop has natural light.

I also set up a temporary roost out of touching distance, so we'll see.

 

[LaFleche]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I turned the light on just before dusk. It seems that the only change was that he could see his targets. He climbed all over the roost, pecking at everyone and not just those he could reach (in the dark). He was down on the floor pecking at anyone already up, up on the roost pecking at anyone within range. No problems with balance, he was climbing all over.

After about 10 minutes of this I turned the light off and he settled. There are 3 bars on the roost and he has one entirely to himself. One pullet is huddled on the floor, the rest are tucked in a corner of the roost as far from him as they can get.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Still doing it. Pecking at everyone, apparently trying to drive them off the roost. It continues until he can't see, but he continues to peck at anything that touches him.

I snatched him off the roost last night and put him back in the bachelor pad with his brother. The girls will just have to deal until the biys have matured a little.

In the meantime I'll adjust the roost to accommodate larger feet, since it was sized for standard chickens.

 

[LaurenRitz]

It's still going on. The boys have the roost (three 5 foot long bars) entirely to themselves. Three of the girls sleep on the floor, and two on the spare roost I put up when this first became an obvious problem.

I need to harvest both of them asap. My problem is, I need a roo when they free range. I have a 10 week cockerel, and another possible 12 week cockerel at my sister's place. Both untried, of course. But I can't let the boys continue acting like this.

 

[Mrs. K]

Roosters are a crap shoot, and you just got unlucky twice. I would dispatch both of them, and add bot the young boys - the old ladies will thump them a bit, but they tend to do better with a little respect taught to them.

Limit your free ranging for a while.

Mrs K

 

[puddle_drinker]

It's still going on. The boys have the roost (three 5 foot long bars) entirely to themselves. Three of the girls sleep on the floor, and two on the spare roost I put up when this first became an obvious problem.

I need to harvest both of them asap. My problem is, I need a roo when they free range. I have a 10 week cockerel, and another possible 12 week cockerel at my sister's place. Both untried, of course. But I can't let the boys continue acting like this.

They need to go, cockerels/roosters should never chase the hens off roost IMHO.

You might give Craigslist a try if you want an older cockerel or rooster. Older cockerels and roosters on Craigslist are generally very cheap or free. I've had great luck with Craigslist roosters, three of my current four good roosters I got on craigslist.

 

[Mrs. K]

^^ that is good advice. There are a lot of roosters out there, and some so darn nice, that is the only reason that they haven't got culled, is that they are so nice. Get one of those - check the feed store, or the Extension office, or check out 4-h clubs.