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.
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.