Rooster attacked chicks, what do i do now?

[50-45-1]

So, these chicks are hatchery or incubated chicks and have no mother hen to protect them is what i am hearing.
The rooster never having seen chicks before may be just curious. OR he thinks they are food like baby mice!
Definately do not put them together, watch his behavior more before you make any decisions.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

I would just leave them all together right now since they are already somewhat accustomed to one another and seemed to be mellowing out. You don't want to separate them again and then start the whole procedure again..... the next time might be worse! I would suggest you integrating them right now but keeping a close eye on how the rooster behaves.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Only you know your flock ... Advice & recommendations are given by what we're told/read & interput from our own personal experience. That's what's GREAT about BYC & Members, so much knowledge & experience to learn & decipher to fit our personal needs.

 

[microchick]

IMHO I think your rooster is just being a bit of a rooster. They are all buttheads at times, even the best of them. I've seen one of my dominate roosters run over to intervene when a low ranking male tries to mount one of 'his' females and instead of ripping a new one in the younger rooster, he will peck the hen on the head. It's like... I've also seen hens be aggressive to other hen's chicks so I would rather turn my new broodies and chicks out with the roosters than the hens.

I agree with @ChickNanny13 Only you know your flock. No way I would turn chicks, even chicks with a broody mom slobbering over them loose with my standard sized birds. I have seen them scalp 4 week olds that wandered into 'their' territory, but then again, I know my flock and what works with them.

I still wouldn't give up on the roo. I suspect he is just immature.

 

[Folly's place]

Your lowest hen has found something wonderful; chicks that are lower than she is in the pecking order! As long as there are no injuries, it should work out okay with her.
The rooster might be another story, and bears watching.
Mary

 

[Jemma Rider]

I would not hold your roo accountable for that one toss. Iv'e read your past threads and the rooster has alot of weirdness to deal with. He's in with flighty breed hens and you're putting in bantams and crested chicks he probably does not know which end is up right now.

oh yeah it's not entirely his fault he wasn't raised super right and I've spoiled him so bad since i got him and his flock, they weren't in great condition and i felt horrible for the poor chicky's. He's still just a little guy too, he didn't crow until nine months and his spurs are so tiny. I think being in the dog cage today helped a bit as well because the chicks could move freely around him but he couldn't hurt them so eventually he just stoped and ate his food, and he seems a lot less crazy with the hens i mean Roo bird is a great rooster or has been so far but he's still a little guy who's brain is one hundred percent hormones. I'm giving him more time i figure he'll learn eventually, and if and when the most dominant hen accepts the chicks into the flock she'll protect then against rooster she protects the others when his little hormone brain takes over, otherwise she loves having him around and she's his favorite girl it's quite sweet to see him cater to her hand and foot.

 

[Jemma Rider]

IMHO I think your rooster is just being a bit of a rooster. They are all buttheads at times, even the best of them. I've seen one of my dominate roosters run over to intervene when a low ranking male tries to mount one of 'his' females and instead of ripping a new one in the younger rooster, he will peck the hen on the head. It's like... I've also seen hens be aggressive to other hen's chicks so I would rather turn my new broodies and chicks out with the roosters than the hens.

I agree with @ChickNanny13 Only you know your flock. No way I would turn chicks, even chicks with a broody mom slobbering over them loose with my standard sized birds. I have seen them scalp 4 week olds that wandered into 'their' territory, but then again, I know my flock and what works with them.

I still wouldn't give up on the roo. I suspect he is just immature.

i am watching them VERY carefully, today the chicks learned where to hide when Rosie started bothering them but she backed off after she put them in their place (Darla who I'm pretty sure will grow up to be a very dominant hen insists on stealing the big birds food and now that she knows the hiding spots is hoarding it).
Rooster is acting better at least, he was okay the first time the chicks went out at three weeks, then we hit a cold snap and i had to move them inside, and now at five weeks he's having trouble with them, but then again i was a lot more careful when they were three weeks and only let specific hens get close to them, but he never tried to peck them through the dog cage.
When i first put them out, after a few days of see not touch i let them out with my hen Freya, Freya is in the middle of the pecking order and has always been pretty docile and she had zero problems with the chicks, she looked at them but never pecked, then i let out Daisy my most dominant hen and everything went mostly okay but Dalra being Darla started a fight between her and Daisy over a bite of bread they had found. Darla won and stole Daisy's bread so Daisy gives her very gentle pecks when the chick comes around to steal food, then i let out Rosie who didn't have any issues with the chicks originally and then Eyo who i expected to be the most aggressive because she has been a big bully to Rosie in the past but she immediately brought the chicks a pellet she found on the ground. She occasionally brings them treats and hasn't pecked at them once which is sort of weird for her. I'm actually really excited it's really interesting to see the adults start to accept the chicks, i of course do not leave them unsupervised i sit in the run with them while they mingle. I'm really interested in how the flock dynamics change from here on i can see Darla is very dominant and bossy, meanwhile Debra is super sweet and just follows the others around all the time. I can totally see Darla taking Daisy's spot at the top of the pecking order as she grows, it's nerve wracking because i can see Darla starting a fight with any of the chickens at her size and being pecked to death if she oversteps.
so i am watching them very closely when they get out I've set up plenty of hiding spots and they have an outdoor roosts that the chicks are loving I'm going to add some more and put some in the dog cage as well, and rooster is in the cage when the chicks are out he is not allowed near them for the time being.

 

[RWise]

I would give him some time, maybe in the bachelor pad to grow up a bit. I find 2 YOs are much better with the flock than a 1 YO.
I would also have those chicks in the flock without a mother at 5 WO, they have been in full site of the flock since 3 DO, with a mother from hatch. My 1YO rooster feeds the chicks, and holds his head high, but he was raised in a flock with chicks.
.
I use 3x3 wire and fence out a small area just outside the coop for the chicks to go for food, water and get away from that mean old bitty,,, yes I have one too. The chicks learn fast to stay way from her. Places the littles can hide from the bigs is needed, many watering places,,,, lots of space is always good,,,
Good luck!

 

[Jemma Rider]

I would give him some time, maybe in the bachelor pad to grow up a bit. I find 2 YOs are much better with the flock than a 1 YO.
I would also have those chicks in the flock without a mother at 5 WO, they have been in full site of the flock since 3 DO, with a mother from hatch. My 1YO rooster feeds the chicks, and holds his head high, but he was raised in a flock with chicks.
.
I use 3x3 wire and fence out a small area just outside the coop for the chicks to go for food, water and get away from that mean old bitty,,, yes I have one too. The chicks learn fast to stay way from her. Places the littles can hide from the bigs is needed, many watering places,,,, lots of space is always good,,,
Good luck!

i think i am going to have to separate him, he's a very nice rooster to humans and to the girls but he's just being so weird to the chicks, he tries to bite then through the cage and everything, i do finally have the second mini coop set up for him, i am going to predator proof it and move it somewhere he can't see the girls. I worry about him though he's really attached to the girls he was hatched in this flock by his previous owner, and if i separate him the girls won't be allowed to free range since i keep him around partly for security he will fight the hawks and he's twice the size of the ones we have here, and my girls watch for hawks pretty well, but they're so occupied with finding food they miss many. I could let him out with them every day but i want the chicks to be with the girls for a while.
I'm worried he'll freak out and won't be as happy as he would be with the girls, so then i wonder if i should put the chicks in the second coop in full view of the adults and let them out when they get bigger? I wanted to integrate earlier then this but the weather has been so up and down some days it's ninety degrees the next it's rainy and windy and too cold. That's why i waited until the chicks were mostly feathered i didn't want them to freeze to death.

 

[RWise]

I hear you about the weather, Aug 1 and 59*F this morning, it wont last long,,, I have chicks in the brood house, cold wave hit as they were hatching. I had been worried it would be to hot in there,,,,
I would keep him in full site of the flock, and he will still call warnings. It wont be as bad on him if he can still see his girls and they can visit him.
Once the little girls start laying he will see them differently.