Rooster Attacking Hens

[FIZBIT]

I aquired a Black Cochin Bantam Rooster almost 3 months ago. He has been very docile. Him and a few hens had it out and I let it play out. Everything has been fine. But the little guy every morning chases the girls around to mate. They run screaming. Poor girls. Most of them don't want to mate. I see him playing tug a war with their neck and head feathers.

I have 1 hen with has sores around her eyes that made her eyes swell and I am still dealing with that. Not sure if he is the culprit.

But yesterday I had to break up a full blow gang attack of him and a young hen (ee) against another young hen (buff orpington) both ladies I got as fluff balls 2 years ago. She had blood running down he beak into her nostrils and into her mouth. I got her all doctored up and turned her back out. They all free range on 3 acres.

I have seen 2 hens attack another hen. Since my rooster had passed away a year prior of old age. I figured the ladies needed someone to keep them in line.

Now I know I have way more hens for just 1 rooster to handle. But not sure if that is his problem or if its because its spring time.

Any suggestions before he ends up taking a dirt nap or finding a new home with less ladies?

And why would another hen jump into attacking another hen with my rooster?

 

[casportpony]

@centrarchid and @Shadrach, can either of you help here?

 

[centrarchid]

What are ages in months of birds involved? Some of what is described typical, but should not be causing damage.

 

[FIZBIT]

What are ages in months of birds involved? Some of what is described typical, but should not be causing damage.

The rooster is between 2 and 4 years old. The hens are 2 years old and I got them together as a couple of days old.

 

[centrarchid]

Could you link a video showing what is going on?

The early morning showing cotton I see every morning without causing damage. The other hens attacking the one being covered by rooster is not something I see with my breeding groups.

Typically the rooster comes off the roost first in the morning and then chases and mates with each hen in turn as she comes off the roost. Typically the hens have little trouble with the activity, but core to process is the rooster must do a little forcing. If he is not capable then a hen's limited effort to avoid him may make his job more difficult and potentially cause damage.

As I understand it, your rooster is a lot smaller than the hens.

 

[FIZBIT]

Could you link a video showing what is going on?

The early morning showing cotton I see every morning without causing damage. The other hens attacking the one being covered by rooster is not something I see with my breeding groups.

Typically the rooster comes off the roost first in the morning and then chases and mates with each hen in turn as she comes off the roost. Typically the hens have little trouble with the activity, but core to process is the rooster must do a little forcing. If he is not capable then a hen's limited effort to avoid him may make his job more difficult and potentially cause damage.

As I understand it, your rooster is a lot smaller than the hens.

When it happened it was in the afternoon. I haven't witnessed it since. Or noticed anyone bleeding.

Yes he is a small cochin roo. About the size of my smaller standard cochin hens. Him and a easter egger hen attacked one of my buff orpingtons hens. Who is much bigger than both the other hen and the rooster.

He spends most of his morning chasing all the ladies grabbing their head feathers and trying to get them to comply. Most of the hens refuse him. Especially the older ladies.

 

[Shadrach]

You don't mention how you introduced the new rooster to your hens (?)
If you've just chucked him in with them when you got him then that will be a large part of the problem. Roosters have to earn their hens here. Older hens, particularly if there has been a senior rooster before are not going to be interested in mating with a new unproven male.

Hens attacking other hens during mating is common. It is usually the more senior hens who attack junior hens but not exclusively so. Some hens may in your case have or are considering being a willing partner to the new rooster and as one might understand, such hens do not want other hens mating with their man. The senior hens have the right to ensure it is their genes that get passed forward; it's the same with senior roosters. As far as they and genetics are concerned they got to be senior for a reason.

None of this is particularly complicated and you wouldn't go far wrong if you used a bit of anthropomorphism here and considered introducing a single male to a group of women.

Have a read of this which explains a bit about how roosters earn their hens when there is other male competition. No competition and nobody to maintain order means it will take a while for everyone to settle down. It may be that the rooster has preferences other than the senior hens and that will cause problems among the hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

 

[FIZBIT]

You don't mention how you introduced the new rooster to your hens (?)
If you've just chucked him in with them when you got him then that will be a large part of the problem. Roosters have to earn their hens here. Older hens, particularly if there has been a senior rooster before are not going to be interested in mating with a new unproven male.

Hens attacking other hens during mating is common. It is usually the more senior hens who attack junior hens but not exclusively so. Some hens may in your case have or are considering being a willing partner to the new rooster and as one might understand, such hens do not want other hens mating with their man. The senior hens have the right to ensure it is their genes that get passed forward; it's the same with senior roosters. As far as they and genetics are concerned they got to be senior for a reason.

None of this is particularly complicated and you wouldn't go far wrong if you used a bit of anthropomorphism here and considered introducing a single male to a group of women.

Have a read of this which explains a bit about how roosters earn their hens when there is other male competition. No competition and nobody to maintain order means it will take a while for everyone to settle down. It may be that the rooster has preferences other than the senior hens and that will cause problems among the hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/understanding-your-rooster.75056/

Thank you.

He was in a separate pen for 2 weeks that the ladies could go up to and socialize. But I had him in my chick pen/coop but had to move the pyllets out of the brooder and into their area so I let he out with the ladies. He kept challenging 1 of my 4 year old hens or vise versa. She put him in his place and he ended up on his back. She had a few scratches. But I have never seen him mate with her. Allot of the hens try to avoid him at all costs. A select few of my 1 and 2 year olds comply, along with my old silkies. But my 4 and up hens want nothing to do with him.

 

[BzKneez]

I aquired a Black Cochin Bantam Rooster almost 3 months ago. He has been very docile. Him and a few hens had it out and I let it play out. Everything has been fine. But the little guy every morning chases the girls around to mate. They run screaming. Poor girls. Most of them don't want to mate. I see him playing tug a war with their neck and head feathers.

I have 1 hen with has sores around her eyes that made her eyes swell and I am still dealing with that. Not sure if he is the culprit.

But yesterday I had to break up a full blow gang attack of him and a young hen (ee) against another young hen (buff orpington) both ladies I got as fluff balls 2 years ago. She had blood running down he beak into her nostrils and into her mouth. I got her all doctored up and turned her back out. They all free range on 3 acres.

I have seen 2 hens attack another hen. Since my rooster had passed away a year prior of old age. I figured the ladies needed someone to keep them in line.

Now I know I have way more hens for just 1 rooster to handle. But not sure if that is his problem or if its because its spring time.

Any suggestions before he ends up taking a dirt nap or finding a new home with less ladies?

And why would another hen jump into attacking another hen with my rooster?

Did anyone respond to your questions? I didn't see any replies and I'm having a similar (tho not completely same) issue.

 

[aart]

Did anyone respond to your questions?

There are 8 replies before yours.