Rooster attacking older hens

[Carladelida]

Hi Chicken friends! Ty for helping me so much!
My Roo is definitely mean/doesn't like my older hens (I have 3 of them and 9 younger/same age as him)
I separated the older 3 because one of them is also an egg eater. I let one out today to see what Roo would do and he immediately chased hen into coop, she eventually came out and he literally pinned her so hard into the ground, she didn't move for a minute with her face in the dirt, I swore I almost witnessed a murder. But she got up fine and very docile.
I put her back with the older ones scared that would happen again and be worse.
Now I'm worried if I should have let her be and maybe he was reestablishing pecking order? Idk.
Should I keep trying to let older hens out to try to reintegrate them with the younger/more accepted hens or should I let all the older hens out and lock up Roo? I'm just worried that I'll loose Roo's trust and that he would start attacking me after I let him out from being locked up.
TIA!!

 

[Debbie292d]

Is this your only roo? I see that behavior here from younger roosters, but the older ones have their own rooster, and then a fight ensues.

If that's your only roo, I'd figure a way to release them so one day they'd all be one flock. With mine, I'd just do it all at once and stand by to make sure there's nothing too vicious. They should all mellow out once they get used to each other.

 

[Carladelida]

Is this your only roo? I see that behavior here from younger roosters, but the older ones have their own rooster, and then a fight ensues.

If that's your only roo, I'd figure a way to release them so one day they'd all be one flock. With mine, I'd just do it all at once and stand by to make sure there's nothing too vicious. They should all mellow out once they get used to each other.

He is the only roo. However the older hens used to have a roo before this new one that they grew up with. They lost the roo, and 2 other hens so now it's them 3 and the newer flock.
I definitely know they were scarred from the loss of their original flock and they were obviously on the top of the pecking order up until the new roo became mature, then once he started matting that's when he started to attack/reject the older ones.
I was concerned even that something was wrong with them health wise but I don't think so, (besides egg eating behavior) we even thought that could be why he is being mean to them.
I let the one I let our earlier and I'll see how tomorrow goes then if she stops getting ran off, then I'll release another and see if she will accept him and he be content once she does and so on.
He seemed pretty vicious with the one today, like i said i swore he killed her but probably just stunned.
No blood though so that's a blessing.

 

[alwaystj9]

Maybe pen the roo for a week, allowing you to safely reintegrate the rest of the flock. Then put him back in.

 

[Carladelida]

Maybe pen the roo for a week, allowing you to safely reintegrate the rest of the flock. Then put him back in.

The newer hens and older hens don't seem to have an issue? I'm not opposed, if he's still shunning even just the one after a few days. I'm going to switch them and pen him.
Hopefully it'll deter the egg eater too if she's not being forced in the coop all the time. I just worry about betraying his trust with me by penning him.

 

[Debbie292d]

The newer hens and older hens don't seem to have an issue? I'm not opposed, if he's still shunning even just the one after a few days. I'm going to switch them and pen him.
Hopefully it'll deter the egg eater too if she's not being forced in the coop all the time. I just worry about betraying his trust with me by penning him.

Put a few plastic eggs or golf balls in the nests or, hang curtains over the nests with a cut down the middle so they can get in. It'll be dark in there, then they can't see to peck an egg and eat it.

 

[Carladelida]

Put a few plastic eggs or golf balls in the nests or, hang curtains over the nests with a cut down the middle so they can get in. It'll be dark in there, then they can't see to peck an egg and eat it.

We have golf balls in there but I like the curtain idea. Ty!!
I was gunna try to DIY roll out nests boxes too.

 

[Carladelida]

Update: Penned the roo. He drew blood on one of the older chickens that I tried to let be reintroduced. Just continously, viciously kept pecking at her head.

 

[Mrs. K]

You know, I just don't think this is going to change in the short run. Pull him for a solid month. Then try it, and if it doesn't work, I will bet it is not going to work.

 

[Debbie292d]

Update: Penned the roo. He drew blood on one of the older chickens that I tried to let be reintroduced. Just continously, viciously kept pecking at her head.

Well that's for the best then. I'd let all the rest just get used to each other without him, and maybe in a few weeks you can try introducing him back to see if he's got a better attitude. I know we've put up with roosters like him in the past, and one turned out to be the best rooster one could ask for. So sometimes, it's hard on you and them but it can be so worth it in the end.

Roosters are a dime a dozen on Facebook in your local poultry groups so you could probably try getting a new older one too, but if it's possible to just work with this one, I'd go that route.