rooster attacking two hens

[scooter147]

I have a flock of approx. 24 hens and 1 little molted japanese bantam rooster named Slyvestor. Yes, Sly-vestor is his name.

Well Slyvestor has been banished to spending his day outside the coop and run. About three weeks ago I came home and found my favorite black austrolope hen bloodly as could be. Her comb, ear lobes and wattles were just tore up.

I had no idea what had happen to her, as far as I can tell she is the top hen and I thought another hen challanged her ranking and it just got nasty, however, none of the other hens looked like they had been fighting.

Then one morning I caught him. He just went over to her and just started flogging her without any mercy at all. When he approached she submitted and squatted but "love" was not what he had in mind. I had to go in and grab him so he would stop. I continued to watch and within a half hour he went after my GLW. He started flogging her as well even though she submitted to him as well.

In my 35+ years of having chickens I have never seen a rooster do this.

Getting rid of him is not an option I hatched and raised him in the house until he was about a month old and he is just as friendly and sweet to me as can be.

One funny thing is since he is put outside the coop and run each day now in the evening he comes up to the porch and flies up on the railing and crows to let me know it is time to put him in the coop. So I go out pick him up and carry his bad little butt to the coop and place him on the roost.

Anyone else experienced this?

FYI, Slyvestor and this hen are both 3 years old so they have spent 3 years as flock mates.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

That's just strange... Sorry, I've never seen that happen.

 

[americana-chick]

hmmm... strange.... i have never herd of 3 birds that have spent 3 years together just fine and then all of the sudden attack... you should try getting another rooster, my rooster are very protective of there hens and if one starts even making "love" then the others will get him off only the domonite roo can make "love" so i think that if you have another roo that is protective of the hens he will make your little roo stop being such a butt! i would just find a local farmer that has extra roos and see if you could just barrow a roo to see if it all works out. who knows! has he ever even met another roo? he just might think he is big stuff...
not sure!! but hope this helps!

 

[Escapegoat]

I just joined to post a similar question. I have 12 Dominique hens and 1 rooster and they are 4 months and just coming into hormones and starting to lay eggs. 2 weeks ago the rooster was being a little rough with one of them and she had some injuries on the back of her neck and then one night he messed her up real bad and i separated her from the flock by putting her in a cage in the coop. She is still with everyone, but he can't hurt her. She is healed up now with her bald neck, but if she makes any sort of noise - he comes running and tries to peck at her in the cage. He has not done this to any other hens. All of them hatched out together and have been together since day 1.

Now i don't know what to do. Should I just keep her caged up until he does a little more growing up or is he never going to leave her alone? Thanks.

 

[scooter147]

Someone mentioned another roo. I had a little mixed breed bantam named Stanley that hung himself in the top netting about three months ago. This little roo was top rooster so now, of course, Slyvester is the only roo, I wonder...