Rooster behavior question

[Barredhen]

I have my first rooster, he is around 8 months old now, so I know very little about what is normal for a roo...
We have 6 hens, 3 are his age, 3 are a bit older. The three older hens are his favorites and they hate him. They roost all day to keep away from him (particularly now that its winter and they do not go outside) so I've taken to locking him in a separate room for an hour in the AM because the hens weren't eating well and loosing weight, so at least they can get breakfast. Hens not eating aren't laying and that is really counter productive so I'm not sure if I'm doing the whole rooster thing wrong but he isn't helping. So that is the first question, is that normal and is there anything I can do but wait for summer and hope with the girls free ranging they can get away from him?

Second and most important: beginning a few days ago one of my older hens has been out in the snow when I go feed the flock. Highly unusually given its bird high snow and 15+f... Any chickens that we've had become ill and die will separate themselves like that, so that is what I wondered, however she appears fine, acting fine, and when I brought her into the coop she ate vigorously and busied herself bossing lower pecking order birds around. So I left her with the flock. Next day, same thing, shes outside. I brought her in. Third day she followed me in and the rooster took off, chased her outside, (quite shocking because he is the LEAST likely to step foot out in the snow) and I heard him catch up with her, ran around the back side of the coop and found him with her neck in his beak shaking her and trying to kill her.
Being my first rooster I'm not sure other than annoying the hens what their job description is, is it more likely that he know something that I do not, and is "culling the herd" himself or is he just a jerk that trees 3 hens and is now trying to kill one??? For right now, I've separated him. Not sure what to do.

Other than mating obsessed hes always been a nice enough fellow, he is friendly with people and not overly protective.

 

[azygous]

You can't pin your hopes on breed when selecting a rooster. One person could have a Cream Legbar roo that has been a perfect gentleman from the appearance of his first hormone while another Cream Legbar rooster owner is culling theirs for being a tyrant.

This actually has happened here.

 

[azygous]

When a cockerel demonstrates that he isn't "nice" with the hens, that's a strike against him. There is a chance he can temper with time, but such an early bad behavior doesn't bode well.

The grabbing and shaking of the hen who is trying to avoid him is a huge warning you should heed or be very sorry you ignored it. I had a hen badly injured by a rooster that kept trying to mate her but she kept resisting him. Hormones raging in a cockerel or a rooster can produce some dangerous behavior, and these behavior tendencies do provide some preview to possible future tragedy.

Many of us treat a young cockerel that is having aggressive inclinations toward the hens by restricting his access to them until they "grow into" their hormones and settle down. Then if a rooster starts behaving in a manner that injures the hens, we take the necessary steps to remove him permanently from the flock, either by rehoming or culling.

 

[Barredhen]

Thank-you, that was helpful.

I've had hens for years but last summer we decided to try a rooster to begin hatching our own for your typical egg/meat reasons. The rooster is a handsome Lavender Orpington. The hens are all larger brown egg layer breeds.
At first they were cooperative breeders but he just doesn't stop going after his favorite hens. So then they'd decline and he started grabbing them on their way by, which I thought was normal (again, never observed a rooster). Which made them decide to roost more often so he cannot get to them, and not want anything to do with him.

Hmmm, OK lessons learned. I guess I should have asked about this a lot sooner. Thanks - now I know I guess and the poor girls won't have to go through this all anymore any which way we decide on him.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm not impressed favorably at all either, and have a very low tolerance for cockerels who act badly.
I do wonder how much space you have in your coop, and do you have a covered run, or keep it shoveled out? Also, do you have more than one feeder and waterer, or at least an additional feeder? They need to be in separate areas, so there's no problem with anyone having access. Do you have out-of-sight places for them to escape?
Not to excuse his behavior, but too little space, no places to be out of sight, and one feeder, especially having two 'family' groups now, may not improve the situation.
He's being a jerk! At least make things better for this hen, and the pullets, or give him his own space for a while, or send him off.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I raise cockerels with my flock every year, and don't separate them if any of them behave badly. I have mature hens and roosters too, so adolescent cockerels get 'educated' by adults, which helps a lot. Any cockerels or adult roosters who behave badly, towards humans or their flockmates, get invited to dinner. I also sell a few cockerels every year, but the bad boys need to be dinner.
I agree that having all the space in the world isn't the answer if you have a jerk! Your hens should have a better life, and will, without him.
Mary

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals for that cockerel? Why do you want a rooster? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Everything else is personal choice. Personal choice can be a strong drive, but that is a choice, not a need.

I don't know how much of this is an age thing. I had a 5-month-old cockerel that peacefully took over a flock with mature hens and pullets his age. No issues whatsoever but at that age that's rare. I've had several do that at seven months. I once had one that could not until he was 11 months and that involved a really rough two days between him and the dominant hen. I do think that the personality of the hens plays a part. It is not always just the male.

Some hens will squat for practically anything in spurs, even if they are tiny nubs. But many hens, especially mature ones, expect the male to behave like a good father to their potential children. An immature cockerel is often not able to act like that so they don't cooperate. Some mature hens my beat the crap out of a snotty brat when he bothers them or another hen, but generally mine run away. I have had some, generally pullets, stay in the coop and even on the roosts to stay away from an amorous cockerel.

It's possible that cockerel will mature into a decent rooster. But I'm not impressed with one at 8 months that needs to be that physical, especially when he grew up with the flock. With your move coming up I'd get rid of him and start over if you feel you really want a rooster. You can get different opinions on whether it is best to raise a rooster with the flock from a chick or bringing in a mature adult. Either one can work but try to avoid bringing in an adolescent cockerel.

From what I've seen breed doesn't have that much to do with a rooster's behaviors. You can see posts on here where Silkies, RIR's, Favorelles, Brahmas, Barred Rock, or any other breed of rooster has been a brute with his girls and/or human aggressive while other posts have them as great. My suggestion is to decide what physical traits you want in a rooster and go with that. To a certain extent their behavior is a matter of luck. The good thing is that most do work out.

 

[NatJ]

I've had hens for years but last summer we decided to try a rooster to begin hatching our own for your typical egg/meat reasons.

If you want a rooster just for siring chicks, you could house him separately, and bring each hen to him once or twice a week (watch them mate, then remove her.) It would make life easier for then hens, but would be more bother for you. (No matings needed outside of hatching season, which makes it a bit easier.)

Of course, any undesireable genes the rooster has (like ones that affect temperament and behavior) will be passed to his offspring, which doesn't matter if you butcher them all young, but does matter if you want to later keep one of his sons for breeding.

If you don't want to keep a rooster full-time but do want to hatch chicks, you could plan to buy an adult rooster shortly before you want to hatch chicks, and then butcher or rehome him after you're done. You'd have limited choices for what roosters are available at a given time (might have to choose between small, bad-tempered, and expensive--possibly more than one of those for each rooster.)

 

[Folly's place]

I never get outside birds, except for chicks from good hatcheries, so would not get someone else's cockerel or rooster. You could get a real gem, or not, depending on the health of that other flock, and what his behavior is actually like. People rehome good boys, but some will also rehome idiots, and not let you know.
As long as you have the time, space, and interest, I'd recommend starting with cockerels (plural) and selecting the one or two that will stay.
Mary

 

[EggSighted4Life]

is it more likely that he know something that I do not, and is "culling the herd" himself

Absolutely NOT!

He's just being a Stew Pidasso because of her refusal to mate with him... and his teen age hormones raging and not knowing how to conduct himself.

None of my boys get access to ladies until they've matured some. Bully's are given a free trip to the table via the cone first and maybe the freezer.

How long have you had him? If you really want to keep a rooster... give him LOT's of look but don't touch time until he matures some... maybe until fall when daylight and hormones diminish some.