Rooster behavior**UPDATE!!

[barrioslauren]

Frackodon found a new home! A woman I work with asked her cousin who lives on a farm about 30 minutes east and she is going to take him! She wants chicks and doesn't have a rooster. Wow, this timing was perfect. I'll post pictures of our send-off.
Thanks everyone!

In the event that I have to keep my rooster, how do I get him to be nicer to my hens?
He isn't aggressive towards the humans. But he seems to be aggressive with the hens.
I read that feeding oats and salting the water every 3 days may help with aggressive behaviors.
They all sleep together at night, in the coop (3 hens, 1 rooster; 5 months old).

Thanks!

 

[KingD]

In the event that I have to keep my rooster, how do I get him to be nicer to my hens?
He isn't aggressive towards the humans. But he seems to be aggressive with the hens.
I read that feeding oats and salting the water every 3 days may help with aggressive behaviors.
They all sleep together at night, in the coop (3 hens, 1 rooster; 5 months old).

Thanks!

The majority of roosters become agressive, even towards humans. I've had ones which are really relaxed but suddenly it's as If a switch is turned on and they go nuts.

I've never heard anything about the oats and salt water idea.

What do you mean by 'Agressive towards the hens'? Are you sure it isn't mating behaviour?

 

[barrioslauren]

The majority of roosters become agressive, even towards humans. I've had ones which are really relaxed but suddenly it's as If a switch is turned on and they go nuts.

I've never heard anything about the oats and salt water idea.

What do you mean by 'Agressive towards the hens'? Are you sure it isn't mating behaviour?

I do think some of it is mating behavior, but then he'll chase after them, pin their head down and bite their neck. He isn't mounting them.

 

[swamphiker]

Some roosters are more aggressive with hens than others. The issue could also be your rooster to hen ratio. Most roosters can mate ~10 hens, so with only 3 girls, they are likely to receive too much "attention". He may or may not mellow as he ages.

 

[KingD]

I do think some of it is mating behavior, but then he'll chase after them, pin their head down and bite their neck. He isn't mounting them.

That sounds like he hasn't quite figured how to successfully mate yet.

 

[DobieLover]

In the event that I have to keep my rooster, how do I get him to be nicer to my hens?
He isn't aggressive towards the humans. But he seems to be aggressive with the hens.
I read that feeding oats and salting the water every 3 days may help with aggressive behaviors.
They all sleep together at night, in the coop (3 hens, 1 rooster; 5 months old).

Thanks!

He is just a cockerel and he is just feeling his oats.
They are just pullets and they are NOT feeling his oats!
He doesn't really know what the heck he's doing right now. He is not attacking them. He is trying to figure out this whole being a male chicken thing and it nearly always results in screaming pullets and them getting their feathers pulled out when they do not submit because they are not ready.
If he is being really obnoxious with them, I would fence off an area of the coop and run for him and keep him there for several weeks until the pullets are more receptive to his advances.

 

[barrioslauren]

He is just a cockerel and he is just feeling his oats.
They are just pullets and they are NOT feeling his oats!
He doesn't really know what the heck he's doing right now. He is not attacking them. He is trying to figure out this whole being a male chicken thing and it nearly always results in screaming pullets and them getting their feathers pulled out when they do not submit because they are not ready.
If he is being really obnoxious with them, I would fence off an area of the coop and run for him and keep him there for several weeks until the pullets are more receptive to his advances.

Okay, I may have to separate him for a while then. They seem to want nothing to do with him right now. Should I be worried about him being in the coop with them at night as well?

 

[Darius123]

Okay, I may have to separate him for a while then. They seem to want nothing to do with him right now. Should I be worried about him being in the coop with them at night as well?

No, not really, they can sleep together. He is just trying to figure out the mating thing, i ve had plenty cockerels and if there is not a boss(like a mature rooster) to teach him the way in the flock he will most likely do what he wants and be very persuasive with them, just separate them until the pullets are receptive and are willing to mate.

 

[aart]

I read that feeding oats and salting the water every 3 days may help with aggressive behaviors.

No, it will not.

Frackodon found a new home!

This^^^ is the best solution.

 

[Boomerwaffen]

I do think some of it is mating behavior, but then he'll chase after them, pin their head down and bite their neck. He isn't mounting them.

Seems like a lot of roosters go nuts at 5 months when their hormones hit them. So far I’ve found them easy to manage. It also helps that we have ducks and a goose too. Our big Embden gander Tony is a very sweet boy. But he gets sick if our Black Orpington Lamar’s antics and doesn’t tolerate any serious aggression in our large mixed flock. Guard geese are awesome and help sex and hormone crazed roosters keep from getting over the top aggressive. Sometimes I can look at Lamar and see he wants to attack me or another bird because of his body language. He starts to get into an aggressive poster flares his neck feathers and arches his head but then starts twitching and shaking his head like he’s having a short circuit. It’s hilarious I wouldn’t be surprised to see sparks coming out of him. But when he persists Fat Tony will start walking towards him with his head cocked to one side or head lowered and give him a nip on the tail. Fat Tony weighs about 25lbs and Lamar about 4. If we didn’t have Tony I think Lamar would go nuts on power trips.