Rooster behavior

[LisaVMN13]

We have a 2 1/2 yr old Ameraucana Rooster. He is very good at protecting our free ranging flock. He ia a "mating machine" with a couple of hens with featherless patches. Up until now he seemed normal, as normal as relatively new chicken owners know... he now seems to be more aggressive towards some of the hens, even the submissive ones. Maybe a dominance thing? What can we do to make him treat the girls better?

 

[azygous]

Decrease his exposure to the hens. It won't hurt him to be kept separate for much of the time, and he can still be content to talk to the hens through a see-through barricade. I manage my two roosters in this manner, rationing the time they are able to get up close and personal with the girls. The rest of the time, they are able to get into the coop where there is also a barricade to cheer on a laying hen or they will run around to the open mesh run sides to chatter away at the hens. This reduces stress on the hens to a significant degree, and the roosters still are able to communicate with them.

When the hens free range, I only let the hens out with the roosters that can handle the mating. The more vulnerable hens are free-ranged when the roosters are in their run. It's a minor juggling act, but seems to be working to everyone's satisfaction.

 

[azygous]

And if you're worried about the hens being unprotected when free-ranging, your rooster will probably still be able to watch and warn them about danger, and hens are pretty good at taking care of themselves when a rooster isn't hovering.

 

[LisaVMN13]

Decrease his exposure to the hens. It won't hurt him to be kept separate for much of the time, and he can still be content to talk to the hens through a see-through barricade. I manage my two roosters in this manner, rationing the time they are able to get up close and personal with the girls. The rest of the time, they are able to get into the coop where there is also a barricade to cheer on a laying hen or they will run around to the open mesh run sides to chatter away at the hens. This reduces stress on the hens to a significant degree, and the roosters still are able to communicate with them.

When the hens free range, I only let the hens out with the roosters that can handle the mating. The more vulnerable hens are free-ranged when the roosters are in their run. It's a minor juggling act, but seems to be working to everyone's satisfaction.

Thank you for the excellent advice. I have been letting the hens out first for some "girl time" and they are doing well. He hates being left behind but is behaving better when I let him join later. So nice to have more experienced folks to ask!

 

[azygous]

Right now, my hens are out free ranging while my two roosters kibitz from their run. Chickens can get used to a new routine if you allow them time.

 

[K3nnedy]

We have a 2 1/2 yr old Ameraucana Rooster. He is very good at protecting our free ranging flock. He ia a "mating machine" with a couple of hens with featherless patches. Up until now he seemed normal, as normal as relatively new chicken owners know... he now seems to be more aggressive towards some of the hens, even the submissive ones. Maybe a dominance thing? What can we do to make him treat the girls better?

It's spring, it's mating season. Roosters do this during late spring, but you might want to try seperating them if possible or using a chicken saddle to reduce feather loss if that is the main problem.

 

[Shadrach]

We have a 2 1/2 yr old Ameraucana Rooster. He is very good at protecting our free ranging flock. He ia a "mating machine" with a couple of hens with featherless patches. Up until now he seemed normal, as normal as relatively new chicken owners know... he now seems to be more aggressive towards some of the hens, even the submissive ones. Maybe a dominance thing? What can we do to make him treat the girls better?

Roosters have favourite hens. It won't matter how many other hens you provide him with, he will mate with his favourites more than he will with the others.

Roosters and hens of the same breed have evolved to cope with mating behviour within their breed. Comparative size is one aspect. Feather strength is yet another. Willingness to mate with a rooster of their breed plays a part.

There are many other factors that are applicable depending on keeping conditions. With confined chickens it becomes almost impossible for a hen to escape a roosters attention.

Mating damage looks very unpleasant to most keepers. Feather loss from the back of a hens neck and possible broken feathers on a hens shoulders doesn't seem to be as much of a problem to the hens as it does to the keeper.
What may become a problem is if the rooster is causing open wounds. In such cases immediate action needs to be taken.

Both the hens in the picture below have mating damage evident on the back of their necks. They are Red Sex Link Battery hens. Unfortunatley the rooster they live with is a Light Sussex about twice their size. Even allowing for the less robust feathers of Ex Battery hens this is not a good pairing.

 

[LisaVMN13]

Right now, my hens are out free ranging while my two roosters kibitz from their run. Chickens can get used to a new routine if you allow them time.

I can't imagine 2 roosters,lol. and they get along? wow. Thanks for the encouragement

 

[azygous]

My roosters are father and son with a well established ranking, and as long as the younger one stays in his lane, all is peaceful. They are very close companions the majority of the time. If you ever wish to keep a pair of roos, it helps if the older one raises and trains the younger one from chickhood.

 

[LisaVMN13]

It's spring, it's mating season. Roosters do this during late spring, but you might want to try seperating them if possible or using a chicken saddle to reduce feather loss if that is the main problem.

Thank you