Rooster Chat

[the poppster]

I love it when the hen turns tails on the boys....and puts the "Run" on them! I hate it when the boys gang up on one of the girls. I'm going to arrange for a few weeks of "Free Time" for the girls...and put the big guys into the Bachelor pen. A few weeks will take them through the height of summer. Hopefully the hormones will settle down a bit. It will also give them a chance to work out just who is where in the pecking order. They can take the frustration out on each other. Not the hens! I won't let them hurt each other. But I don't want them tag teaming a hen, just because she submits to one of them.

 

[microchick]

I love it when the hen turns tails on the boys....and puts the "Run" on them! I hate it when the boys gang up on one of the girls. I'm going to arrange for a few weeks of "Free Time" for the girls...and put the big guys into the Bachelor pen. A few weeks will take them through the height of summer. Hopefully the hormones will settle down a bit. It will also give them a chance to work out just who is where in the pecking order. They can take the frustration out on each other. Not the hens! I won't let them hurt each other. But I don't want them tag teaming a hen, just because she submits to one of them.

That came to an end when I pulled two roosters from the flock and created the temporary bachelor pen. I hated that also. It was if they were standing around the poor hen ranking one another's errrr...talent.

Separating them for a few weeks sounds like a plan. Right now I'm waiting for my broody to hatch the her latest bunch of new cockerels for me this weekend.....sigh.....so I can transfer her out of the coop that is going to become my permanent bachelor coop. I'd like to leave my Buff O rooster with the hens and young cockerels. He is good with the hens, they love him and he can handle the young cockerels in their absence and teach them who is boss...hopefully.

 

[the poppster]

Thank you! Microchik! If I get the chance and catch them ganging up on one of the girls, I storm in and grab the culprit...I know it won't do much good...but it makes me feel better...and maybe gives the bully something else to look out for, besides the rooster he's trying to impress....I carry the guy around for as long as I feel like it, or until he resigns himself to his present predicament and quits trying to get away....and relaxes. Now that I think about it...that might give them pause, next time....I've used the hose on them as well, but I don't like to have my girl suffer a drenching because of the Roos bad manners!

 

[cabinchicky]

Well get this craziness. Have 3 bantams hens that are broody. I pull all 3 out of the nests everyday when I get home. One took it badly today.She was so mad! She fought 2 of the top hens( who are standard size) repeatedly!This ruckus brought Fester running in to stop it. Then the mad Lil stinker jumped at him! He flew into her and she rolled a good 3 ft away,pops up and went back at Him! She kept at it too! Both roosters trying to stop her till she finally got rolled enough. It took almost ten minutes! Crazy girl doesn't weigh a pound and Fester is close to 7 lbs. But wow,he was ****** and then followed her after to make sure she behaved. No blood found and he was calm with me. Big guy likes his dandelion leaves and knows his name.

 

[the poppster]

Yup mine love the leaves and the stems...I found a spot that grows some huge dandelions, stop there every couple days and fill a feed sack with mostly Andy's mixes with some grass....fill my homemade weed feeders with big bunches of fresh cut leaves and stems....by the end of the day they have eaten every dandy leaf and stem....nothing but the grass remains...wonder how one would cultivate a garden of dandelions....neighbors might not appreciate it....

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've have seven broody bantams hatching eggs and one who's raising some chicks. So maybe put them to work like I do.

 

[cowboysgirlfrnd]

After witnessing my remaining rooster forcing himself on one of my old hens who doesn't even lay any more, I'd had enough of his shenanigans. "Benny" has gone to rooster jail in a huge dog crate behind the barn. Catching him to put him in there was stressful enough, I eventually had to throw my coat over him, and I was a bit worried he was going to expire in my hands, but he was roosting quietly on the bar I'd put up in there when I went to lock up for the night.

I feel a bit sad for him as I know he can't control himself, but the flip side is that most of my pullets were on the roosting bars in the hen house, whereas last night there were just three up there with Benny and everybody else was on the floor. I think they enjoyed not being rushed to bed! Hopefully my old hens will resume laying. They had just picked up production again after the spring molts, and then I have had two eggs in the last week, instead of the usual four per day. The only thing I can think is the stress from Benny must have put them off laying.

 

[cabinchicky]

I've have seven broody bantams hatching eggs and one who's raising some chicks. So maybe put them to work like I do.

I tried to let them hatch with no luck. Egg bombs were made instead and half of that flock went broody along with them.They all then fought over the nests and broke half the eggs. I could put them on the starter coop outside though. Will think on it some.Just tired of the 2 of them being so grumpy.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I tried to let them hatch with no luck. Egg bombs were made instead and half of that flock went broody along with them.They all then fought over the nests and broke half the eggs. I could put them on the starter coop outside though. Will think on it some.Just tired of the 2 of them being so grumpy.

They do turn into little pterodactyl.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

After witnessing my remaining rooster forcing himself on one of my old hens who doesn't even lay any more, I'd had enough of his shenanigans. "Benny" has gone to rooster jail in a huge dog crate behind the barn. Catching him to put him in there was stressful enough, I eventually had to throw my coat over him, and I was a bit worried he was going to expire in my hands, but he was roosting quietly on the bar I'd put up in there when I went to lock up for the night.

I feel a bit sad for him as I know he can't control himself, but the flip side is that most of my pullets were on the roosting bars in the hen house, whereas last night there were just three up there with Benny and everybody else was on the floor. I think they enjoyed not being rushed to bed! Hopefully my old hens will resume laying. They had just picked up production again after the spring molts, and then I have had two eggs in the last week, instead of the usual four per day. The only thing I can think is the stress from Benny must have put them off laying.

I wouldn't worry about stressing your rooster by chasing him down, it's actually good for dominating him. I catch mine with a net. Young roosters are often trouble and I've been known to keep them penned separately until they are almost a year old. You have to think of your hens first. I have some wonderful roosters, some were a pain when young, some were nice from the start, so you never know until they mature.