rooster constantly attacking 1 hen

[tielie135]

hello, so my rooster (about 1 and a half years old) has been constantly attacking one of my hens. I know it is not breeding behavior as he will case her down and pull the skin clean off the back of her neck exposing the muscle. he started attacking her about a year and has progressively getting worse. he did it again today and he tore a vessel pretty bad, she should be okay. he has only been severely hurting her for about 2 months now it is WAY out of hand. I worry if this continues he will kill her. the hen is my girl little red and due to him she spends a lot of time roaming around inside the house and she is extremely special. she is my baby. I have completely ran out of ideas. I will not butcher him or sell him as he is the head roo and essential to my breeding program. but little red cannot continue living inside the house. she doesn't go inside the coop anymore so I have to and every time he sees or hears her he chases her down and attacks. he is absolutely wonderful with the rest of the girls and good with other roos. they have known each other since they were 3 months old. he is an Americana and she is an unknown cross breed. I believe he started doing this because unlike the other hens she will not squat for him but run. when she has squatted though he just starts biting chunks out of her comb. she is inside now.
any help or solutions is greatly appreciated. I cannot split the coop or build another run due to their still being a lot of snow on the ground. thanks for any help.

 

[Dixie-Doll-House]

Not trying to be rude, but you already have stated the problem and several answers though none of those are acceptable to you. Pick a priority. IMHO his behavior has been tolerated way to long, if he were mine he'd be in a pot of dumplin's two months ago.

 

[Birdie mom]

I kinda agree with @Dixie-Doll-House ... If she is getting really hurt you need to chose, which do you love most, the hen or the roo. Sorry though

 

[tielie135]

Not trying to be rude, but you already have stated the problem and several answers though none of those are acceptable to you. Pick a priority. IMHO his behavior has been tolerated way to long, if he were mine he'd be in a pot of dumplin's two months ago.

yeah, I know... I am going to start looking for a new roo. I was just hoping that someone would come along and have a way to keep both. (and PS you are not being rude. I needed to hear it.)

 

[Dixie-Doll-House]

yeah, I know... I am going to start looking for a new roo. I was just hoping that someone would come along and have a way to keep both. (and PS you are not being rude. I needed to hear it.)

I wish you the best of luck in whatever choice you made....the most important was...you made one, though difficult I'm sure. It all boils down to what you will have to do in order to keep both, and if you can accommodate that. Perhaps re homing or trade can be an option for you.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

hello, so my rooster (about 1 and a half years old) has been constantly attacking one of my hens. I know it is not breeding behavior as he will case her down and pull the skin clean off the back of her neck exposing the muscle. he started attacking her about a year and has progressively getting worse. he did it again today and he tore a vessel pretty bad, she should be okay. he has only been severely hurting her for about 2 months now it is WAY out of hand.

I will not butcher him or sell him as he is the head roo and essential to my breeding program. but little red cannot continue living inside the house. she doesn't go inside the coop anymore so I have to and every time he sees or hears her he chases her down and attacks.

I was just hoping that someone would come along and have a way to keep both.

Sorry you face this.

1. house the hen separately, maybe include a friend or two so she's not completely alone.

2. house the rooster separately, he won't die. When it's breeding time, place the hen(s) you want bred into his pen for a few days then take them back out. This way all your hens (including the one that's being hurt can be together)

3. cull him. Culling is removing from the flock - whether killing/butchering him, selling or giving away.

4. cull the hen.

I have no way of knowing whether behavior is passed along genetically. Some do believe that and I tend to agree. That's something to consider - do you want to pass that on?

I would check little red over - does she lay eggs, is she sick, does she have lice/mites, worms, etc. More than likely you are correct, she's not submitting and getting beaten for that.
It's a hard, hard thing to see.

I'm not just talking and giving you lip. I went through something similar. I had, imho, a absolutely gorgeous heritage barred Plymouth Rock rooster. He was a sweetheart to me, he was pretty good to certain ladies, but he hated, I mean hated my white Leghorn. He beat her badly. He didn't like 2 others, but didn't beat them up so much as terrorized them. O.k. well, he was young. I gave him time. He was separated, I would turn him loose and he would stay right around the fencing with near the girls, I would let "his girls" out with him and he was nice. I let several months pass and tried again. As soon as he got into the run, he went straight for her, I mean straight for her. I took him back out - he's still young(ish) so give it more time. I waited until he was over a year old. Put him in and she was nervous, but it all seemed o.k. the first couple of days. I came home and found a badly beaten hen, my coop and run cam caught it all - it was sickening to watch, the poor thing tried everything to get away from him, he was relentless. I was angry, but didn't do anything to him that day, I just separated him out. I thought about it all night and made my decision. The next morning I went out there and put him down. It was hard and hard decision to make. Never ever again will I repeat that process. I love roosters, but beating a hen is not something you want to deal with no matter how perfect or beautiful or how much you like him, if he's not treating all the ladies fairly, then he needs to go.
I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. I wish you well.

 

[tielie135]

Sorry you face this.

1. house the hen separately, maybe include a friend or two so she's not completely alone.

2. house the rooster separately, he won't die. When it's breeding time, place the hen(s) you want bred into his pen for a few days then take them back out. This way all your hens (including the one that's being hurt can be together)

3. cull him. Culling is removing from the flock - whether killing/butchering him, selling or giving away.

4. cull the hen.

I have no way of knowing whether behavior is passed along genetically. Some do believe that and I tend to agree. That's something to consider - do you want to pass that on?

I would check little red over - does she lay eggs, is she sick, does she have lice/mites, worms, etc. More than likely you are correct, she's not submitting and getting beaten for that.
It's a hard, hard thing to see.

I'm not just talking and giving you lip. I went through something similar. I had, imho, a absolutely gorgeous heritage barred Plymouth Rock rooster. He was a sweetheart to me, he was pretty good to certain ladies, but he hated, I mean hated my white Leghorn. He beat her badly. He didn't like 2 others, but didn't beat them up so much as terrorized them. O.k. well, he was young. I gave him time. He was separated, I would turn him loose and he would stay right around the fencing with near the girls, I would let "his girls" out with him and he was nice. I let several months pass and tried again. As soon as he got into the run, he went straight for her, I mean straight for her. I took him back out - he's still young(ish) so give it more time. I waited until he was over a year old. Put him in and she was nervous, but it all seemed o.k. the first couple of days. I came home and found a badly beaten hen, my coop and run cam caught it all - it was sickening to watch, the poor thing tried everything to get away from him, he was relentless. I was angry, but didn't do anything to him that day, I just separated him out. I thought about it all night and made my decision. The next morning I went out there and put him down. It was hard and hard decision to make. Never ever again will I repeat that process. I love roosters, but beating a hen is not something you want to deal with no matter how perfect or beautiful or how much you like him, if he's not treating all the ladies fairly, then he needs to go.
I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. I wish you well.

just an update, it turns out he was doing that because she had a cyst tumour on the back of her neck and was removing it. we took her to the vet to get it surgically removed where she passed away under anisthertic. rooster has been sweet and perfect ever since.