Rooster drama!!

[LindsayRae]

Hello,

I have 4 new hens, all but one is three months. The other one is four. I have a 6 month old rooster who I love- Anyway, I brought these hens home, waited a week to let them even be near each other. Now that they are all in one area, my rooster is being a butthead. He chases them around, and sometimes pecks at them. Mostly they run away. They are by far, way faster and agile than he is. Buff Orpington vs Amerucanas! Hah, anyway- The rooster has been sitting in the nest box making strange sounds- like: "come up here little hens!" The only time they seem fine with him is when it's bed time and they all roost together.

I dont want to get rid of him because he is super cool, and sits on my lap- But if I have to I will. My real question is if this fear of the rooster will subside, should I do anything to help them chill out, or what? It hasnt even been a week yet!

Any advice will be appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Wishing4Wings]

He is young and amorous, and your pullets don't seem sexually mature yet (any laying eggs?) so are not receptive to his attentions. Since he is young and inexperienced, I would separate him until your females start laying, after which they should not be so fearful. An older rooster with some manners will not usually bother pullets until they are receptive, but your young cockerel is like a teenage boy and doesn't know any better yet. A mature pullet or hen will generally squat to be bred by the rooster. And a good rooster is a wonderful thing. He will entice them by clucking gently to call them over for a treat or call them into a nest, and he will stand guard, watching for danger to give an alert, or even give his life, to protect his flock. So your boy is doing some things right, but the young girls are just not ready.

 

[LindsayRae]

He is young and amorous, and your pullets don't seem sexually mature yet (any laying eggs?) so are not receptive to his attentions. Since he is young and inexperienced, I would separate him until your females start laying, after which they should not be so fearful. An older rooster with some manners will not usually bother pullets until they are receptive, but your young cockerel is like a teenage boy and doesn't know any better yet. A mature pullet or hen will generally squat to be bred by the rooster. And a good rooster is a wonderful thing. He will entice them by clucking gently to call them over for a treat or call them into a nest, and he will stand guard, watching for danger to give an alert, or even give his life, to protect his flock. So your boy is doing some things right, but the young girls are just not ready.

Thank you so much! I can tell he's trying all sorts of stuff to get their attention, but they stay clear. I would love to have a little happy family of chickens in the back yard. I like to let them run free all over, and having a rooster would make it easier for me to leave them out.

I will keep them separated until they lay some eggs. He is usually prancing all over the yard during the day anyhow. They still aren't so sure about leaving coop for very long, so right now it seems like it wont be such a pain to manage my youngsters.