Rooster drama

[sdm111]

With the different ages it seems the pecking order is flip flopped. As in male being on top

 

[Sara Ranch]

From a different perspective....

I adopt chickens (both genders). They all come with their own stories. I have several rooster flocks.

The cockerels start coming into their hormones around 4 months old. Some later. Very seldom earlier.

Some boys handle puberty very well and others are PMS'ing 24/7.

When it comes to mating, almost all start off rough. I teach them to be gentle. I sometimes supervise. (And no, boys don't like to be watched or talked to while they are mating. But I don't want them tearing up my girls, so I will intervene if they are too violent.)

Younger boys with older girls is fine. Most of the times, the girls will put the young man in his place.

I'd be concerned about the young man mating with the 5 month old girls. Depending on the breed and their maturity, they may not be ready for mating yet.

Puberty (and all the behaviors that go with it) will continue until he is about a year old. Some settle down sooner and others continue the hormonal roller coaster a bit longer.

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When I felt things were getting out of hand (boy too rough on girl), I removed the boy.

Some of my guys the rooster flocks will violent jump a girl who wanders into their turf. They can't seem to help themselves cuz they are so horny.

I have two young men (haven't reached the 1 year mark yet) that were just too big and too violent with the ladies, so they didn't get a flock. They go after the ducks now. The girl ducks are a bit submissive if they are caught. The boy ducks are like, "QUACK, oh quack quack NO!" and will BOTH chase after the horny chicken. Normally, I don't allow a gang up, but in this case, I don't stop it. The young men need to learn that it's not ok. I also put the young men in time out. That seems to have helped some. (They stopped going after the girls and started going after the boys. The chickens tend to avoid me now, so catching them for time out is a bit harder.)

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Based on experiences, I wouldn't cull the young man yet. You will be going through the same type of experience when the younger guys come into hormones.

Could you separate out the young man? Keep it so he can see the girls, eat through the fence with the girls, but not mate with the girls? Separate sleeping quarters? He will mellow out with time.

 

[centrarchid]

Pushing boundaries a bit comparing males of two species in that manner. Uncomfortable degree of pushing.

 

[Feather Fanatic 2000]

Just to clarify the numbers. We have 13 total chickens. 3 mature hens, 5 5 mos old pullets one which is laying the others look close, 1 5 mos old cockerel, and 4 chicks about 10 weeks old. Of the chicks I think 2 are pullets and 2 are cocks. So I think when all is said and done we'll have 10 ladies and 3 boys. That's why I'm wondering if we should just cull this one seeing as though we'll end up with too many boys in a few months anyways. And the cockerel is mounting the 5 mos old pullets. They don't all seem to be ok with it they have no injuries or missing feathers. I really think he's picking on this one for some reason. Maybe she's just an easier target. She squats quickly and stays still so it's not like she fighting him and he need to be rougher with her. And he was definitely pecking her and not just holding onto her feathers.

Young roosters are almost always rougher than older ones, and even though you do have a lot of chickens, there aren't many females of mating age. It is also possible that the rooster was a little aggressive during mating and drew a bit of blood, and now everyone is pecking (because chickens will aggressively pick at and peck any open wounds) which only makes it worse. In my opinion, you have to take account of your numbers, and the behavior of both your current and upcoming roosters. Your flock can only handle one rooster, two if you really want to push it. The rooster that you already have is at his worst age, but should be much better after about a year old. On the other hand, the other two haven't reached this hormonal "demon age". If the rooster you already have is generally a good rooster, just a little too horny, I would keep him for now. If he isn't and the two younger ones seem to be better, then ditch him.

 

[Sara Ranch]

@centrarchild - I am not sure if the comment refers to my post. If it does, thank you for pointing out that I need to clarify.

For clarification - I am referring to and comparing cockerels (from baby chicks to one year old).

The duckies are just the latest victims of those two horny cockerels. My friends leg & foot were a victim of those two horny cockerels. And I believe a log or two, as well as a rock or two, may have received some attn from those two horny cockerels. They were with girl chickens, but were way too violent and way too big for the girl chickens. When those huge boys (think sumo wrestlers) were on a chicken, you couldn't see any chicken underneath them. Any girl chicken underneath them could barely stand and couldn't walk immediately after a mating. That is why they aren't with any girl chickens. If I am blessed to adopt girl chickens (or raise some) large meat bird chickens, then the boys will have another opportunity to mate.

My Pekin ducks are huge, but smaller than these two boys.

These two boys have vision problems and are probably nearly blind. They want to mate. They aren't handling this stage of puberty well.

Some of my cockerels handle puberty well and others PMS all the way through it.

 

[robyn8]

Hmm a lot to think about. I don't know about a separate pen. I don't think hubs will be game for it. For now I guess I'll let the injured one heal up in her cage and watch the boy. He was less aggressive than his brother and the reason he's around instead. We culled his brother last week. I'll give him another chance and if he seems too aggressive still I might just cull him. The boys that are chicks still are Easter Eggers and I'd rather have that as my rooster than a silkie mix I think...just for ease of getting rid of chicks. I have 2 girls so far that like to go broody so I think we'll always be dealing with chicks around here.

 

[Feather Fanatic 2000]

If you are interested in breeding, then don't even bother playing games a potentially bad rooster that isn't even the breed you want. My hen recently hatched 3 eggs (1 Red Sexlink/BO Cross male, 1 pure BO female, and an EE/BO female) and even thought the little rooster is sweet, he's not the breed I want, and I'm already planning on getting rid of him. I didn't realize in my earlier post that you are interested in breeding. Don't keep a rooster that will distract you from your goals.

 

[sdm111]

Yeah if you don't want what he'll produce (silkies) just cull him now. No point in feeding something that will produce chicks nobody is prolly gonna want. You'll be stuck with alot of ones you don't want then.
Weather he's good or bad right now

 

[robyn8]

Very true comments on the breed. I guess he should go. And the father of the other cockerel chicks I have is a really great rooster so probably better genes to keep in my flock.

 

[Sara Ranch]

Ah...a missing piece.

If his brother was culled last week, the cockerel is under a lot of stress (missing his brother, trying to prove his value, scared, etc).

There's always an adjustment period after flock membership changes.

Please give him some time to settle down. He's missing his brother and scared he may just disappear too, if he can't prove himself.

I must have missed this - but what is the goal with the breeding? To sell the chicks? For the eggs? For the meat?

I have two goals - eggs and meat. So it's not going to matter too much to me what the new chicks are. They are either egg layers or meat.