Rooster getting very bossy and over-mating hens

[MarieT]

Hi guys,

So my rooster is getting awfully bossy and is over-mating my hens. There's bald spots on the girls backs and it's like his manners are just going out the window. There used to be lots of tidbitting and he was always keeping a close eye on his girls and being fairly gentle when mating. He was also very cuddly and sweet with me. I thought I raised a decent rooster but now I'm worried for my girls. He's getting to be super protective, and following them around everywhere, mating all the time and crowing his head of. And he is just, I don't know how to say it, a little mean to them!?
He's also a very alert when we enter the run but doesn't do much more than keep an eye on us. There's been a little shuffle/dance a few times, but I've picked him up and cuddled and we're fine now, so i'm thinking our relationship is not the problem. I don't wanna jump the gun and just give up on him, but I also feel like I need to protect my hens. At this point I'm thinking maybe he's just not such a great rooster and he'll make a good coq au vin. I've never had a problem with roosters before, so this is a first for me...

Any thoughts?

 

[3KillerBs]

How many hens does he have?

 

[MarieT]

6 but I'm planning to add a couple of more hens this summer.

Up until about a month ago he seemed perfectly content with his little flock...

 

[rosemarythyme]

Maybe try hen aprons? Not seeing anything that sounds like bad behavior really... you said he's mean to them, but how?

 

[cluckadoodledoo13]

I agree, you could try hen aprons. Adding to your flock should also help. Is he causing the hens feathers to molt?

 

[BroodyCluck]

Hi guys,

So my rooster is getting awfully bossy and is over-mating my hens. There's bald spots on the girls backs and it's like his manners are just going out the window. There used to be lots of tidbitting and he was always keeping a close eye on his girls and being fairly gentle when mating. He was also very cuddly and sweet with me. I thought I raised a decent rooster but now I'm worried for my girls. He's getting to be super protective, and following them around everywhere, mating all the time and crowing his head of. And he is just, I don't know how to say it, a little mean to them!?
He's also a very alert when we enter the run but doesn't do much more than keep an eye on us. There's been a little shuffle/dance a few times, but I've picked him up and cuddled and we're fine now, so i'm thinking our relationship is not the problem. I don't wanna jump the gun and just give up on him, but I also deep like I need to protect my hens. At this point I'm thinking maybe he's just not such a great rooster and he'll make a good coq au vin. I've never had a problem with roosters before, so this is a first for me...

Any thoughts?

A few years back I had a buff Orpington rooster get.very rough like that. Those are usually a gentle breed. He started out very gentle as a cockreal but when he began mating he changed And started his little sliding dance toward me but I just ignored it. All my hens were being torn up from his rough treatment while mating.
I found my dog sick and not eating and laying around she had peed on the floor and later pooped on the floor and didn't want to go outside. Never had she ever done that in her life. So I looked her over and found a swollen leg with a small looking wound. I took her to the vet and he felt it was a snake bite. Figured it was a copperhead because I had some now and then. He started her on antibiotics and she had a fever and got much sicker before she got better but she did get well.
Then came the day that rooster spurred me just below the knee. It was very painful and left a black hole for a while. It was then that it occurred to me that the rooster had spurred the dog because when he spurred me the dog ran to my side when I screamed the dog was afraid but wanted to support me. The rooster then stated the little side dance toward the dog. She ran and the rooster chased her. I grabbed a big tub and managed to drop it over the rooster while he slowed down fixated on attacking the dog. My dog was 9 yrs old and very gentle would never harm anything This was all unprovoked. . I managed to maneuver the lid under the tub to flip it over and move him into the pen to stay till I could decide what I would do about him. He went crazy jumping high and trying to beat out the wire. I just decided he would stay in there. By the next day he was very calm and I finally let him out and he seemed like he would stop being so mean so I thought it was solved. But my dog would not go outside till night time after that. After a couple of days I had been somewhere and when I got home he flew at me his wings or something (could have been his claw)cut my arm laid it wide open bloody but I managed to get back into the car and a neighbor saw the episode and pulled up to help. The rooster ran to the other side of the yard. The man was determined to get the rooster and got spurred too. We both managed to get him into the pen where he stayed till night the man came back to process him as food.. My hens were so tore up some were bleeding. He had really gotten worse on them. I know they were a lot better off with him gone. So was my dog and I was too
It was a while before I could stop being afraid of a rooster but the next one I got I didn't try to pet it and showed firmness so it wouldn't get ideas it could attack me.. Someone told me that being too affectionate to a rooster sometimes causes that. Alll my chickens and even the rooster before thst were so gentle and ran to me tried to jump on me to hold them because I had raised then since they were a few days old and made a big deal out of everything they did.

 

[3KillerBs]

6 but I'm planning to add a couple of more hens this summer.

Up until about a month ago he seemed perfectly content with his little flock...

Murray McMurray's online catalog includes recommended mating ratios for the different breeds. 10 to 1 seems to be average so I'm guessing that he's short on hens and they're distressed due to over-mating and so might be resisting him.

 

[aart]

At this point I'm thinking maybe he's just not such a great rooster and he'll make a good coq au vin.

That was my thought also.
How old are these birds?
Have they always lived together?

Murray McMurray's online catalog includes recommended mating ratios for the different breeds. 10 to 1 seems to be average so I'm guessing that he's short on hens and they're distressed due to over-mating and so might be resisting him.

The 'rooster' to hen ratio of 1:10 that is often cited is primarily for fertility efficiency in commercial breeding facilities.

It doesn't mean that if a cockbird has 10 hens that he won't abuse or over mate them.

Many breeders keep pairs, trios, quads, etc

It all depends on the temperaments of the cock and hens and sometimes housing provided.

Backyard flocks can achieve good fertility with a larger ratio.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree hen saddles/aprons to help protect their fearhers/skin.

Maybe a sectioned off space he can spend some time in so they get a break while you seek out more females....

 

[MarieT]

Thanks everyone for your help and stories.
To answer questions:
- yes they've always lived together, about a year old. The rooster is a Columbian Rock. The hens are a mix of Columbians and Plymouth Rocks.
- 'he's mean': yeah sorry that was kinda vague, I'll elaborate:
He chases after them and it doesn't seem to have the finesse of courtship as much as just chasing when they try to get away, but maybe he's still learning... He never waits for them to squat for mating and it looks quite rough. I know young chicken sex is often a little rough, but there's been some blood on their combs, nothing really serious but I don't like it, don't want any cannibalism in my flock. I've also noticed egg production is down quite a bit ever since this started, so not a good sign in my opinion.

I certainly don't want to get rid of him if we don't have to and we're already working on getting more hens. The apron sounds like a good idea as well!
I've always been firm with him but also snuggled with him, he seemed to enjoy the quality time, but now I hear that showing them affection isn't necessarily a good idea? I've never had any problems with previous roosters but curious what you guys think. Appreciate the help, thanks again.