Rooster issues

[Mimi1008]

Over the last month of so my rooster has started chasing off one of my hens who was the head hen. She’s a black and white laced whyndotte. He won’t let her near the flock and anytime he sees her he goes after her. Just in the last week he started doing the same thing to another hen. So now they are both banned from the flock. What should I do? When I go out in my yard I don’t allow him to do that to them so they know I’m protecting them and they will come by me. I thought about putting him in a cage for a few days to see if that changes the dynamic a bit. She will run from him when he goes after her but I’ve seen her get low on the ground and stay put and he won’t do her anything but one of the other hens started attacking her. I saw this happen twice in the last week. I chase them off. It’s like the peace in my flock is gone.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally would put him in the freezer. Is he young? A good rooster should look out for all the hens. Sometimes one will favor certain hens. There are too many good roosters to put up with a bad one.

It is possible he may improve if young if you remove him and pen him separately where he can interact through the fence and learn some better manners. I would leave him pen for at least a month, or even longer.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Agreed. This is not acceptable rooster behavior. How old is he? If under a year, he is not a rooster but a cockerel. Has he been raised with older hens or pullets his own age? If he is the same age as the others he is liable to be a bully as males mature earlier. If raised in an older flock the OG hens tend to teach the little boys manners. I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs. Eat him or confine him till he grows up. Protect your hens. Solve for peace in the flock, always.

 

[Mimi1008]

Agreed. This is not acceptable rooster behavior. How old is he? If under a year, he is not a rooster but a cockerel. Has he been raised with older hens or pullets his own age? If he is the same age as the others he is liable to be a bully as males mature earlier. If raised in an older flock the OG hens tend to teach the little boys manners. I agree with @oldhenlikesdogs. Eat him or confine him till he grows up. Protect your hens. Solve for peace in the flock, always.

He just turned a year in February. The majority of my hens are 2 1/2 years old. I had my flock without a rooster and I hatched him along with three other chicks. I gave him to a friend then got him back. He is not aggressive towards me at all. When I first put him in with my chickens Stella the one he is bulling attacked him pretty good and his comb was bleeding. But after that there were no issues. June will be a year he’s been with my flock. I’ll try putting him in a separate area for a while to see if that works. Hoping it does because other than this he’s been great.

 

[Mimi1008]

I personally would put him in the freezer. Is he young? A good rooster should look out for all the hens. Sometimes one will favor certain hens. There are too many good roosters to put up with a bad one.

It is possible he may improve if young if you remove him and pen him separately where he can interact through the fence and learn some better manners. I would leave him pen for at least a month, or even longer.

Ok, I’ll do that. I posted a reply with his age info hopefully you can see that. Thank you

 

[Altairsky]

This behavior from a 1+ yo rooster is not acceptable.
However pay attention to the hens because in the case it's not the rooster's fault, there might be something wrong with the hens and the rooster is just trying to "fix" what feels wrong to him.
So, try to observe and figure out why this behavior occurs. If you can't figure out a reason, remove the rooster (put him in jail) and see if the hens appear more peaceful without him.
If, after a couple of days, the flock appears more relaxed and more happy, than you're sure it's a rooster problem, and at that point, I'd cull the rooster.

 

[Mimi1008]

This behavior from a 1+ yo rooster is not acceptable.
However pay attention to the hens because in the case it's not the rooster's fault, there might be something wrong with the hens and the rooster is just trying to "fix" what feels wrong to him.
So, try to observe and figure out why this behavior occurs. If you can't figure out a reason, remove the rooster (put him in jail) and see if the hens appear more peaceful without him.
If, after a couple of days, the flock appears more relaxed and more happy, than you're sure it's a rooster problem, and at that point, I'd cull the rooster.

 

[Mimi1008]

Thank you

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Ok, I’ll do that. I posted a reply with his age info hopefully you can see that. Thank you

Some can be naughty their first adult spring. I have had good luck penning them like I mentioned during the spring when hormones are surging, and letting them back out after summer hits and things calm down.

Some have done better after a month or two, and others needed until fall when hormones start to fall. I don't recall any that didn't improve eventually.

They are forced to interact through a fence where they learn to tidbit and entice hens over to the pen. It also helps to break bad habits.

If you are interested in keeping him you may need to manage him through his first adult season. Pen him when he's naughty and release him sometimes to see how it's going.

I keep a lot of roosters, and try to keep as many as my flocks can handle. So I'm familiar with naughty boys. If they continue to harass hens they go in the freezer.

 

[Mimi1008]

Some can be naughty their first adult spring. I have had good luck penning them like I mentioned during the spring when hormones are surging, and letting them back out after summer hits and things calm down.

Some have done better after a month or two, and others needed until fall when hormones start to fall. I don't recall any that didn't improve eventually.

They are forced to interact through a fence where they learn to tidbit and entice hens over to the pen. It also helps to break bad habits.

If you are interested in keeping him you may need to manage him through his first adult season. Pen him when he's naughty and release him sometimes to see how it's going.

I keep a lot of roosters, and try to keep as many as my flocks can handle. So I'm familiar with naughty boys. If they continue to harass hens they go in the freezer.

Thank you so much! I’ll put him in a smaller coop/run I have where most of flock hangs out in the shade during the day. I’m not one of the chicken owners that can cull my chickens. I know this is not for the weak at heart and I’m one of those. These are my pets that provide food. I’m praying that this straightens him up and he learns from the experience.