Rooster loosing his mind

[Thereschs]

I have 2 six month old roosters. They are in a flock of 5 three year old Easter Eggers, 2 five month old Olive Eggers and 4 three month old Orpingtons.

My Buff Orpington Roo has decided to beat up my Easter Eggers. He chases them relentlessly, to the point that they will not come outside. He pulls them off the roost bars and stands on them while pecking them. He is not courting them with the normal dance, he just chases them.

It got so bad last night that my husband removed him from our coop. He had pulled three of my girls off the roost bars while we tried to intervein, nothing would stop him.

My girls are freaking out.

Is this just youthful exuberance or is he just not right?

Our other rooster chases them also, but he chases and does the dance, then if they run, he gives chase for a moment, but he's not hurting them or pulling them from the roost bars.

Is there hope for our roo?

 

[sourland]

They are still cockerels - teenagers - not roosters, but this behavior is extreme and to me unacceptable. I would remove both from the flock until they mature, and most likely turn the Buff Orpington into chicken and dumplings.

 

[AnneGirlGG]

I would remove him from the flock if they were mine. He'd become soup. That seems like excessive behavior.

 

[Thereschs]

They are still cockerels - teenagers - not roosters, but this behavior is extreme and to me unacceptable. I would remove both from the flock until they mature, and most likely turn the Buff Orpington into chicken and dumplings.

That's also what my husband says, soup. I just hate that my once friendly and calm boy has gone insane. Our original EE Roo was always great with our girls but decided he could no longer tolerate me. He became so aggressive my husband had to dispatch him. Now I have the reverse, he's not mean to me but is to the girls. I hate that my rooster just can't behave.

 

[Mrs. K]

I hate that my rooster just can't behave.

But it is not your fault. Cockerels are a crapshoot, some are fabulous, a truly wonderful part of the flock. Some are fair - some good traits some faults, and many are just rotten. The longer I am in this game, going on 23 years...the more I believe that it is NOT how they are raised, it is the luck of the draw. They are a crap shoot.

The best way to get a fabulous rooster - is to not keep a rotten one. A rotten rooster just destroys your enjoyment of the flock, and can be seriously dangerous. Cull them.

If you want a very good rooster now or even in the spring. Contact the county extension agent, ask for poultry clubs, or 4-H clubs. Thing is there are a lot of roosters out there, and what you want is a cockerel that has been raised in a multi-generational flock, who is so nice to people and hens, that he has not been culled by a person that would have culled him if he wasn't. If possible, get one close to a year old.

I really wouldn't even worry about breed or looks...beauty is and beauty does.

If you want to wait another year, that too is good decision. Roosters take experience, and getting some experience without chickens is good too.

Mrs K

 

[Thereschs]

I would remove him from the flock if they were mine. He'd become soup. That seems like excessive

But it is not your fault. Cockerels are a crapshoot, some are fabulous, a truly wonderful part of the flock. Some are fair - some good traits some faults, and many are just rotten. The longer I am in this game, going on 23 years...the more I believe that it is NOT how they are raised, it is the luck of the draw. They are a crap shoot.

The best way to get a fabulous rooster - is to not keep a rotten one. A rotten rooster just destroys your enjoyment of the flock, and can be seriously dangerous. Cull them.

If you want a very good rooster now or even in the spring. Contact the county extension agent, ask for poultry clubs, or 4-H clubs. Thing is there are a lot of roosters out there, and what you want is a cockerel that has been raised in a multi-generational flock, who is so nice to people and hens, that he has not been culled by a person that would have culled him if he wasn't. If possible, get one close to a year old.

I really wouldn't even worry about breed or looks...beauty is and beauty does.

If you want to wait another year, that too is good decision. Roosters take experience, and getting some experience without chickens is good too.

Mrs K

That is good advice. Thank you

 

[AnneGirlGG]

That is good advice. Thank you

You're welcome. And please don't feel like you did something wrong, like @Mrs. K said. You didn't. Some just get aggressive.