Rooster picking on hen

[LCsAChickenLover]

A few weeks ago our yearish old olive egger rooster, who has been a DREAM guy up until now, has started being very aggressive with our ameraucana hen. She goes broody every year, however this year isn’t sitting on eggs, just running around puffed up and clucking like a nut. I’m guessing he sees this as a threat, like she’s trying to call his girls from him? He is NOT trying to mate her, he is kicking her butt. She is very submissive with him and will squat when he comes barreling at her, but he doesn’t mount her, he rips her feathers from her neck and back of the head. Again, not mating, I watch him with all the other girls, this is definitely aggression. She is a bloody mess, it looks like he scalped her I have her in a small coop by herself to recover after I cleaned her up and sprayed with bluekote.

Any ideas how to remedy his behavior? He has PLENTY of ladies (25) to himself and they are free range. I would like to be able to keep them both but the way it’s going he’s going to kill this hen. Thank you in advance

 

[CascadiaRiver]

So I don't know why they do it but our hens always were upset at the broodies unless it was top hen, in which case that hen would just kick the hell out of them. The way we'd fix it was well to break the broody. We didn't have any problem roosters, it was just the flock said "no" to that hen being broody and we aren't hatching chicks so we'd break her from brooding and she may be bunked down a peck or two in the order but it goes back to normal once she stops acting "weird"

 

[LCsAChickenLover]

So I don't know why they do it but our hens always were upset at the broodies unless it was top hen, in which case that hen would just kick the hell out of them. The way we'd fix it was well to break the broody. We didn't have any problem roosters, it was just the flock said "no" to that hen being broody and we aren't hatching chicks so we'd break her from brooding and she may be bunked down a peck or two in the order but it goes back to normal once she stops acting "weird"

Yes our hens will do that to one another as well. I have several broodys currently and they’re all doing the puffed up clucking broody thing. He just really doesn’t want to hear what she’s saying I guess.

 

[LCsAChickenLover]

the handsome culprit