I had a very very hormonal Rhode Island Red cockerel........who was driving everyone crazy. He was chasing the hens down and tackling them to mate, then the 2 head roosters would come and knock him off the girl who was screaming........so he would chase another one.....and tackle it...........and then the other roosters would chase him down to knock him off........over and over and over....
I wanted to get rid of him, but couldn't find anyone to take him. So I moved him into a "private pen" during the day. It was 16x24, butted up against my garage and the baby pen and connected to the main coop. I would just put him out there during the day and then back in the main coop at night.
He stayed in this private pen for a month or two........I had some young pullets in the 'baby pen' for a few weeks and he would keep them company during the day through the fence, clucking at them and pacing the fenceline.
Finally I decided to just throw everyone together, him, the young pullets and the entire "big flock". My big flock normally "free ranges" in my 1/2 acre yard, and consists of 2 roosters and 14 hens, 4 pullets (16 weeks). So I added back my big RIR roo and the additional 11 young pullets (12 weeks).....and so far so good. I don't know if it was the time in isolation or just him getting older and growing out of the hormonal stage, but he is no longer chasing the girls down and will help protect the new young pullets since they are "buddies". I expect he may take over that "flock" when they get a bit older.
I did keep in the same coop at night, but wouldn't let him in until all the others were up roosting...he would simply get in the coop and hop up on a roost next to the others for bedtime, and I would pull him out first thing in the morning. Because he was never "away" from the flock, there was no real "reintegration" period once he was let loose again. He has always been the bottom rooster on the totem pole, and continues to be that.
Now, for the real question..........this Rooster is probably about 7 months old. Is it more likely that the time away made him calm down a bit or just that he is growing out of the hormonal stage?
I wanted to get rid of him, but couldn't find anyone to take him. So I moved him into a "private pen" during the day. It was 16x24, butted up against my garage and the baby pen and connected to the main coop. I would just put him out there during the day and then back in the main coop at night.
He stayed in this private pen for a month or two........I had some young pullets in the 'baby pen' for a few weeks and he would keep them company during the day through the fence, clucking at them and pacing the fenceline.
Finally I decided to just throw everyone together, him, the young pullets and the entire "big flock". My big flock normally "free ranges" in my 1/2 acre yard, and consists of 2 roosters and 14 hens, 4 pullets (16 weeks). So I added back my big RIR roo and the additional 11 young pullets (12 weeks).....and so far so good. I don't know if it was the time in isolation or just him getting older and growing out of the hormonal stage, but he is no longer chasing the girls down and will help protect the new young pullets since they are "buddies". I expect he may take over that "flock" when they get a bit older.
I did keep in the same coop at night, but wouldn't let him in until all the others were up roosting...he would simply get in the coop and hop up on a roost next to the others for bedtime, and I would pull him out first thing in the morning. Because he was never "away" from the flock, there was no real "reintegration" period once he was let loose again. He has always been the bottom rooster on the totem pole, and continues to be that.
Now, for the real question..........this Rooster is probably about 7 months old. Is it more likely that the time away made him calm down a bit or just that he is growing out of the hormonal stage?
