Rooster Suddenly Aggressive?

[CookieChicken18]

Hi all! Today we got a bantam frizzle rooster, a Cochin hen, and a polish hen. We have almost no experience with full grown roosters. At the place where we got him he was doing fine, he wasn't making much noise and he wasn't messing with the hens. We took him home and set up a large cage in the garage where they could spend the nights while we integrate them into our existing flock.

I went out to check on them and the rooster was constantly pecking one of the hen's back. I thought that this was normal mating behavior and he would mount then leave her alone but he didn't and kept pecking her. I separated him to a smaller cage and after a little while I tried to put him back in to the big cage and he pecked me.

When I put him back he went right on aggressively pecking the one hens back. When I tried to get him back out he pecked me even harder. We got him into the smaller cage and that is where he is now.

Is this normal? Should I be worried? And what should I do?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We're there other roosters where you got him?

They are all probably stressed and confused from being suddenly relocated. It's entirely possible the 3 birds you choose didn't hang out together or were similar in ranking in their previous pecking order.

I would keep the rooster separated out for now. Let the hens settle in for a week or two than maybe try letting him out again. Bantam Cochin roosters are feisty, but most end up good roosters after the mature a bit, but can be trouble as teenagers. You said it was full grown, but is it mature? Generally over a year of age, and most roosters are best by age 2.

Do you have other hens? He may mate too much on two hens, so you may need to get more hens or separate him out occasionally to give them a break.

 

[CookieChicken18]

I think there were 2 other roosters at the place where I got him. We have 4 other hens that we are working on introducing him and the other hens to. Last night we stuck him in the same cage as the hens then immediately turned the light off and that seemed to work. I will try to keep him separated until we actually integrate them into the existing flock. Thanks for the advice!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be he was on the bottom of the rooster pecking order at his last place and he had to behave himself more.