Rooster "taking advantage" of hens.....normal?

[gritsar]

Quote:
Exactly correct !! .........Pop

I agree. I also prefer the term "breeding" rather than "raping".

I agree as well. When the young roos are going through their testosterone poisoning it's a bit chaotic. The older roos that have their romancing skills refined can mate a hen without you even being aware that it's happening. There are exceptions, coughcoughIMPYcough.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One of the fastest I saw was last summer. I had several young roosters, probably around 15 weeks old or so and they were driving the mature rooster batty. The young ones would approach a hen, she would run to the mature rooster, and he would frighten the young rooster away just by his intimidating presence.

One day a young one took after a hen who ran to her protector. When the young rooster saw the old one, he kept running right on by and ran under an elevated shed. The old rooster started strutting his stuff, popped his chest out and strutted around, showing how big and mean he was. Meanwhile, the young rooster kept running out the other side of the shed, circled around, and nailed the hen, barely slowing down. The old rooster was still strutting when it was over.

I would not call that refined, but it was fast.

 

[The Farmer]

It is normal. It is what they do, afterall.

One rooster to nine hens is a pretty good number, but if you aren't interested in chicks, why have the rooster?

If they get to free-range a bit, it may give your girls a break from the action.

In all seriousness, if the girls are getting hurt, they are getting too much action and he should be removed or seperated.

 

[Sorin]

Ridgerunner, Thats hilarious!

I have been lucky with my Roo, (polish/Cochin cross) he is only a year old, but he is very gentle, and loves finding food for his girls and playing lookout. What's funny is I got my original four together from the same person they were 2 months old and he was at the bottom of the pecking order, the head hen was always chasing him. It wasn't until he was about 7 months old he decided to take charge.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Why have a rooster? For the protection and the providing they do for their girls. Won't have a flock without at least one.

If a rooster is getting to be too much for his girls, you can seperate him or cull him and try with another. There are plenty of GOOD roos out there looking for homes.

 

[hoping4better]

I used to have 4, not I have 3 roosters (one got aggressive with my little girl). NONE of them have shown any signs of the "typical courting rituals." There's no offerings, dancing or anything. The first dominant rooster, a black sexlink, who is no longer with us, didn't seem interested in mating except once in a while. The production red from the first time he got the impulse simply attacks them and is relentless. If it's female he'll chase, pursue and guarantee that the job is done. The other two are pretty laid back. We call them the twins and they are barred rock. They're really protective, but not aggressive. They don't seem to make the girls, but once in a while when they can get away with it (the production isn't looking or around). None seem to do any damage to the girls though. Even the production only removes a feather or two occasionally and only when the girls fight. The girls don't seem "into it" ever though. The boys have been "active" for a month or two, but the girls just started laying this week.

So, I'd say in answer to your question - it depends on the rooster, but it's not uncommon from my experience.

 

[yolks]

My Rooster won't rape my hens if I'm present...BUT today I had to sneak a peek and he was totally raping them! In my coop he will chase them into a corner and do his business, and in my opinion is very rough with my hens. He plucks their bum feathers all the time, and when he wants to do the deed he pins them down by biting their necks.....RAPIST ON THE LOOSE!

 

[dainerra]

OK, I gotta climb on my soap box here. The rooster isn't "raping" the hens. Rape is a very human concept, about having power over another person. Chickens don't have those kind of thoughts and emotions.

Is he being a little rough? Yes. It sounds like he is a young rooster, over-ramped with testosterone. Some roosters never learn the finer arts of courtship. If you think he is too rough and causing damage to the girls, into the pot he goes. There is never going to be a shortage of roosters, so just replace him.

Yolks, penning them down by grabbing the back of the head is HOW CHICKENS MATE. That is the signal for her to move her tail out of the way. ALL ROOSTERS (and most other animals) DO THE SAME THING. Horses will often grab a mare on the neck, rabbits do it, lions do it, sparrows do it, it's just the signal to the female that he is in position.

 

[gritsar]

OK, I gotta climb on my soap box here. The rooster isn't "raping" the hens. Rape is a very human concept, about having power over another person. Chickens don't have those kind of thoughts and emotions.

Is he being a little rough? Yes. It sounds like he is a young rooster, over-ramped with testosterone. Some roosters never learn the finer arts of courtship. If you think he is too rough and causing damage to the girls, into the pot he goes. There is never going to be a shortage of roosters, so just replace him.

Yolks, penning them down by grabbing the back of the head is HOW CHICKENS MATE. That is the signal for her to move her tail out of the way. ALL ROOSTERS (and most other animals) DO THE SAME THING. Horses will often grab a mare on the neck, rabbits do it, lions do it, sparrows do it, it's just the signal to the female that he is in position.

 

[Mike Winters]

or you can call him hugh hefner and get him about 40 hens