Rooster Targeting Top Hen & Drew Blood on Comb, Hen Scared and Hiding

[tori729]

I have 12 hens and 1 rooster who is about 26 weeks old. They have gotten along fine until yesterday when I found my top hen hiding in the coop with a bloodied comb. I separated her for the night and bought some Blu Kote to put on her and put her back with the flock today. She laid her egg and came out of the coop but the rooster went after her and she retreated back into the coop. I let them free range and he chased her down, mated her and then left her but she is terrified now and hiding behind the dumpster.

I think she's resisted submission from him and that's why this is happening. I don't want her to get hurt more; will this behavior eventually stop if she submits? She's one of my favorites and still laying regularly.
The rooster isn't aggressive to us and is a generally good rooster so I would hate to eliminate him but we will if we have to because my hens are more important.

Should I try separating him? I would rather not have to keep him separate for months while he matures but she is also completely terrified of him and I feel bad for her.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'd separate him so he can mature some more. I like to pen them where they can interact through a fence. I'd probably keep him penned for a few months personally. The cockerel should practice calling hens over nicely while penned and maybe learn some better manners. If this behavior continues than I personally would look for a better rooster.

 

[tori729]

I'd separate him so he can mature some more. I like to pen them where they can interact through a fence. I'd probably keep him penned for a few months personally. The cockerel should practice calling hens over nicely while penned and maybe learn some better manners. If this behavior continues than I personally would look for a better rooster.

Thanks. We didn't mean to get a rooster but we ended up with one out of five straight run chicks. I put him in a separate pen near the run and he hates it. This isn't sustainable long term though as we will need to cover and uncover him every day and give separate food and water.
if anyone has done this successfully I would love to know! Otherwise we may have to eliminate him because it's not worth the hassle.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I raise and keep a lot of roosters. Some can turn around, and others stay as pushy dominating roosters. I don't like those kind, and I only keep those that are respectful to the hens. The troublemakers go in the freezer as having stressed hens isn't worth keeping a badly behaving rooster. Yours is still young, so he may improve with time. It just depends how much effort you want to put into it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why do you want a rooster? What are your goals with him? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal choice, not a need. Nothing wrong with personal choices, I have a few of those myself. When making your decision consider your goals.

will this behavior eventually stop if she submits? She's one of my favorites and still laying regularly.

Nobody knows. Sometimes they work it out, sometimes they don't. You do not get guarantees with chickens and their behaviors.

To me, you have a few options:

1. Get rid of him now. Problem solved.

2. Isolate him from the flock as Old Hen suggested. Give him time to mature and see what happens when you put them back together.

3. Isolate her and maybe a couple of other hens from him and the main flock. See how he gets along with the rest of them. See if his behaviors with them are acceptable. After a few weeks try putting those hens back with the flock.

4. Let them stay together and see what happens. He bloodied her comb when you noticed this starting but it sounds like she was not injured when you saw them mate. Give them a chance to work it out. I've been through something similar except the hen was not injured at all. After a couple of days they worked it out. But others on this forum had a much worse outcome. I don't know how it will work out with yours. You don't get guarantees with living animals.

 

[tori729]

Why do you want a rooster? What are your goals with him? The only reason you need a rooster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal choice, not a need. Nothing wrong with personal choices, I have a few of those myself. When making your decision consider your goals.


Nobody knows. Sometimes they work it out, sometimes they don't. You do not get guarantees with chickens and their behaviors.

To me, you have a few options:

1. Get rid of him now. Problem solved.

2. Isolate him from the flock as Old Hen suggested. Give him time to mature and see what happens when you put them back together.

3. Isolate her and maybe a couple of other hens from him and the main flock. See how he gets along with the rest of them. See if his behaviors with them are acceptable. After a few weeks try putting those hens back with the flock.

4. Let them stay together and see what happens. He bloodied her comb when you noticed this starting but it sounds like she was not injured when you saw them mate. Give them a chance to work it out. I've been through something similar except the hen was not injured at all. After a couple of days they worked it out. But others on this forum had a much worse outcome. I don't know how it will work out with yours. You don't get guarantees with living animals.

My main reasons for wanting a rooster is flock protection from hawks (I know this isn't full proof but if he's willing to fight off and/or sacrifice himself if a hawk attacks, I would rather sacrifice him than a hen.) and to hatch chicks on our own.

So right now he's isolated in a small pen near the big run. It's not a great solution as he needs separate food/water and to be covered/uncovered at night. It's also not sheltered so if it rains we would have to go cover it up.

I've thought about isolating the problem hen with a couple others but same problems as with the rooster and we don't have a very big extra cage. Plus, it's not completely predator proof for nighttime and we have a neighborhood possum.

I've also thought about keeping them together and what happens is she hides in the coop all day and starves herself. :/

Over the past few days now I've noticed she (Ruth is her name) is still scared of the other RiR Fozzie who has "attacked" her a couple times. Ruth has always been the head hen, along with Fozzie but the rooster seemed to mess with the hierarchy a bit. Fozzie seems to have no issues with the rooster but Ruth doesn't seem to want to submit to him and is now just scared.

Going to keep them like this for a bit and see what happens but I would definitely get rid of Mr. Alexander the rooster over Ruth b/c she is a great hen, dominant but personable and still a regular layer at 2 years old. I would hate for something worse to happen to her, she get sick or something b/c she is stressed and won't eat, etc.