Rooster Too Vigorous?

[aart]

Aart I know. One rooster grabbed another by the neck feathers and put his feet on his butt and road him around the yard. I got a chuckle but I’m sure that isn’t safe haha.

They'll start fighting and 'abusing' the pullets...I'd get a separate enclosure set up now.

 

[JedJackson]

So I have 5 rooster and 5 hens about 13 weeks old. One of my biggest roosters who I think takes care of the whole flock about 2 weeks ago started forgetting how to enter the coop and would stare at the door. He would eventually figure it out. Two nights ago, he started following the hens inside. He would wait on the coop floor until all the hens and the other roosters got situated. By the time that had all happened, it would be too dark for him to see and he couldn’t climb up on the roost. So he would sleep beneath the hens. So before I go to sleep I typically shut the door and would see him there and pick him up and put him on the perch. Is he too watchful? Or is he too dumb and I need to consider him one of the four for chicken and dumplings?

It's time to start making the choice if you intend to keep only one cockerel. Wait too long and the flesh becomes tough. Or you could try to sell them if you don't care to process and eat them yourself.

Pick a male who is healthy, well feathered and strong, but the most important thing is to pick a bird that is afraid of you or at least keeps a distance when you enter its space. The overly friendly ones often turn aggressive towards humans and the ones that are already aggressive, to you or the hens, will only get worse.

I would say a cockerel at 13 weeks should know how to get in the coop and roost. It sounds like something is off with him. Unless he is a particular favorite or has a wonderful temperament, he's probably not the best choice.

You can expect the male you choose to be a little aggressive with the pullets at first. Too many hormones, too little experience. It's normal for cockerels and pullets to fight for dominance and to struggle a bit during mating until they get the hang of things and have the pecking order under control. However, it is a matter of degree. If you have a case where the male is attacking a retreating pullet or intentionally trying to hurt her during mating then he's only fit for the freezer. Older males usually calm down.