Rooster trying to mate chicks

[chickencoop5]

I have 5 laying hens, 2 approaching laying age, a rooster that has just realized he is a rooster and 5 chicks from 8-12 weeks old. The chicks live in a pen inside the big coop. This way they safely get to know each other before the real introduction. I have been letting the chicks free range with the larger chickens when I am able to supervise. My rooster has recently realized he is a rooster and is trying to mate everyone! He does not appear to be very successful and often gets a good whooping from the larger hens. My issue is that he has discovered the chicks. The largest of the chicks (which I believe to be male) seems to be his primary target. Is he just mating everyone because he is hormonal and crazy? Is he establishing that he is alpha? Do I shoo him away from the babies or is this part of establishing a pecking order? When he mates them, they scream their little heads off and loose a couple of feathers. This is my first time having a rooster so I'm still unsure of normal behavior and overly aggressive behavior. Nobody is bleeding or bald and he has not shown any aggression towards people so far. The just has one thing on his mind and I want to be prepared and know how to handle him. Thank you for any advice you are able to offer.

 

[Judy]

It's not unusual for them to try to mate everything in sight when their hormones first kick in. But there is such a thing as an overly aggressive rooster, just as there are roosters who are so human aggressive that people choose not to keep them. Shooing him away won't help unless you plan to move into the coop, I'm afraid. Usually they calm down with a little more maturity. You'll just have to decide whether he is too aggressive. Of course you could also keep the youngest ones away from him for a couple of months.