Rooster - violent with my hens!

[Minky]

So in the past few years, Ive learned a lot about roosters-my first was AMAZING at free ranging my hens and escorting them back to the hen house to lay if they were down at the pond or in the orchard. He was also a nice gentle "lover". However- he attacked my young children and even me twice- when I had a sunhat on and another time when I wore a skirt... so he was re-homed to a man with no kids.

My next rooster never attacked anyone and was ok with the hens, but he never really free ranged them more than 30 feet from the barn.

This year Ive chosen 2 brothers we hatched out last spring. Rainbow and Mukluks. They get along quite well, which I did not think possible-- so I have kept both in with my 21 hens. But they chase them down- really aggressively, and then while one mounts the hen (after pecking her head and biting her neck feathers) the other one is right there beside him, standing up beside her head, biting her head or making cackle sounds.

It is horrible to watch and a few times, Ive had to go in and knock him off of the hen. They are both doing this- like a team. But only one mounts the hen each time.

What gives? IS this normal? What shall I do??
Thanks

 

[Bluechick2u]

Its because they are competing for the hens, is there a way you can pen one up during the day?

 

[Minky]

LOL - maybe??? I got mad at them and penned them up together in the bachelor pad adjacent to the coop. I'll let them chill out for a day or two until I figure out what to do.

 

[Wezdin]

It is normal when there is 2 roosters together, but it is not a good thing. They become jerks when with other male friends are around. I would try separating one of the roosters and see if that helps.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Holding on to the feathers or skin behind the head or back of the neck is normal during mating. The other is there out of jealousy but is subordinate to the mating rooster. He gets frustrated if he us not permitted to mate and can take out his frustration on the hen.

Its unusual with so many hens that the roosters remain that competitive and agressive with them. When I have allowed multiple roosters (2) in the free range flock at a time, i only had between 8-12 hens. They all stayed in the same coop at night but during the day they would break up into seemingly 2 separate flocks. Occasionally, one would mate snd the other would run over to see the commotion but they didn't fight or rough up the hen.
I once at 4 roosters with only 12 hens and they would all "take a turn" and were rough on the hens. The 2 most aggressive roosters were removed and the 2 remaining were much more gentler on the hens after that.

 

[tigger19687]

You only need 1, they will constantly fight for the top spot.
Find a home for one of them

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

I have had three roosters, no problem. They knew their places and I had enough hens. One died and now I have several cockerels whom I haven’t integrated yet, but when I do I expect some fighting but they’ll figure it out. Mine don’t constantly fight for top position, they know their places.

 

[centrarchid]

I do not like to see rough treatment of hens. Confined groups have only one rooster, even if only on hen. The number hens can be up to 10.

Free-range I make so the roosters can have separate territories where hens make choices which rooster / territory is made use of.

 

[Ridgerunner]

But they chase them down- really aggressively, and then while one mounts the hen (after pecking her head and biting her neck feathers) the other one is right there beside him, standing up beside her head, biting her head or making cackle sounds.

They are both doing this- like a team. But only one mounts the hen each time.

They were hatched last spring, probably means they are about 10 months old. That behavior sound immature. It's hard to judge maturity just by age. I've had a cockerel act really mature at 5 months, I had one that took 11 months before he actually matured enough to take over. Typically mine are ready around 7 months but that can really vary. I assume the females are the same age? I'd consider them mature hens at that age.

I'll try to explain my thought process. A mature hen often wants the potential father of her chicks to be worthy. He needs to do the things that a responsible chicken father should do. That requires a certain level of maturity on his part. If he doesn't meet her standards she usually won't squat for him but runs away. When that happens he often chases her and forces her. At that maturity level the mating act is more about dominance than fertilizing eggs. The one on bottom is accepting the dominance of the one on top, either willingly or by force. Sounds like yours are by force. Once he has enough maturity and acts like a mature rooster things typically get really calm. No real violence.

But some seem to never mature. I think they just don't have the self-confidence to be able to woo them by personality so they have to rely on force. I think this is more likely to happen with late maturing cockerels.

You have the added twist that you have two boys. I haven't seen it myself but people on here I trust say they have, that cockerels can gang-rape a pullet or hen. That's not exactly what you have since only one mates with her at a time. It's not that unusual for multiple roosters with a flock to reach an accommodation on how to take care of the flock together. Often that means each have their own territory and their own harem. I have seen two work a lot closer together but that's kind of rare. You never know what yo will see with living animals. The accommodation your two seem to have reached is kind of weird.

If they are still immature they may grow out of this phase. That might mean they stop this rough business. They may reach a point that they have a real knockdown drag out fight for single control of the flock. They may split it into harems. It may work out, it may not. They may never mature any further.

Sometimes having multiple males intensifies competition. Removing one may reduce competition and really calm things down.

My typical recommendation is that you keep as few males as you can and meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems with more males but that problems are more likely. Problems like you are seeing. If you feel you need a rooster my first attempt would be to remove one and see how they act. That could be to eat one, pen him separately, sell him, or give him away. Or split the flock by fencing and give each his own harem. If you can, make your decision by what you see.

Often in animal husbandry you have to make some tough decisions. I try to make those decisions based n what is best for the flock, not an individual chicken.

 

[Minky]

Hi thanks for the advice.

We have 27 acres, and I had two roosters before with absolutely no problem. One was in the barnyard and one took the forest. I think I'd like one rooster- but I need backup (and I have lots of pens/rooms in barn etc).
I would like a great free ranging rooster that was taking care of the hens (like my first A-hole rooster that attacked my kids) but with no attacking.....
And I'd like to keep 2 other roosters for mating purposes. (I have a very colourful egg basket and like to experiment.) I figure a great free ranging rooster won't always be the rooster I want to mate my hens for the right colour egg......

So I'm thinking its better to keep the mating rooster (genetic colours etc I want to Breed) in a pen and put him in there with 6-10 hens I want to breed- for a couple weeks before filling the incubator? And then release the hens to free range with the flock? And leave him in the pen?
I just feel mean keeping him cooped. (pen is 10x15) maybe I can free range him once in a while?