So... I have no idea what to really do to help my birds get along again. Stew seemed like a good rooster, and still don't think he's a bad one. But he's being a bit rougher with the hens lately. He just turned a year old a few weeks ago, and it's his first spring since reaching maturity.
A few weeks back we noticed one hen was having a rough time, her neck was hurt and she seemed a bit fearful. We separated her to give her a chance to heal, then when we put her back in we noticed Stew kept going after her. The rest of the birds seemed fine, no one gave her any trouble and she was accepted back with no problems aside from the rooster singling her out.
We decided to put Stew away and give her and the other ladies a break as we noticed their feathers wearing down where he'd bite to grab hold of them when he'd mount. I don't know, maybe he's still young and too over-enthusiastic about mounting, or it's just spring, or maybe the foods a factor. We started giving him separate feed so he's not eating so much layer feed. Another week goes by and I decide to try letting him back in with them again today, and he's... real happy to be out in the yard again and made it his mission to mount each of the girls before nightfall.
The one who he singled out before is still avoiding him, and that has me worried. The other girls don't seem too fussed at least, but I don't know.
Stew's our family's first experience with a rooster, and I think a lot of this is normal, but I don't want him to keep hurting the hens and I don't know what to do about it.
A few weeks back we noticed one hen was having a rough time, her neck was hurt and she seemed a bit fearful. We separated her to give her a chance to heal, then when we put her back in we noticed Stew kept going after her. The rest of the birds seemed fine, no one gave her any trouble and she was accepted back with no problems aside from the rooster singling her out.
We decided to put Stew away and give her and the other ladies a break as we noticed their feathers wearing down where he'd bite to grab hold of them when he'd mount. I don't know, maybe he's still young and too over-enthusiastic about mounting, or it's just spring, or maybe the foods a factor. We started giving him separate feed so he's not eating so much layer feed. Another week goes by and I decide to try letting him back in with them again today, and he's... real happy to be out in the yard again and made it his mission to mount each of the girls before nightfall.
The one who he singled out before is still avoiding him, and that has me worried. The other girls don't seem too fussed at least, but I don't know.
Stew's our family's first experience with a rooster, and I think a lot of this is normal, but I don't want him to keep hurting the hens and I don't know what to do about it.
