Separating Rooster

[Georgie141]

Hi!
My bantam rooster Marcus:

(Isn't he adorable?!) has been harassing the ladies (as you can see by the bald patch on top of Mary's head...) and I was wondering about separating him. Is it okay if he gets a separate pen of his own where he can still see the hens but not "interact" with them? Will he need a companion of some sorts?
Thanks xx

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Why not remove him for 3 days and then re-integrate him back into the flock for one to three days.

Most hens in a flock that is too small for the hormones of its rooster will have a few missing head feathers.

Your hen looks like she is a "loose" feathered bred like a Silky. That helps make the feather loss look more serious than it would otherwise

be.

Hi!


My bantam rooster Marcus:... has been harassing the ladies and I was wondering about separating him. Is it okay if he gets a separate pen of his own where he can still see the hens but not "interact" with them?...

If he remains separate for too long he may have to re-assert his dominance and that process could be more damaging to your hens than a few missing head feathers. Yes you can separate him but I would never do that for more than about 7 days unless I was certain that I or my hens did not ever need his services again. There are reasons that chickens live in flocks and dominance in chicken society or flocks is one big reason.

 

[appps]

How many hens do you have. Perhaps an increase in numbers to cope with his attentions would be a better long term solution? I tend to see 1/10 as the optimum rooster hen ratio.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not a believer in separating healthy chickens, it generally it causes more problems than it fixes.

How old is your rooster? Sometimes they get better technique with age, and sometimes they get less amorous with a little age.

However, I had one rooster that the girls adored, and he left them all barebacked..... it seems to bother people more than the birds.

Mrs K

 

[Georgie141]

Marcus is about 8 months old I think. He has four hens with him. I will see about getting more hens for him if it will help

 

[bobbi-j]

It would help to be able to spread the love around (as Donrae says). Might take some pressure off your one hen. I would not separate him. Especially where he can see them but not be with them. Can you imagine the stress that would cause him? Chickens are a flock animal and do best when they are together. Really, he's just doing his roosterly duties - breeding his hens.