Spouse abuse

[Flycropper]

I have RIR Cockrel that is turning into a beautiful Roo. He is dark read with indigo neck and tail feathering.

However, he is getting mean with some of the hens. There are two Red Stars that he draws blood on one of them at least once a day. Two days ago I noticed one Red Star had dried blood on her neck. I examined her and it was a scabbed over wound from where she had been pecked. Yesterday I saw the roo holding her down. This morning the other red star had blood on her comb. And then this afternoon I walked into the coop when I heard the loudest screaming from a hen and just as I got to the door the hen ran out of the coop and there stood the Roo with feathers in his beak.

I wanted to keep a roo to keep order in the small flock and to protect them but gosh, who's going to protect them from him?

He only does this with two Red Stars and a Wyandotte. He backs down from two RIR hens and Barred Rock hen.

Is this going to stress out the hens too much? Will this behavior subside? Or should I give him away. I really don't plan on hatching chicks.

Here are some pics of him.

 

[lurky]

I had the same thing happen. I sent the big roo to the farm and i got a bantam rooster. He is smaller than the girls so they can put him in his place if needed

(but he is very protective too)

 

[ozark hen]

I have one big red rooster who is doing the same thing, he is going to the big freezer in the basement. will not have an agressive roo on the place...with us or the hens. It is natural for a roo to hold a hen down and I have some with bare backs but no blood has been drawn.
Lurky, I have three little bantam roos who wait for a big roo to get a hen down and will try to jump on her before she gets up...hen always wins but it is so funny. They are very protective of all the hens, too. Love those little guys.

 

[seminolewind]

Your girls deserve a good roo, not a wife beater

 

[injunjoe]

I hope someone is able to help you with this. I do have to say the title is a bit harsh! Just my opinion!

 

[spook]

Did he grow up with the girls? The reason I ask is that they are inexperienced and tolerate his actions. We had a beautiful, behaved, gentle Ameracuana roo that we hatched and loved until the girls were bloody and featherless!
I gave him to another BYCer and the hens were older and I have noticed that he is amazing around them. No feathers missing on those girls. So perhaps if you either trade with someone, or you can get some mature girls that will peck him when he pulls that stuff.
Just a suggestion.

 

[chickenannie]

Your ratio of hens to roo is too small. It should be Minimum 1 roo to 10 hens, preferable 1:12 or 1:15. Having more hens would also help him spread his "love" around, instead of making the hens necks bleed. The 2 hens that he's drawing blood may not be fast enough to get away from him often. I've noticed that some hens are quicker to escape the roo and it's the slower ones that get overbred which can cause serious damage, as you've noticed.

By the way, I don't buy the argument that "you need a roo to keep order with the hens". The hens are just fine with no roo around. they have their own pecking order. A roo can however protect the hens by alerting them to predators if you let them free-range. Again, it's not necessary to have a roo even for that.

 

[joebryant]

A hen without a rooster is like a fish without a bicycle.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

oh! Thank god its the chickens and not you!(well still bad for the chickens) When I first saw the title I thought your spouse was abusing you! Boy, what a relief

 

[lurky]

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