So I saw a couple of threads about hens and new roosters not getting along, but that's not exactly what we've got going on. Our small flock, 6 hens and 1 rooster, were all raised together. Last spring, the rooster was pretty aggressive with the hens and they all needed hencapes or saddles or whatever to protect their feathers from his amorous advances. This spring, I thought he had just calmed down and learned to be more gentlemanly with his ladies, but this morning I saw one of the girls chase him around and try to beat him up whenever he put the moves on any of the hens. Full neck fluff, squawking, the whole bit.
This got me thinking about his other behaviors lately, and I'm wondering if he might be ill. Earlier this spring there were two episodes where it seemed like he'd got stuck on his back in the middle of a dust bath. Both times he let me pick him up and put him on his feet (we don't handle our birds much at all). Lately, he's stopped calling the ladies over to interesting tidbits and treats, walks with his tail... Not really down, but not flagged like usual, and has his head a little oddly tucked into his neck. When I approach him, he sort of clacks his beak at me. And he's not really crowing as much. And, as I said, one of the girls is beating on him when he feels frisky.
Is he just being put in his place by a more aggressive hen, or am I missing something?
Also, on a completely different topic, one of the hens never recovered from molting this winter. She behaves perfectly normally, but hasn't regrown her feathers! She looks like a bedraggled mess.
Any thoughts?
This got me thinking about his other behaviors lately, and I'm wondering if he might be ill. Earlier this spring there were two episodes where it seemed like he'd got stuck on his back in the middle of a dust bath. Both times he let me pick him up and put him on his feet (we don't handle our birds much at all). Lately, he's stopped calling the ladies over to interesting tidbits and treats, walks with his tail... Not really down, but not flagged like usual, and has his head a little oddly tucked into his neck. When I approach him, he sort of clacks his beak at me. And he's not really crowing as much. And, as I said, one of the girls is beating on him when he feels frisky.
Is he just being put in his place by a more aggressive hen, or am I missing something?
Also, on a completely different topic, one of the hens never recovered from molting this winter. She behaves perfectly normally, but hasn't regrown her feathers! She looks like a bedraggled mess.
Any thoughts?
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I worm my horses, but the hens flew under the radar. Pun intended 
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