Very aggressive rooster

[bush]

I have 4 a&m s that were all hatched on the same day. AT 3 weeks of age I put them in a 2 ft x 4 ft cage. They were all very docile and I did not bother to sex them, as I thought I would see some rooster behavior if there was any. Well 8 wks to the day I got 2 eggs and one of birds chest was cover in blood and was being chased around by another with blood on his beak. He was also chasing the other two. I removed the chaser sexed him and he was a male. I sexed the other 3 and they were hens. It was like a switch was turned on with him no previous rooster behavior at all. I put him in another cage by himself. I cleaned the blood of the hen and applied Neosporin, she is find now. The way she looked I figured her to be a goner. Since then I have only got one egg aday I figure they must be stressed out. I am not sure if I should just make a meal out of him or try to return him to the hens in a few days. The wound on the hen was on the front her throat. Has anyone experienced this? If so what did you do with the rooster. Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[farmerjane65]

i had a similar problem ... after two near fatal injuries i started some research and read that you should put him in quail jail... i turn a wire basket over him with plenty of food and water inside he could see his cage mates but couldn't get to them it took about a week for him to stop trying to hurt them when anyone came near his little cell... but after about a week he had calmed down and all is well now

 

[Sill]

It can take five days or more for a stressed or injured hen to resume laying. Three hens is really not enough for a coturnix rooster, four is minimum and 5-7 is better. They will all be happier if he can have more hens.

Do not return him to the hens until she is healed enough that she does not look injured. White birds with blood or scabs will get picked on so keep an eye on her or better yet separate her so the other hens don't pick on her. When you re-introduce them do so on neutral territory so no one has an advantage, even for just a day, before you put them back in their original enclosure. If he re-injures her or one of the other hens cull him.

 

[bush]

Thanks for the replies. I will be culling him as I don't want to take a chance of losing one of my 3 hens. I agree there should be more hens and in the future I will do so, that was just the way the hatch worked out. The quail jail sounds like a good idea but the dynamics of my cage wont permit that. I do have him in cage about 2 ft away from the hens and he can see them. I may change my mind and try to return him after a week and watch him closely. Thanks again, everyone here is always very helpful

 

[Quail Jailer]

The others may treat him as a "newcomer" if you reintroduce him, if they see him as a threat (likely) he will be getting a birdie beating.