( Video ) I think I found a new reason to cull...

[Ninjasquirrel]

We have a hen that used to be afraid of us. She would run away if you got within 2 feet of her. She got injured and was met with a good amount of treats and pets. Now she doesnt run away and squats when you get close. They just need to see that you are not a threat. I would try hand feeding treats

 

[Molpet]

It's really simple but it seems impossible for many to understand.
The hens are his hens, not yours. He's the boss and quite rightly so.
A rooster attracts hens in feral/freerange conditions by providing treats for his hens.
As far as the rooster is concerned you are trying to attract his hens away from him.
A roosters life without hens is a very very sad life. It's what roosters live for; hens.
A rooster will die for his hens if necessary and having you turn up with treats is competition he just cannot match. Often in such situations this feeding of the roosters hens produces aggressive behavior in the rooster towards the human that supplies the food.
Give the rooster the food and back away and let him call his hens to eat.

yes when I come out with treat I give them to the rooster too.... i started doing this to 14 wk cockerels when I was deciding which ones to keep... if they gobble them down without calling hens that is a mark against them. Not a deciding factor but all else being equal that's the one to go. It's easier too because he will call all the hens and they all have a chance to get a treat.

 

[Roo5]

I’d rid of him,I don’t care about his “skills” you will not turn my own birds against me.
On second thought, your run is opened anything could get in there, maybe a predator scared them and is causing this behavior?
Have never dealt with this behaviour.I have had a turtle scare a hen and she then became very nervous and ran from for a few hours but soon was right back in my hands.

 

[Roo5]

These are YOUR chickens, the hens are a roosters priority, not his.Id just rid of him and keep the other rooster.

 

[DyingPhoenix]

Thanks guys.

You know... I didn't think about it.. But This particular rooster played the 'jealousy' game a long time, even when young. He would stay back and tidbit furiously at nothing to try and get anyone he could to come to him while they ate it from my hand. I would try tossing food near him and he'd run away. We kind of laughed about how pathetic it was back then because he was so crazy and desperate!


This tidbitting turned to alarm calls pretty fast when he seen it made them all run from me and just got worse from there. I'm not sure a chicken can put all that together but I can't see why not, it got him what he wanted.

I tried giving food when I approached. They ignored it and kept up what you see in the video. In fact getting close and tossing anything made them go berserk.

I've had good roosters. They will follow me around begging for food then immediately give anything I give them to the hens.

He's now in the fridge.

I worked in the garden again yesterday and I couldn't stand listening to that racket another moment.

Unfortunately now the other rooster thinks I'm the enemy even still. I think he's next and I'm starting over with one selected from my next batch of Marans cockerels.

 

[DyingPhoenix]

On second thought, your run is opened anything could get in there, maybe a predator scared them and is causing this behavior?

Nah, the run is enclosed. It's welded wire fence with netting over the top ( as well as most of the sides due to starlings this winter ) a layer of small diameter chicken wire around the base and 4 strands of hot wire around all sides. After the netting ( I had an issue with owls. ) I have not had one loss to predators.

They were moved to the pens in the video recently due to this same behavior and it effecting my entire flock of older, beloved hens.