What am I supposed to do??

[CowgirlPenny]

We have this rooster. He is very sweet. Last week, we tried to introduce him to our twelve (then 10 wk) old pullets. They are 11wks old now. Things went well for hours. He was so happy, relaxed, so unlike himself. But then he began to pin a few of them like he was going to mate with them. Scared them to death, a few lost some feathers on the base of their neck,etc. So we moved him and fenced off a small part for him that he stays in, in the day and I carry him to his separate 'house' each night. But every day when I return him to his area, the girls are so happy to see him again. They spend a great majority of the day sitting near him like this

A few minutes before that, all 12 were lined up along the fence that divides them and he actually laid down with them. I have never seen him lay down in the day and just relax. When they leave and he can't see them he is so anxious.


I feel bad, because they seem to really like him and of course he likes them but I don't want him to hurt them if he tries to mount them.

What should I do? Just keep the separated until they are laying age? Try again soon? I mean, isn't he always going to grab onto them like that even when they are laying age, as he tries to mate them?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I just let nature take its course with roosters. They do go after the younger pullets against their wills. He's just being a roo, IMO.

I just make sure the rooster isn't too heavy for bantams, when I have bantams around.

 

[frizzleman74]

your hens will most likley lose feathers at first, but just let the chickens do their thing. It may be hard watching the hens lose their feathers but the rooster seems to be missed with the hens, and it isn;t a good idea to keep a chicken solitary since they are flocking animals

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Nope, no bantams for now. I do have some, but they are days old so that's along time from now.

All of ours are just standard size. I guess my concern would be that he would actually injure one of them attempting to hold them down. The feather part I can live with, I just would have to see someone physically hurt because he was too rough. Each time (it happened twice) he only held them for seconds, maybe 6-7 seconds and then let go. I guess I'm just worried for my babies.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

A rooster grabs hold of the hen's neck feathers with his beak, and chicken surfs (as another BYC'er puts it).

 

[frizzleman74]

and yes the max time he will be "chicken surfing" is like 10 seconds and then its done, its not a birg deal, but i totally understand where you are coming from i wouldn't want my hens to be tortured by a roo either.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

So, even though they are not 'hens' yet, it's ok? I just want to make sure before I release him back into general population.

Will he do this ALL the time? Just when he feels like it? I just want to be sure that they can co-exist at this age, even if he's trying to give them babies from time to time

, and that everyone will still be calm and happy, able to eat,explore.etc without him chasing them day and night.

 

[lady feathers]

Our roo can be caught in the act throughout the day but generally he does most of his business in the morning after the get let out of the copp to free range and late in the day when everyone is winding down getting ready to coop again through the evening, both he and the girls will become more comfortable with each other and he wil become more graceful in his act, and they will become more compliant, the injuries will happen less often. Obviously the girls don't mind too much as they are seeking out his company!