What to do to defuse my rooster?

[LizzzyJo]

I was worried about that. It seems kinda young. He's also already letting the chicks know who's boss but pecking at them when one crosses in front of him or running over and taking things out of their beaks that he decides he wants.

Hmmm... even a human aggressive cockerel should be tidbitting the girls. He's also too young for that though. This is an interesting case you have here!

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

He should be able to breed them at about 15 weeks of age.

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

He doesn't sound to human aggressive if he only pecks under the bush.

 

[farmyardchic]

He should be able to breed them at about 15 weeks of age.

Thanks for that information.

 

[aart]

Do you have a run too?
Might be best to keep them confined so they can't 'roost' under the bush.

 

[ManWithChicks]

move them to the run earlier, like at 6pm. After a few weeks they will go on their own. 8 weeks is too young to let them do what they want in my opinion they are still babies.

Honestly, I usually still have mine in a brooder of sorts at this age, and they tend to sleep on the ground, which might be why they are preferring to sleep under a bush versus on roosts. Were they roosting before you let them free range?

 

[farmyardchic]

Do you have a run too?
Might be best to keep them confined so they can't 'roost' under the bush.

I do but the rose bush is outside the run. I always leave both the run and the coop doors open so they can come in. I discovered today why they might be running under the bush when they are free-ranging outside of the run. There were just a few chicks in the run, the rest were outside of the run, and there was a hawk standing about 5' from the pen like he was trying to decide which one to pick off. Yikes.

 

[farmyardchic]

move them to the run earlier, like at 6pm. After a few weeks they will go on their own. 8 weeks is too young to let them do what they want in my opinion they are still babies.

Honestly, I usually still have mine in a brooder of sorts at this age, and they tend to sleep on the ground, which might be why they are preferring to sleep under a bush versus on roosts. Were they roosting before you let them free range?

I decided today they need to be either in the coop or I need to cover the pen. I spotted a hawk about 5' away from them! I had made a very small roost for them in the coop--about 6" and 12" off the floor. They were regularly using it so I made one 2' high and they are using that after I put them in for the night. I'm not sure if all of them use it or only some of them. I''m not sure of the timeline between when I started letting them out and when they started to use the 2'roost. There's a shelf at about 4' where I stored stuff and 2 of them discovered that and started sleeping there.