What to do with Olaf?

[HollyWoozle]

I've posted about our rooster Olaf before but I could do with some advice please... or some sense knocking into me! We have had Olaf since April 2017 when he hopped over the fence from the neighbour's place and they let us keep him (his hens also hopped the fence and neighbour's didn't really want them anymore anyway). Apologies for the length.

In the time we have had him he has primarily been a very good rooster. I posted in November 2018 about him suddenly getting aggressive with hens, but we concluded that it was food-related (we had taken away the feeders we previously had out) and when we reinstated other feeders the problem stopped, so that is our fault and not his. Last summer he wounded a few hens in quick succession when mounting them - we gave him a pedicure (trimmed and filed his spurs and claws a little) and we had no problems after that, with all hens healing nicely. He doesn't seem to have good feet and I think wounded them not by being overly rough but just accidentally.

He is generally very good-natured with people and the hens and we enjoy keeping him. He always lets the hens eat first and calls them over, breaks up fights if the girls have them and my young nieces love him - they don't touch him but we trust him implicitly with them and they like to see him. We don't have any need for a rooster as we don't breed, but we enjoy the social element he brings to the flock.

Now spring is underway we have a problem again and I guess the only solution would sadly be to cull him or to separate him, which I am not sure is a nice life for a rooster? He is keeping himself very busy, doing what roosters do, but several of the hens are beginning to look very battered with a lot of feather loss. This morning Astrid seemed to be hiding and she has lost a lot of feathers since yesterday and looks very tired (I've checked her over and can't see any wounds, think she just needs a rest!). I notice that when he dismounts from the hens he often seems a bit sort of stuck and pulls out feathers with his feet as he gets off them. None of the hens have any wounds at present and he does not seem nasty with them but is clearly doing some damage. He has 18 hens with him and seems to share the love between many of them, although there are some he never bothers with (presumably those who are not in lay?).

I don't wish to rehome him as there are many roosters looking for homes already, plus I don't wish to pass a problem on to someone else. I wondered if we could separate him in full view of the hens perhaps, but presumably that would be frustrating for him and not a very nice life? He is out with them currently but Astrid the hen is having a rest in our 'chicken hospital'. Photos of Astrid attached and of Olaf - he has crooked feet as you can see and is a fairly big boy.

We love him but of course we have to think of the welfare of the girls so any thoughts much appreciated. I expect many of you will say to cull him and we'll have to face up to it!

PS. I should add that Olaf already had another pedicure last week but you can't get too much off spurs or claws, the quick grows close to the end. I did my best to blunt them with a file. Astrid looks sleepy in the pics but was actually quite perky mostly and is drinking and picking at food, plus has had some nutri-drops.

 

[HollyWoozle]

How many hens do you have? I would get some more chicks if that is an option and separate him just for springtime

We have 18 hens with Olaf already. I think maybe saddles for the favourites or separating him will be our best option it seems!

Maybe my earlier post was a bit dramatic, I just went out again and really thought about it and there are essentially three other hens who have lost quite a few feathers but the rest look good when I stop and think about it. Snow and Emily are in these pics and they are the most dishevelled after Astrid, but he favours them and they are not afraid of him. I think they look a bit rougher in reality - hard to show in the pics on hens who are black or white!

@chkva - thanks about the names! The ones I named are with a sort of Viking theme, although my nieces actually named Olaf after the snowman in Frozen. Our Viking/Medieval hens are Astrid, Runa, Frida, Helga, Ragnhild, Sigrún, Idunn, Lagertha, Gyda, Gunnhild, Thyra. The others are Snow, Emily, Spotty Dotty, Skye, Emerald, Saffy and Speckles.

 

[aart]

He was highly-sexed (as they often are I guess)

Maybe higher testosterone, definitely an idiot(diplomatic euphemism).

it would not have been responsible to rehome one with such behaviour

Absolutely.

You did the right thing, the peace that will now reign will soothe your distress.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry!
He was older, maybe arthritic, and not doing right by his hens. You did the right thing, sadly.
Mary

 

[Mrs. K]

As another poster put it, a really good life and one small bad moment and it is over. There is nothing to feel guilty about.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thanks for your support. I am holding to the fact that the hens can relax now.

It’s possible we will look for another rooster in time but for now will let the girls rest up and enjoy single life!

 

[sylviethecochin]

You could try a rooster tether or a parallel run for the next few months. It would allow him to stay near the girls without their having to go too close to him. Otherwise, I would cull.

 

[Mimi13]

If I understood correctly, Olaf isn’t necessarily being mean or intentionally rough with the girls, he’s just being clumsy, so to speak. If that is indeed the case, I would put saddles on the girls that show wear and let him remain with them. The hens do not seem to mind having the saddles on as they don’t stop the hen from any of her normal activities.

I have four girls out of 25 that wear saddles. I think they think they are special.

Goldie, my GLW, has gold hearts on her saddle;

Bernice, the Buckeye, has cheetah print;

and Georgia Girl, my BPR, would have nothing other than a Georgia Bulldog saddle. Go Dawgs!

Chickaletta, the WPR, has since become a saddle wearer too, but I failed to get a picture of her sporting her springy colored chevron print.

Try some saddles for your ladies.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Update: Olaf was culled today.

I feel very guilty about it and when I knew it was happening (my uncle did the deed) I actually felt ill... it sounds silly but he was good with people and it's upsetting to bring about death.

Whilst he hadn't wounded anymore hens, his behaviour was deteriorating and he was often aggressive with them, a recent development. Most of the time he would be fine but sometimes he would just whack one for no apparent reason or about food, although they now have multiple feeders with free access all day. Recently I saw him mount a hen and then peck her repeatedly in the back of the head, not to hold her as they sometimes do but just pecking at her and she was obviously distressed.

He was highly-sexed (as they often are I guess) but that combined with poor foot conformation and random bouts of aggression was very hard on the hens and their welfare had to be considered. They often showed signs of being afraid or wary of him. There are so many roosters around here in need of homes and it would not have been responsible to rehome one with such behaviour and I felt it unfair to keep him separate.

I'm just venting really as feeling bad about it. He was with us for around 2.5 years after jumping over the fence from next door... he always had lots of space to roam, 15+ hens for company, plenty of good food and water, a spacious coop and was treated with kindness (and had a good end). I guess can do no more.

Sorry Olaf!

 

[chkva]

Have you tried chicken saddles? You can remove his spur (people suggested this to me before when I had a rooster, but I rehomed him to a nice farm). If he's within proximity of the hens but can't get to them, be prepared for him to go insane trying to get at them for a while until he realizes that he can't. I would still let him in though every so often because a single chicken by themselves (even visually seeing other chickens) isn't always a great option depending on the chicken.

There was actually a woman @speckledhen who posted about saddles yesterday that was very informative