What's the problem?

[lilwanderer]

I have a blue ameraucana rooster, I have had him for 5 months now, he's about 10 months old.
When we first got him he chased my hens, we had a older more dominant rooster then so i guess he felt he had to chase in order to receive.
But he's been on his one for 2 months now and doesn't have much interest in the hens, he sleeps by my most dominant hens on the perch at night, but during the day, the majority of the time he's never with the hens.
And you might be thinking, "Maybe he's mounting them when I'm not around." False, I've been adding eggs from my hens to the incubator for 1½ weeks now hoping to see development, guess what? nothing.
He doesn't get beat up by the hens so i don't think its because he isn't accepted, he just doesn't try.

 

[WingsysRoost]

The first thing I would do in this situation would be to pick him up and give a full health check. A dramatic change in behavior could indicate a possible health issue.

 

[MinnPeeps]

Maybe he is practicing celibacy, until they are officially married. LOL.

 

[nuthatched]

Do you still have the older roo?

 

[lilwanderer]

Do you still have the older roo?

Nope, its just him and 9 hens.
The hens are 1 buff orpington (laying), 2 salmon faverolles (1 laying, 1 not), 1 CCL (laying), 1 Splash maran (laying), 1 Crele Penedesena (Laying), 1 Welsummer (not laying.), and 2 dark brahmas (not laying.)
Now if he's mounting my girls who haven't yet laid their first egg when I'm not around, then I'm not sure what the issue is.

 

[nuthatched]

Nope, its just him and 9 hens.
The hens are 1 buff orpington (laying), 2 salmon faverolles (1 laying, 1 not), 1 CCL (laying), 1 Splash maran (laying), 1 Crele Penedesena (Laying), 1 Welsummer (not laying.), and 2 dark brahmas (not laying.)
Now if he's mounting my girls who haven't yet laid their first egg when I'm not around, then I'm not sure what the issue is.

Hens can reject sperm of males they don't like. It's also the off season for mating.

 

[lilwanderer]

The first thing I would do in this situation would be to pick him up and give a full health check. A dramatic change in behavior could indicate a possible health issue.

I went to go catch him after i read your opinion. He doesn't look sick to me but i did catch him cough a little when i was holding him, and realized he's awfully light.

 

[lilwanderer]

Hens can reject sperm of males they don't like. It's also the off season for mating.

They sleep next to him and don't peck at him though.. And i do find them with him sometimes when they dust bathe. They don't seem to disapprove of him.

 

[nuthatched]

They sleep next to him and don't peck at him though.. And i do find them with him sometimes when they dust bathe. They don't seem to disapprove of him.

He's been friend zoned. hopefully he'll start in the spring

 

[WingsysRoost]

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I went to go catch him after i read your opinion. He doesn't look sick to me but i did catch him cough a little when i was holding him, and realized he's awfully light.

The fact that he's light could definitely be a clue. He might be getting bullied away from the feeder, or he could be fighting an illness of some kind. Either way, if he is underweight he definitely isn't going to be feeling his best and that could definitely explain the change in his behavior. Is he the only one of the flock that feels light like that? Are there any others showing potential respiratory symptoms?

Parasites could be a potential cause of weight loss. Is he showing any signs of mites or lice? Worms? If he hasn't been checked for worms recently, it might be a good idea to send a fecal sample for testing just to make sure.

Offering him some extra protein in the form of egg, canned fish, or something similar would also be a good idea. With my birds, they have always started to regain weight and energy within a week of me offering them hardboiled egg either daily or every other day.