Why is my hen is still hiding from the Rooster?

[sandy sea]

I have 1 rooster and 18 hens. Two of my hens, both 2 years old, hide from my one year old rooster. The two hens will not come out of the coop if the rooster is anywhere around. If these two hens do come out, the rooster goes crazy and will run and attack them. He pulls their feathers on top of their heads, kinda of like mating, but really mean. He is great with the other Hens but not good with theses two hens. Is the problem with the hens or rooster? I want to keep the rooster, but I hate having the hens just sitting in the coop all day. What should I do? Should I sell those two hens and keep two of my 6 week old chicks?

 

[Lollipop]

Put the 2 hens in another pen where the rooster can`t see them for a couple weeks. You`ll still have pecking order squabbles with the other hens upon re entros, but the rooster should have a new attitude and the hens may be ok also. If that doesn`t work, you may have to sell the hens........Pop

 

[DTchickens]

It's probably the rooster, some don't have their screws all that tight.. Like people they pick who they like, and who they dislike.. So it's possible he could never like them.

 

[Davis5454]

Does he have a criminal record for stalking???

Maybe they know something and aren't talking!!!

 

[ChikeeMomma]

My friend had given me a SLW hen. She was older maybe 3 or so. Anyways she would hide from my roo. He was trying to mate with her and she didn't want that, I guess. So she would just stay on the roost all day long. She must have gotten down to eat and drink when the rest were free ranging because she didn't feel skinny or anything. The roo gave her a bloody comb and wattles in his attempts. She did heal up, though. Anyways, I gave her back after 2 1/2 weeks because I felt bad for her living up on the roost and never getting down. My roo is a good boy, but I guess he thinks all hens will yield to him!

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

I'm sure he's trying to mate them and show them that he is the higher in the pecking order. The hens are resisting (aka: staying in the coop) and are therefore not really part of the flock. He knows what he is doing. Mating them is his way, and all other roosters' ways, of claiming the hens as their own. If the hens don't mate, they aren't the roosters'.

 

[speckledhen]

Just for the record, sometimes, it's because the hen has already been injured by the rooster. When I found one of my Orp hens hiding in a nest, we thought she was broody. While removing her, the fluffy side feathers parted and we saw a deep gash full of dirt in her side, poor girl. Always check the hens' flanks for gashes if you see them hiding from the rooster, just to be safe.

 

[catfish/okie]

This is only a ghess. Maybee 18 hens are too many hens for 1 rooster. Maybe get another rooster. Dont try this if they are Games

 

[Mahonri]

I had to make a pen for my roos because my hens (almost all of them) wouldn't get down off of the roosts.