Why is my rooster being mean to the hens!?!

[AmeraucanaHank]

Hi, I have a bielefelder rooster and he is usually really nice to all of my hens but recently he has been mean when I scatter food on the floor. WHY?

 

[NatJ]

Is he trying to mate with them? That can look mean.

 

[bambi]

How is he being mean? Is he attacking them?

 

[6BeachChicks]

Is he trying to mate with them? That can look mean.

x2

 

[jBabychickn]

Hi, I have a bielefelder rooster and he is usually really nice to all of my hens but recently he has been mean when I scatter food on the floor. WHY?

Following

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Is he trying to mate with them? That can look mean.

No.I know what mating looks like and this is not it.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

How is he being mean? Is he attacking them?

He runs up to lower hens on the pecking order with his wings spread out and chases them away from the food. how should i fix this? This makes me mad/sad he was always so nice to them. It mite be because they used to be free range and pastured and now are in a small fenced in area with 10 hens.

 

[ElizaMay]

He runs up to lower hens on the pecking order with his wings spread out and chases them away from the food. how should i fix this? This makes me mad/sad he was always so nice to them. It mite be because they used to be free range and pastured and now are in a small fenced in area with 10 hens.

Several food areas, or more feed?

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

Several food areas, or more feed?

they have one food trough they get feed in at that time he is not mean ,in the morning. but in the afternoon i some times sprinkle feed for them and that is when he is mean.

 

[ElizaMay]

they have one food trough they get feed in at that time he is not mean ,in the morning. but in the afternoon i some times sprinkle feed for them and that is when he is mean.

That is my reason for seeing if uou might try more than one feeding area, or more feed - to see if it is hunger, or territory. It could be that when you scatter the feed it gets the other birds excited which he doesnt like. He could also think he owns the trough so when you fill it, you are 'serving him', but when you scatter it he has no control over who gets what/ his favorite hens get less and lower pecking order birds get more.