Zombie hens

[momboys4]

Over the past few months, my hens have been attacking my young rooster. I have a older set of 4 hens, and the rooster is part of my 5 newbies that ive had for about 6 months. The girls of the new group are fine. The first time was his rear, the second time was his wing, to the bone, now his left side has a hole the size of a golf ball. Each time I doctor him up, let him heal, and reintroduce him. All is well for a few weeks at a time. What's going on here? Any advise or similar experiences?

 

[Runt of the Flock]

Oh my! Wow! Well, what I (personally) would do is keep reintroducing for an hour or so a day, keep an eye on them with a 4 ft stick in hand. If the hens attack, bop them in the back with the stick and if you need to, scoop him up and push them away with the toe of your boot. If that doesn't work, or you cant be in the coop for an hour a day, put him in a cage (or block off half or so of the coop) with food and water, inside the coop so he is still in associating with the hens but they cant hurt him. I don't know, this is what I've done when I've had hens beating on roos, roos over-mating, or roos beating on hens. Am I making sense?

 

[theoldchick]

My old gals are the same way. They systematically pulled feathers from a newly introduced rooster's neck until I separated them. I tried another rooster with the same result so I left them without a rooster and they are perfectly happy without one.

 

[momboys4]

That makes perfect sense, and thank you for the great idea, once he heals, I will put his hospital cage inside the coop for him to roost in at night...genious!

 

[momboys4]

My old gals are the same way. They systematically pulled feathers from a newly introduced rooster's neck until I separated them. I tried another rooster with the same result so I left them without a rooster and they are perfectly happy without one.

I agree, if they cant get along ill have no choice but to do the same.

 

[Runt of the Flock]

Also, maybe bored cannibalism? Maybe they need more to do??? I've had that issue too. I normally hang a cabbage head in there or mirrors? [i don't have mirrors because my ladies fight their reflection]

 

[momboys4]

Im not sure, they go in at dusk to roost and we let them out at dawn when we go to work. They really dont like him, he cannot eat or drink with them, he is fully exhiled.

 

[theoldchick]

I never could figure out why my old gals refused to accept a new rooster. They were not outwardly aggressive but over time they seemed to 'over groom' his neck feathers of any rooster I tried to introduce to them.

 

[Runt of the Flock]

Hmmmmm... probably not Cannibalism then.

 

[momboys4]

Hmmmmm... probably not Cannibalism then.

Youre right, it is cannibalism, I just cant wrap my head around why.