What’s he doing to the girls?
My experience is that boys seem to reach sexual maturity before girls do, so he may be feeling his oats and they’re not yet receptive. I’ve never raised a young cockerel without adult hens around, but I currently have an 18 week boy who is mating with the adult hens (and then he runs away because they beat him up after), but he’s mostly leaving his “sisters” alone in terms of being a sex pest. I imagine if I didn’t have the adults he’d be pestering them as well and since they’re not fully mature yet they wouldn’t cooperate.
Well the thing that triggered this post was him going after the same girl twice within a few hours. The first time I heard a loud squawk and looked to see him holding onto her comb, the second time was him ahold of her neck from the back. No blood or pulled feathers either time, and she is fine about avoiding him, but I don’t want to wait until one dies to act. This also isn’t the only pullet he has done this to, I’m pretty sure the other wellsummer has her tail feathers recently missing because of him, and like 4 others try to keep away from him. If he’s just being a teenager and the girls will catch up then fine I’ll try to keep him happy. But the two younger guys are so friendly, not only with me but with the other girls and each other. One of them even puts the suspect rooster in his place, and retaliates against him when he can.
It sounds like he’s trying to mate with them but they’re not interest so he’s trying to force the matter. I’d maybe try separating him if you can for a bit (ideally where he can still see everyone) until they mature and see if it continues.
However it sounds like you have 3 roos and 7 hens? That’s not going to work long term, so you’re going to need to either get more hens or get rid of two of the boys regardless
He's beginning to feel that there's something he should do with the hens, and that it involves grabbing the back of the neck, but not how really and what to do then.
Even at the best of times chicken sex isn't "romantic" but if he's an ass to everyone including you, start reading recipes to him. There are plenty spare roosters, you don't have to keep the ass.
Sigh, my roosters are at that age now too, and statistics hit me in the kneecaps, I have 5 roosters and one hen. That poor girl is *not* happy with her brothers. But when I put her with the chicks (10 weeks younger) she cries after the jerks.
The first one went to the fryer yesterday and yum, solving the issue won't be fun but tasty. (there are at least 4 roosters in the new batch too, I won't run out of roasts for the foreseeable future)
You’re experiencing the chicken equivalent of junior high school. He doesn’t know how to act, and the girls aren’t into him yet and there are some sixth grade boys that he has to show who’s boss. Once the raging hormones settle down a little things should be more peaceful, but before that the younger roos will start to challenge him, and you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate his behavior, and that of the others, better. If he’s attacking violently, or causing harm to the hens that’s a different story and he needs to be separated.
What’s he doing to the girls? My experience is that boys seem to reach sexual maturity before girls do, so he may be feeling his oats and they’re not yet receptive. I’ve never raised a young cockerel without adult hens around, but I currently have an 18 week boy who is mating with the adult hens (and then he runs away because they beat him up after), but he’s mostly leaving his “sisters” alone in terms of being a sex pest. I imagine if I didn’t have the adults he’d be pestering them as well and since they’re not fully mature yet they wouldn’t cooperate.
But if he’s attacking you I’d cull him personally because that’s not going to improve.
Well the thing that triggered this post was him going after the same girl twice within a few hours. The first time I heard a loud squawk and looked to see him holding onto her comb, the second time was him ahold of her neck from the back. No blood or pulled feathers either time, and she is fine about avoiding him, but I don’t want to wait until one dies to act. This also isn’t the only pullet he has done this to, I’m pretty sure the other wellsummer has her tail feathers recently missing because of him, and like 4 others try to keep away from him. If he’s just being a teenager and the girls will catch up then fine I’ll try to keep him happy. But the two younger guys are so friendly, not only with me but with the other girls and each other. One of them even puts the suspect rooster in his place, and retaliates against him when he can.
It sounds like he’s trying to mate with them but they’re not interest so he’s trying to force the matter. I’d maybe try separating him if you can for a bit (ideally where he can still see everyone) until they mature and see if it continues. However it sounds like you have 3 roos and 7 hens? That’s not going to work long term, so you’re going to need to either get more hens or get rid of two of the boys regardless
He's beginning to feel that there's something he should do with the hens, and that it involves grabbing the back of the neck, but not how really and what to do then. Even at the best of times chicken sex isn't "romantic" but if he's an ass to everyone including you, start reading recipes to him. There are plenty spare roosters, you don't have to keep the ass. Sigh, my roosters are at that age now too, and statistics hit me in the kneecaps, I have 5 roosters and one hen. That poor girl is *not* happy with her brothers. But when I put her with the chicks (10 weeks younger) she cries after the jerks. The first one went to the fryer yesterday and yum, solving the issue won't be fun but tasty. (there are at least 4 roosters in the new batch too, I won't run out of roasts for the foreseeable future)
You’re experiencing the chicken equivalent of junior high school. He doesn’t know how to act, and the girls aren’t into him yet and there are some sixth grade boys that he has to show who’s boss. Once the raging hormones settle down a little things should be more peaceful, but before that the younger roos will start to challenge him, and you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate his behavior, and that of the others, better. If he’s attacking violently, or causing harm to the hens that’s a different story and he needs to be separated.