Rooster attacked chicks, what do i do now?

[Jemma Rider]

I hear you about the weather, Aug 1 and 59*F this morning, it wont last long,,, I have chicks in the brood house, cold wave hit as they were hatching. I had been worried it would be to hot in there,,,,
I would keep him in full site of the flock, and he will still call warnings. It wont be as bad on him if he can still see his girls and they can visit him.
Once the little girls start laying he will see them differently.

Okay, he's being very aggressive, I'm also wondering if the reason he's being so weird is if he knows one of my chicks is a cockerel, I'm sort of sure Debra is a cockerel, but she's still too young to really make an accurate guess. Or he's just weird, i hope Roo gets better i wanted to add more chicks next year after i make the coop and run larger but if he's always going to be like this it might not be worth the stress.

 

[Folly's place]

Attacking chicks is not acceptable, IMO. Consider keeping one of your new cockerels, if it's one you might want, and see how things develop. Peace in the flock, and no injuries, is better.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

Post a video of what is going on. If possible include sounds produced by chicks before he pecks at them.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Attacking chicks is not acceptable, IMO. Consider keeping one of your new cockerels, if it's one you might want, and see how things develop. Peace in the flock, and no injuries, is better.
Mary

Yeah I'm thinking about it, but i really don't want to go through dealing with another cockerel, Rooster has finally started to calm down and he's just the best with the girls now, he's my mother's favorite i don't think she'll be okay with giving him away.
I am thinking about it though if he doesn't mature any more, next year i want to try hatching with a broody hen i think he'd be more excepting if one of his hens was pecking on him when he comes around.
I am going to separate him for a while he just turned one year old in june so he's still very young, and he didn't crow until he was nine months old so maybe he's just maturing slower?

 

[Jemma Rider]

Post a video of what is going on. If possible include sounds produced by chicks before he pecks at them.

Okay, I'll get one later when the birds come back to the run for a snack, I've been letting them free range for half of the day and then they need to hang with the chicks until bed.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Okay so new plan.
i am going to separate rooster into a nice bachelor pad next week, I'm house sitting all weekend so my mother will be keeping her eye on the chickens, i trust my mom but i don't think i want to leave her worrying over if the new mini coop could be broken into by something like a fox, Rooster is her favorite bird i know it would drive her crazy.
so Roo bird has until mid next week to stop being such a pain or he's moving.
So a few quick questions if someone doesn't mind answering them, how much space of run does a very large (roughly fifteen pound) Rooster need? Also, how long will it take him to calm down once he's separated because he paces when he's away from the girls? I figure that it varies from bird to bird but a rough estimate would be nice.
And when i put him back in the flock will the girls fight him? He'll be in full view of the flock full time but i worry about him he's special to my family.
At what age should i integrate him again, should i wait until he is two years (which is the age i read roos start to mature at) or should he be fine when the new girls start laying eggs?

 

[lazy gardener]

He needs at least 4 s.f. in the coop, and 10 s.f. in the run. I would actually double those dimensions for a single bird, especially a roo. While he's large, I doubt very much that he actually weighs 15#. I'd be surprised if he weighs as much as 10#. If you have a set of scales, it might be interesting to get a weight on him. weigh yourself first, then you with him in your arms.

You've given him plenty of opportunity to prove himself around the chicks. It sounds like he's a failure in that regard. I understand that you want to give him every opportunity to prove himself, but... if he can't accept chicks into his flock and perform his duty of protecting them, he is not worthy to play in the gene pool. Please don't hatch his chicks!

If you set him up with a bachelor pad, you might make it extra large, including the run, and let a hen or two visit him on a regular basis.

I have currently put my roo in a separate coop b/c of feather wear with his favorite hens. I've given him 3 hens, and he's delighted with his "smaller harem". He doesn't seem to be as agressive with his breeding.

 

[Jemma Rider]

He needs at least 4 s.f. in the coop, and 10 s.f. in the run. I would actually double those dimensions for a single bird, especially a roo. While he's large, I doubt very much that he actually weighs 15#. I'd be surprised if he weighs as much as 10#. If you have a set of scales, it might be interesting to get a weight on him. weigh yourself first, then you with him in your arms.

Don't have a scale, but i lift weights and he's heavier then ten pounds, less then twenty so I'm saying fifteen. The coop is maybe five square feet, i need to take measurements but it's the only thing he can be separated in, at least for short term. The run is just going to be a fenced in area i can't build a new run for him. I knew dimensions for a standard bird but rooster is twice the size of a standard bird.

 

[lazy gardener]

Just give him as much space as you can manage.

 

[Chickassan]

Jemma I hope he improves I really do but if he does not even with all the weirdness you might have to consider the fact that the boy ain't right. I'm not anti rooster at all but if he dosen't improve with chicks keep an eye out for other bad behavior. Iv'e personally found when one "wart" pops up others follow quickly. If you seperate him from the girls if he is ever going to be agressive to you or your mom that will bring it out so do please be careful. This is just my knowledge from my own roosters, yours might be completely different but a heads up never hurts right?