8 month old bully Cockerel

[Jlkmommy]

Good morning. I have read some similar posts on here but wanted to get some advice on my particular situation. I have an 8 month old lavendar cockerel who was hatched out by one of my broody hens with a neighbor’s egg. My flock consists of 4 Austrolorpe hens, 2 Easter eggers, (all 3 1/2 years old) 2 leghorns (2 1/2 years old) and 4 golden Wyandotte’s (8 months old, same as Roo). The Leghorns have not allowed him to mate with them and this week he started jumping on one of them, and the wyandottes joined in pecking at her. Now he and the wyandottes chase her off feed and scratch and she hides in the coop until I let everyone out to free range. He chases all the older girls off the scratch as well but does allow them To eat feed. I started letting them out to free range earlier to try to give everyone space. The leghorn has a bloody spot on her neck now. Yesterday when we let them out of the run, the cockerel chased her, she dove flat on the ground and allowed him to mount her. I thought that might be progress, but this morning he chased her into the coop and wouldn’t let her eat the scratch with everyone else. Should I wait this out or rehome the cockerel? My concerns are this:
If we keep him, he may really hurt her or kill her. He is a large guy. It also seems to be causing stress among the whole flock right now, with the 4 young Wyandottes hanging out with him and the 8 older girls sticking together avoiding them. He may mature and become a real problem with us and our dog, who helps protect the flock. If we rehome him, we have lost a good Roo that was working well with our dog to protect the flock when they range. We have problems with coyotes and hawks, who have stayed away since he has matured a bit. Any advice would help! We do have a contact for rehoming him if necessary. I am attaching some videos of him going into coop and chasing her off her safe spot and then chasing her into coop and pinning her into the corner. Is this normal and can be worked out or is the best option to remove him? Added photo of her but having trouble loading videos.

 

[Jlkmommy]

Trying to share with YouTube.

 

[Mrs. K]

Always solve for peace in the flock. But try it a few ways first. So pull the cockerel and see if the other hens bother the victim. If they get along fine, keep him separate until everyone is laying, which this time of year, might not be till spring, wait - at 8 months, is everyone laying?

If the victim is still abused by the hens, I would pull her, and see how the flock acts. If the flock is now calm and happy, I would let that hen go.

If my count is right - you have 13 birds? What are the measurements of your set up? Coop and run. Even if you 'free range' a lot of time, it really does not make up for a too small coop/run. A bird in what I can see in the video, is visible to all the other birds 100% of the time. Adding some escapes and hideouts can help.

Looking at your run, you could add some space by making better use of the vertical space by adding roosts, and platforms that birds can get under and on top of can make a difference. Setting up a mini wall, (you can make this out of a pallet or even a large piece of cardboard) that birds can step behind and get out of sight can help. Then setting up feed bowls through out the area, but set up so that a bird eating at one, can't see a bird eating at another.

Good luck, try some changes to the run or reduce the flock. Some people have had good luck with pin less peepers - but I would not expect them to work for predator help. A lot of people don't think a rooster does much for predators, but I have noticed a difference with a good rooster.

Mrs K

 

[Jlkmommy]

Always solve for peace in the flock. But try it a few ways first. So pull the cockerel and see if the other hens bother the victim. If they get along fine, keep him separate until everyone is laying, which this time of year, might not be till spring, wait - at 8 months, is everyone laying?

If the victim is still abused by the hens, I would pull her, and see how the flock acts. If the flock is now calm and happy, I would let that hen go.

If my count is right - you have 13 birds? What are the measurements of your set up? Coop and run. Even if you 'free range' a lot of time, it really does not make up for a too small coop/run. A bird in what I can see in the video, is visible to all the other birds 100% of the time. Adding some escapes and hideouts can help.

Looking at your run, you could add some space by making better use of the vertical space by adding roosts, and platforms that birds can get under and on top of can make a difference. Setting up a mini wall, (you can make this out of a pallet or even a large piece of cardboard) that birds can step behind and get out of sight can help. Then setting up feed bowls through out the area, but set up so that a bird eating at one, can't see a bird eating at another.

Good luck, try some changes to the run or reduce the flock. Some people have had good luck with pin less peepers - but I would not expect them to work for predator help. A lot of people don't think a rooster does much for predators, but I have noticed a difference with a good rooster.

Mrs K

Thank you for your response. The ones who are not molting right now are laying, even the victim. Yes, I have 13 birds. And I forgot to add that this is my first Roo, so the older girls have never had a Roo before he hatched out in March, since it was a donor egg. I really like your run suggestions. It is big, 16’x16’, but we are planning to enlarge it, but your ideas for hiding areas are great. It has a roosting pole in it, but another one may be a good idea. The coop is really large. It is a converted children’s play house. I believe the interior is about 8’x8’. There are 2 roosting poles running the length that everyone sleeps on except the leghorns. They have always slept on the ladder even before the Roo. There are 3 nesting boxes plus the corner they like to lay in. So 4 nesting boxes for 12 hens. I appreciate your help. Another suggestion I read on other threads was to set up a see and no touch to put the victim in. I feel like that may stress her further since she is clinging to the other leghorn for support right now. So if this is all going on again tomorrow morning, first pull the cockerel and put him in what? A dog kennel? I feel like he would be crowing nonstop.