chickpack2024
In the Brooder
- May 30, 2024
- 16
- 16
- 26
We just started raising chickens in February. We have a current flock of 4 hens, 1 rooster, and only 1 hen laying. Everyone is 21 weeks.
So...we had a flock of 8 and we had 3 separate predator attacks. We now know we have hawks, owls and one fox incident. For this reason, I want these hens to have a rooster. (In case anyone is wondering we fortified the coop and havent had an attack in a few months). Both for protection and because he herds the chickens and keeps a sense of a safe flock.
Our black sex link rooster was sold as a barred rock and since he's so dark I assumed he was just a hen with big feet
. He's very big.
So....this week, he's been rushing me in the mornings. I open up the coop to let everyone free range while im working outdide and he tries to get big and in my face a bit. During the day he will forage next to me while i garden. No pecks.
He pecked the dog as the dog walked away from the coop (he's not supposed to be in the coop so I wasn't too upset with that). No skin broken.
In your experience, are these signs that he'll be more aggressive as he gets older or is it more adolescent behavior? I yell at him and push him away with my feet. For now that works.
So...we had a flock of 8 and we had 3 separate predator attacks. We now know we have hawks, owls and one fox incident. For this reason, I want these hens to have a rooster. (In case anyone is wondering we fortified the coop and havent had an attack in a few months). Both for protection and because he herds the chickens and keeps a sense of a safe flock.
Our black sex link rooster was sold as a barred rock and since he's so dark I assumed he was just a hen with big feet
![Smile :) :)](/styles/byc-smilies/smile.png)
So....this week, he's been rushing me in the mornings. I open up the coop to let everyone free range while im working outdide and he tries to get big and in my face a bit. During the day he will forage next to me while i garden. No pecks.
He pecked the dog as the dog walked away from the coop (he's not supposed to be in the coop so I wasn't too upset with that). No skin broken.
In your experience, are these signs that he'll be more aggressive as he gets older or is it more adolescent behavior? I yell at him and push him away with my feet. For now that works.