Is my Cockerel being too aggressive?

[Krospos15]

I hatched 10x chicks and they're currently a little over 7 weeks old. One is clearly a cockerel while the others are all hens (doubtful) or cockerels who have yet to develop signs. My one is a maran x olive egger and looks pretty scrappy compared to the others (feather issue or something else he's compromising for). It chases, pecks, and/or latches on to others by the neck or face when they walk by and I believe is pulling some others feathers. Once I did see some blood on my biggest birds face. Is this normal or too much? I worry if I say goodbye to this one, I'll start a war for dominant chicken and it will just happen again. However if this is too aggressive, I'm happy to find him a new home asap. I will add he is very person friendly and I've never seen him be overly pecky or weird around me.

 

[Debbie292d]

7 weeks old is a little young to depict what your little guy will be like when he matures, but he is being overly mean.

Perhaps just penning him up by himself for a few days or a week might help adjust his attitude. It's worth a shot.

As for his feathers, they should still be on starter crumbles which is higher protein. If they are and this is still happening, maybe one of them are picking on him too?

Sometimes overcrowding can cause picking. As adults, they'd need about 4 square feet per bird in their coop.

 

[Krospos15]

7 weeks old is a little young to depict what your little guy will be like when he matures, but he is being overly mean.

Perhaps just penning him up by himself for a few days or a week might help adjust his attitude. It's worth a shot.

As for his feathers, they should still be on starter crumbles which is higher protein. If they are and this is still happening, maybe one of them are picking on him too?

Sometimes overcrowding can cause picking. As adults, they'd need about 4 square feet per bird in their coop.

The Cockerel is the one pulling on the other birds feathers but his own are still mainly wrapped pin feathers while the other birds are fluffy and nice looking. I just found that odd. I think I will pen him separate at least at night to let the others have a break.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I hatched 10x chicks and they're currently a little over 7 weeks old. One is clearly a cockerel

Yes, definitely a cockerel. At 7 weeks they are old enough you don't have to worry about providing heat, which makes this easier.

Once I did see some blood on my biggest birds face. Is this normal or too much?

Too much. I've had issues like this before and resolved them by separating the aggressor for a few days. It doesn't always work but it often does. I raise mine for meat and make sure the aggressor is the first one butchered when they reach butcher size. I don't know if that behavior is hereditary but I don't want to chance it and let them breed.

I worry if I say goodbye to this one, I'll start a war for dominant chicken and it will just happen again.

Highly unlikely, at least to this degree. If you remove the dominant chicken another one will become dominant. Since they mature at different rates different ones could be dominant at different times. With my flock this is usually pretty peaceful, moreso with pullets than cockerels. Any of them can fight but even with multiple cockerels these are usually skirmishes where it doesn't take long for one to decide it is best to run away than to continue to fight. With living animals you don't get guarantees but I would not expect any of these issues for another month and a half.

However if this is too aggressive, I'm happy to find him a new home asap.

This would be my suggestion.

I will add he is very person friendly and I've never seen him be overly pecky or weird around me.

He is still a baby. It is not unusual for a chicken of any age to be psycho around other chickens and perfectly perfect with you. Or to be perfect with other chickens and psycho toward you. They are living animals with their own personality. You don't get guarantees on behaviors.

 

[Debbie292d]

It is not unusual for a chicken of any age to be psycho around other chickens and perfectly perfect with you. Or to be perfect with other chickens and psycho toward you. They are living animals with their own personality. You don't get guarantees on behaviors.

This!

It is sometimes short-lived, and they get over it; other times, we have to intercede to stop the behavior. Separation or elimination are the only two choices, and sometimes, it's a very hard call to make.

When they're young, behaviors are sometimes reversed even as they mature and their hormones settle down, but that can take weeks or months, and it's never guaranteed, either.

For us, we've kept way more than we've culled, so most end up being great roosters. Some of those we keep or sell or give away, but the psycho ones that stay psycho get culled. Luckily, those are few and far between.

 

[Krospos15]

Yes, definitely a cockerel. At 7 weeks they are old enough you don't have to worry about providing heat, which makes this easier.


Too much. I've had issues like this before and resolved them by separating the aggressor for a few days. It doesn't always work but it often does. I raise mine for meat and make sure the aggressor is the first one butchered when they reach butcher size. I don't know if that behavior is hereditary but I don't want to chance it and let them breed.


Highly unlikely, at least to this degree. If you remove the dominant chicken another one will become dominant. Since they mature at different rates different ones could be dominant at different times. With my flock this is usually pretty peaceful, moreso with pullets than cockerels. Any of them can fight but even with multiple cockerels these are usually skirmishes where it doesn't take long for one to decide it is best to run away than to continue to fight. With living animals you don't get guarantees but I would not expect any of these issues for another month and a half.


This would be my suggestion.


He is still a baby. It is not unusual for a chicken of any age to be psycho around other chickens and perfectly perfect with you. Or to be perfect with other chickens and psycho toward you. They are living animals with their own personality. You don't get guarantees on behaviors.

Thank you for the detailed response, this is very helpful!