Road Island Red Rooster Overmating, New Hen Needed?

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

So I have a pretty aggressive rooster (Kaiser Fertilizer, also my username) who keeps taring up my hen's backs. He started last year, thankfully all my hen's healed ok, but it's begun again. I've took every measure I know to stop the damage, but I want a better solution. Filing his claws, hen saddles, didn't work. I even separated him for a while in the early winter, and he did learn to stop after a while, but it was probably just the winter weather reducing his hormones. I've heard that at this point, I either get rid of the rooster or buy more hens, but the former isn't exactly an option in my eyes.

Unless anyone has other ideas, I probably have to get another hen. I was wondering if there were any anti-testorserone foods/drugs I could give him (that of course wouldn't be cruel) but I haven't found anything online.

My question is, if there are no other options, what breed of hen should I get for him? I want to get one that will definitely fix the problem, a hen that can take his overmating. Is there a specific breed you would suggest? I really want to get one that would garrentee the problem is solved. And preferably, just one. I have six hens right now, and I'm hoping that another one would fix things since 7 is the recommended per rooster. So, any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Yardmom]

If your boy's method of mating is damaging to the hens getting 1 more hen is not going to solve the problem.

 

[nuthatched]

There is no breeds of hens that will take that abuse, there is no magical breed that will take overmating or some how satisfy him, it's ridiculous to think there would be.
Most people suggest 8 to 10 hens per roo but since he's aggressively forcing your hens into mating, he is not a good rooster to have. Period.
There are no foods you can give him that will 'calm him'.
You can seperate him entirely in another coop if you're bent on keeping him or get rid of him with full disclosure or send him to a freezer.
Those are your solutions.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Unless anyone has other ideas, I probably have to get another hen. I was wondering if there were any anti-testorserone foods/drugs I could give him (that of course wouldn't be cruel) but I haven't found anything online.

My question is, if there are no other options, what breed of hen should I get for him? I want to get one that will definitely fix the problem, a hen that can take his overmating. Is there a specific breed you would suggest? I really want to get one that would garrentee the problem is solved. And preferably, just one. I have six hens right now, and I'm hoping that another one would fix things since 7 is the recommended per rooster. So, any ideas?

You're just asking for more problems IMO if you try fixing this by adding JUST one more. I didn't miss the rest of the post though and realize you ARE looking for solutions, that won't be enough.

Maybe consider getting him some "peepers", or somehow confining him to a set up that reduces the amount of daylight he's recieving therby reducing his hormones essentially by mimicking winter hours.

Maybe a leg tether (leash) like used for "game" cocks.. to keep them from fighting.. confines him in one (predator resistant) space then the hens can approach as desired but also avoid if preferred.. perhaps regulating their own ware and tear a little bit easier??

Please understand that this mating behavior is a personal trait.. I have kept 2 cocks with only 3 hens.. and zero over mating issues. Recomendations don't "guarantee" anything. Sometimes no numbers will fix this.. they may still choose their favorites to over mate, ignore certain ones, etc.

I have kept a stag pen.. in sight of the ladies.. but no access (usually with other stags).. if it's you're only choice.. then maybe it's an option.. even if only need during this high season.. You could even allow access say only one day per week.. I can't say for sure if that will make him more crazy or more tolerable.. but there are ways to work with him if you truly need to.

One note.. this is often caused by stags brought up with the same age ladies who never learned manners. No reason he should still be overmating that many gals alone with no competitiion.. signs he might not be well balanced over all.

Not knwoing your set up and such.. some basic questions I would offer.. Have you tried providing more space, more line of sight blocks, other forms of enrichment, etc?

You describe hiim as agressive.. does he dance for the ladies, serenade them with a wing dance shuffle, take them out dinner (treat call), etc.. ask to mount and SOMETIMES take no for an answer? Does he attack people or pets?

When he's done does he walk away or do another little wing dance shuffle or does he like peck at their combs type stuff?

I agree, based on what I've read so far.. as a LAST resort.. he sounds tasty.. like he had a good life and one bad moment he never saw coming but perhaps still feeds someone (else')s family (or pets). I suggest let someone with experience do it to ensure rapid resolution and minimize suffering to the beloved bird and their keeper.

Solve for peace!

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

You're just asking for more problems IMO if you try fixing this by adding JUST one more. I didn't miss the rest of the post though and realize you ARE looking for solutions, that won't be enough.

Maybe consider getting him some "peepers", or somehow confining him to a set up that reduces the amount of daylight he's recieving therby reducing his hormones essentially by mimicking winter hours.

Maybe a leg tether (leash) like used for "game" cocks.. to keep them from fighting.. confines him in one (predator resistant) space then the hens can approach as desired but also avoid if preferred.. perhaps regulating their own ware and tear a little bit easier??

Please understand that this mating behavior is a personal trait.. I have kept 2 cocks with only 3 hens.. and zero over mating issues. Recomendations don't "guarantee" anything. Sometimes no numbers will fix this.. they may still choose their favorites to over mate, ignore certain ones, etc.

I have kept a stag pen.. in sight of the ladies.. but no access (usually with other stags).. if it's you're only choice.. then maybe it's an option.. even if only need during this high season.. You could even allow access say only one day per week.. I can't say for sure if that will make him more crazy or more tolerable.. but there are ways to work with him if you truly need to.

One note.. this is often caused by stags brought up with the same age ladies who never learned manners. No reason he should still be overmating that many gals alone with no competitiion.. signs he might not be well balanced over all.

Not knwoing your set up and such.. some basic questions I would offer.. Have you tried providing more space, more line of sight blocks, other forms of enrichment, etc?

You describe hiim as agressive.. does he dance for the ladies, serenade them with a wing dance shuffle, take them out dinner (treat call), etc.. ask to mount and SOMETIMES take no for an answer? Does he attack people or pets?

When he's done does he walk away or do another little wing dance shuffle or does he like peck at their combs type stuff?

I agree, based on what I've read so far.. as a LAST resort.. he sounds tasty.. like he had a good life and one bad moment he never saw coming but perhaps still feeds someone (else')s family (or pets). I suggest let someone with experience do it to ensure rapid resolution and minimize suffering to the beloved bird and their keeper.

Solve for peace!

To be honest, my chickens don't have that much to do inside their run but I let them out pretty often, but sadly I haven't done that as much recently because my neighbor's dog is a jerk. Still, most of they year I let them free range as much as possible, once a week or if not several times a week. They do have a xylephone and I give them treats sometimes. There's not much to stop the line of sight either. My rooster is pretty aggressive to me sometimes (again, exclusively in the warmer sunny months, utterly shuts down in the winter) but I manage him. He does the wing dance but often just hops on anyway.

When I say "aggressive" which may have been poor wording, I mean more sloppy or brutish. He doesn't purposely hurt them, I know that, he doesn't peck at them or anything. He just does his thing, way too much. He does his dance and hops on, sometimes he does take no for an answer too.

I just really don't want to get rid of him. If I really have to, I may start locking him up again, and maybe he'll settle down after a while and get used to not mating all the time. He took a big blow after my neighbor's dog attack, loosing a lot of feathers. He's done a descent job defending my hens from other threats too. I actually started looking at pictures from around this time last year, and some of them have half-bare backs already, which isn't the case now thankfully.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes it is the hens. Some feathers are just genetically weaker. A poster on here, consistently culled hens with bare backs, and got rid of the problem.

Bar backs bother people much more than they bother chickens. My question is, how do the girls act around him? Do they like being near him, watch him, groom him, or do they avoid him at all cost? If it is the former, quit worrying, if it is the last option, reconsider why you are keeping him.

Free ranging for a couple of hours a day, or a couple of times a week has no benefit to chicken behavior. They are not like dogs, where if you give them some good exercise once a day, they are ready to nap the rest of the time. Chicken need a lot of space or develop ugly behaviors.

Mrs K

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

Sometimes it is the hens. Some feathers are just genetically weaker. A poster on here, consistently culled hens with bare backs, and got rid of the problem.

Bar backs bother people much more than they bother chickens. My question is, how do the girls act around him? Do they like being near him, watch him, groom him, or do they avoid him at all cost? If it is the former, quit worrying, if it is the last option, reconsider why you are keeping him.

Free ranging for a couple of hours a day, or a couple of times a week has no benefit to chicken behavior. They are not like dogs, where if you give them some good exercise once a day, they are ready to nap the rest of the time. Chicken need a lot of space or develop ugly behaviors.

Mrs K

They definitely don't avoid him, they stick around him most of the time and if they do stray a way for a bit it's definitely not "at all costs". Actually, I was just out there today and I saw two of the worst hens sticking around him. Still, they don't always mate willingly. Some will even flinch a bit when he runs towards them. But again, they don't exactly avoid him unless he is ready to mate at that very moment. I haven't noticed any of them (including the bad ones) purposely stay away. He does that little sound they make to to call them over when there's new food (or I guess he's offering them the food? idk the difference). Actually, this is a bit helpful because now that I think about it the worse hens seem to stray off less than the other ones.

I have a decent contained space for my chickens, but I prefer not to keep them in there all the time. There's my tiny coop (I'll be expanding soon) and the run, which aren't horribly bad, about the size of my friends coop (bigger, even) that has chickens for years without problems. I know it's not too bad because sometimes when I have them out for hours at a time they'll actually go back inside during the day (in the run that is, not the coop). I just need more things for them to do in there other than eat, drink and poop.

 

[aart]

Most people suggest 8 to 10 hens per roo

Which is only for fertility efficacy, not for flock harmony.

I have a decent contained space for my chickens, but I prefer not to keep them in there all the time. There's my tiny coop (I'll be expanding soon) and the run, which aren't horribly bad, about the size of my friends coop (bigger, even) that has chickens for years without problems. I know it's not too bad because sometimes when I have them out for hours at a time they'll actually go back inside during the day (in the run that is, not the coop).

Just how big, in feet by feet, is 'decent'?
Dimensions, and pics, would help immensely here.

I just need more things for them to do in there other than eat, drink and poop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

Which is only for fertility efficacy, not for flock harmony.


Just how big, in feet by feet, is 'decent'?
Dimensions, and pics, would help immensely here.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Which is only for fertility efficacy, not for flock harmony.


Just how big, in feet by feet, is 'decent'?
Dimensions, and pics, would help immensely here.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Kaiser Fertilizer]

Which is only for fertility efficacy, not for flock harmony.


Just how big, in feet by feet, is 'decent'?
Dimensions, and pics, would help immensely here.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Thanks for the entertainment ideas too