Roo picking on older roo

[feather16]

Hello! Looking for some advice here… I have one rooster who’s 7, he’s been the main rooster with no problems when cockerels have hatched and grown up until they got rehomed. Then enters this little bantam polish, who are supposed to be rather chill birds. Once I knew he was a boy, I didn’t stress because I read over and over again that polish are usually at the bottom of the pecking order and happy to be there….

Well this once this little @$$hole hit puberty he’s been a little menace. Wyatt is older with a heart condition, and Jereth will ACTIVELY search Wyatt out, just to chase him around the chicken run! Wyatt does not stand up to Jereth and has accepted him as the new roo.
Wyatt now will run around until he can get momentum to fly out of the chicken run. I leave water out for him and have been giving him 1-2 scrambled eggs a day now. But what the heck?

I don’t want to mess with the pecking order, but I have half a mind of putting Jereth in his own coop for a few days. He’s so little so his aggressive mating isn’t too bothersome to the girls, he’s just annoying and doesn’t even TRY to dance for them, lol he’s such a little turd. But he’s nice to me, aside from not thrilled about being held, but he’ll get “punishment” hugs where I’ll walk around holding him telling him he needs to be a nicer boy.

Any tips from anyone who’s experienced this?

Pics of my old man and the little menace xD

 

[sourland]

This behavior is not going to improve. Permanent separation of the two roosters is your only solution. It's all about whose DNA gets to carry on.

 

[LaFleche]

I would separate the Polish in his own coop and run with some hens that like him.

This will give the older and nice rooster and his hens well deserved peace.

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

I'm so sorry about your struggles! I have the exact opposite! My older rooster picks on my little polish roo! How long have they been together? I would say just let them work out the pecking order. On the other hand if they have been together for quite some time and the problem is still occurring, I would say that I would try and keep them separate.

 

[feather16]

I'm so sorry about your struggles! I have the exact opposite! My older rooster picks on my little polish roo! How long have they been together? I would say just let them work out the pecking order. On the other hand if they have been together for quite some time and the problem is still occurring, I would say that I would try and keep them separate.

They’ve been together as long as the polish has been a chick, he’ll be a year old in June. And this has only started last week.. I just feel so bad for my old boy because his heart problem, he can’t run for more than one burst before his comb is purple and drooping. I’m hopeful they’ll work it out, and can live peacefully.. I don’t have the space for a second run, and rehoming the polish gives me qualms.

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

They’ve been together as long as the polish has been a chick, he’ll be a year old in June. And this has only started last week.. I just feel so bad for my old boy because his heart problem, he can’t run for more than one burst before his comb is purple and drooping. I’m hopeful they’ll work it out, and can live peacefully.. I don’t have the space for a second run, and rehoming the polish gives me qualms.

I get you 100%. Just let them try and work it out for a little while longer. They need longer than a week to work things out. Polish roos are pretty small so he can't do as much to your old man as he would like. Still try and keep watch over their behavior because I worry about the heart problems with the older roo. Are you babies free range? If not how big is your run? How many chickens do you have?

 

[feather16]

I get you 100%. Just let them try and work it out for a little while longer. They need longer than a week to work things out. Polish roos are pretty small so he can't do as much to your old man as he would like. Still try and keep watch over their behavior because I worry about the heart problems with the older roo. Are you babies free range? If not how big is your run? How many chickens do you have?

Their run is an old horse paddock, it’s gotta be 20x20ft or more. I have 12 in the flock, including the two boys. They aren’t free range, unless I’m home, with the exception of the two girls who regularly fly out of the run for the day haha

Okay, you’re right - I’m going to give it a little more time. I just got anxious when I saw the little guy actually seek Wyatt out to chase him, I was hoping Wyatt would give him a good whack, but maybe the other can sense his health is failing

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

Their run is an old horse paddock, it’s gotta be 20x20ft or more. I have 12 in the flock, including the two boys. They aren’t free range, unless I’m home, with the exception of the two girls who regularly fly out of the run for the day haha

Okay, you’re right - I’m going to give it a little more time. I just got anxious when I saw the little guy actually seek Wyatt out to chase him, I was hoping Wyatt would give him a good whack, but maybe the other can sense his health is failing

Yeah I think time is the answer... I know it's so hard watching your baby get picked on but hopefully he will stand up from himself. If this goes on for extended lengths of time and/or he starts to get serious injuries, I would consider separating but I don't think you will need to do that.
Just make sure they have something to peck around at and occupy their time so that they have something to do instead of bully each other all the time!

Best wishes to you!!

 

[sourland]

Polish roos are pretty small so he can't do as much to your old man as he would like.

Actually, he can especially to a rooster with heart issues. Once a rooster loses his position or is subordinated, his hormonal level is impacted. This can result in health issues or death in an already debilitated rooster.

 

[sourland]

How did this resolve? @feather16