Rooster and Hens Not Getting Along

[Melsp08]

Hi all! I have a question regarding my flock. I am a first time chicken owner, and hatched 5 chicks out in late November, 4 pullers and 1 roo. They are all almost 5 months old now. No females are laying yet. The rooster tries to mate with them, but he is really rough with them when he does. I’m noticing little scabs on them, around their beak, near their comb and on their ear. Whenever he is around they are terrified of him. I put him in the coop with them this evening and they all ran and jumped out (right into my face) to get away from him. Tonight I have the ladies in my other coop with my other 2 hens, and poor Milo is sleeping all alone in his coop. I feel so bad! I’m wondering, will the pullets like him more when they are laying and ready to mate? He is really nice to them when he doesn’t try to mate with them. I’m considering trying to find him a new home, or getting him a few mature hens and sparing the ladies a life with Milo. Lol. Any advice is greatly appreciated! A photo of Milo is included for fun.

 

[DobieLover]

like him more when they are laying and ready to mate?

Yes.
The pullets are not ready for the cockerels advances and HE is sloppy at mating.
I would keep him isolated from them for another month until at least one of the pullets starts laying eggs. Then you can let him be with them again.
It is very normal for the pullets to run away from the cockerel when he hits sexual maturity and they have not.
How old are the hens and why aren't they all together with the pullets and the cockerel? It would be even better if you toss him in with the older ladies as they will teach him some lessons in manners.

 

[Melsp08]

Yes.
The pullets are not ready for the cockerels advances and HE is sloppy at mating.
I would keep him isolated from them for another month until at least one of the pullets starts laying eggs. Then you can let him be with them again.
It is very normal for the pullets to run away from the cockerel when he hits sexual maturity and they have not.
How old are the hens and why aren't they all together with the pullets and the cockerel? It would be even better if you toss him in with the older ladies as they will teach him some lessons in manners.

Thank you so much for your reply!
The reason they are all separated into individual housing right now is because I had two batches of eggs incubated, and I ended up with four in one group (born November 11th/ two pullets and two cockerels) and five in the other group (born November 25th/ one cockerel and four pullets). Of the first hatch, my two roosters were adopted a few days ago, so my two pullets from the first hatch have been staying in one coop as they had been for a while with the other two roos they grew up with, while my other hatch have their own coop. Of the first hatch, I have one pullet laying. The other is not laying yet. These two pullets are together 24/7 and will literally scream if they’re separated for any amount of time. So it’s a bit of a mess! I have had my remaining cockerel with the older two while free ranging, and he has been violent/sloppy as you say with mating with the laying pullet. My previous roo mated with her fine. I think she just simply does not like him as she hasn’t spent any significant time with him like the other two she grew up with. Does all of this make sense?
If I keep them separated until the pullets are all laying, they will like him more when they’re sexually matured I’d assume?

 

[coach723]

All of your pullets are old enough to be together. I would separate the cockerel, as suggested, for at least a month. Let your pullets integrate and settle down, let the younger ones matures some. Then you can try again. Some boys take a lot longer to mature than others. If he is rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful of the girls, then keep him separate. Some roo's are always rough, some calm down as they get older. I don't keep the rough ones. I don't keep boys that hurt hens. There are plenty of nice roo's out there, if you want to keep one.

 

[Melsp08]

All of your pullets are old enough to be together. I would separate the cockerel, as suggested, for at least a month. Let your pullets integrate and settle down, let the younger ones matures some. Then you can try again. Some boys take a lot longer to mature than others. If he is rude, obnoxious, and disrespectful of the girls, then keep him separate. Some roo's are always rough, some calm down as they get older. I don't keep the rough ones. I don't keep boys that hurt hens. There are plenty of nice roo's out there, if you want to keep one.

Thanks for the advice. I took it earlier and let all ladies outside together today. I let the roo with the ladies for a while today free ranging as well. He was very well behaved today. I don’t think he is violent or disrespectful to them, he seems to really care a great deal about them. I analyzed today and I think he is just, as someone else said in another comment, sloppy and inexperienced with mating. I’ve decided I am going to buy two mature hens tomorrow from a neighbour to keep with him while the girls mature. The girls want to stay with the two older pullets, as after one night in their coop they returned there tonight to go to bed, instead of their shared coop with the roo. And I can’t handle seeing the roo sleeping alone. This way, everyone’s happy, and more eggs lol. Will integrate the new girls slowly and hopefully all goes well.

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

Hi all! I have a question regarding my flock. I am a first time chicken owner, and hatched 5 chicks out in late November, 4 pullers and 1 roo. They are all almost 5 months old now. No females are laying yet. The rooster tries to mate with them, but he is really rough with them when he does. I’m noticing little scabs on them, around their beak, near their comb and on their ear. Whenever he is around they are terrified of him. I put him in the coop with them this evening and they all ran and jumped out (right into my face) to get away from him. Tonight I have the ladies in my other coop with my other 2 hens, and poor Milo is sleeping all alone in his coop. I feel so bad! I’m wondering, will the pullets like him more when they are laying and ready to mate? He is really nice to them when he doesn’t try to mate with them. I’m considering trying to find him a new home, or getting him a few mature hens and sparing the ladies a life with Milo. Lol. Any advice is greatly appreciated! A photo of Milo is included for fun.

This is absolutely normal. The hens aren't ready and your roo is inexperienced. You literally have a poultry teenage love saga on your hands. There's only 1 cure. Time.

You have to wait it out. The girls refusal will cause him to change his approach. But it doesn't happen overnight.

By the time they are a year old, he'll be a regular Casanova.