Rooster Behaviour

[Kristianio]

First time posting so hopefully in the right place!

Hi everyone, I just have a few questions about my rooster for people who have some rooster experience.
Currently, I have 1 silkie rooster(10 months) and 2 hens, one barred rock hen(5 1/2) and a 3/4 bantam polish 1/4 cream legbar hen(9 months) in my pet garden flock. They all live together pretty harmoniously together now after integration. But to maybe help me I’ll give some backstory but it’s not necessary to read it all!

Sampson the silkie lived with his 2 brothers who where bought together as day olds. They were integrated with Dotty the 5 year old hen, when old enough and none of them had any interest in her as she was old, not laying many eggs and they were still young so didn’t bother even trying to mate her at all. Which is fine by me, I’m not intrested in fertile eggs and she needed company after her life long friend died. I was able to rehome the 2 brothers to a good home and kept Sampson with Dotty for 2 weeks until I got the little bantam hen. I have had her just over a month now and he has learnt to become a rooster and is mating her and started doing rooster things, and has sort of jump started ‘rooberty’.

I dont have much experience with roosters so don’t know if he is good to her or not or just being a normal rooster. I have noticed he kind of fixates over her, which was cute at the start but he mates her quite often. Like after she lays her egg, a couple times during the evening and before bed. She squaks and doesn’t sound like she is pleased with the experience and he does really yank at her neck feathers to hold on. They are a similar size. They do stick together when free ranging and like each others company though. But he has also become a bit aggressive to humans to protect her? He really friendly with me but he does jump up on others in the family and they don’t like it. He also doesn’t mate dotty to share out the attention. Will this calm down? Is it just normal chicken things and it’s just the way they are and I’m just looking into it too much? Or is he being aggressive and a bit rough? I am planning on getting another hen really soon when one is available from a breeder I trust and know in May/June time as well. Should I maybe think about rehoming him to a larger flock who he will have more girls and be happier?

I have had a negative experience from keeping a rooster which was kind of my fault which prompted this post. He was bought as a day old and I didn’t spend as much time as I maybe should have and he was a little too protective of his hens. They were all the same age but he still had favourites and was rough on them at times, it seemed to me anyway. He left recently for a new home which has been great for the girls. The 3 of them are now so friendly and eat out of my hand and are generaly more chill. I wonder sometimes if Sampson is making Bonnie, the bantam hen, more cautious around us as she is flighty and jumpy when I am feeding them. She was meant to be really friendly at her previous home. But I also know legbars are flighty so that probably doesn’t help.

Any insight will be much appreciated to know what to do! Thank you!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Most young roosters are rough their first season. It is also normal for a young bantam rooster to just stick to one or a couple hens.

I would draw the line at the human aggressive behavior. None of my roosters are human aggressive. I raise them with a hands off approach and they just see me as the keeper.

You could try rounding him up and keeping him penned for a few months somewhere he can interact through a fence. He may improve as he matures and mellows. It will also help to break any bad habits he's currently establishing.

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

Not all roosters are mean. In fact I have one sitting on my lap while I type this.

Low rooster to hen ratio probably won't work especially if hes mounting them as much as you say. Just watch their back and see if they're losing feathers. They also sell these protective things you can put on their back if you're really determined to keep it this way.

I've had nice roosters turn mean for seemingly no reason so it's kinda a gamble. I only wanted hens so he was just along for the ride, when he became too much he was given away. Some people actually do want free aggressive roosters to protect their flock.

 

[Kristianio]

Most young roosters are rough their first season. It is also normal for a young bantam rooster to just stick to one or a couple hens.

I would draw the line at the human aggressive behavior. None of my roosters are human aggressive. I raise them with a hands off approach and they just see me as the keeper.

You could try rounding him up and keeping him penned for a few months somewhere he can interact through a fence. He may improve as he matures and mellows. It will also help to break any bad habits he's currently establishing.

That’s good to know. He isn’t overly aggressive, yet anyways. He is really sweet to me but I spend the most time with him. I’m also the most patient to let him warm up in his own time but for the others he keeps his distance and sometimes scurries up and tries to attack. He does eat out of their hand though if I’m there. I’m not overly worried if he keeps his distance for the first year, but if he is affecting the others in the flock interacting with us then I don’t want that! Have you had them keep his hens always from you at all?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I don't handle my chickens. They come up to me if I have something. I haven't had a rooster keep them away.

 

[Kristianio]

Not all roosters are mean. In fact I have one sitting on my lap while I type this.

Low rooster to hen ratio probably won't work especially if hes mounting them as much as you say. Just watch their back and see if they're losing feathers. They also sell these protective things you can put on their back if you're really determined to keep it this way.

I've had nice roosters turn mean for seemingly no reason so it's kinda a gamble. I only wanted hens so he was just along for the ride, when he became too much he was given away. Some people actually do want free aggressive roosters to protect their flock.

He was great for the first 7 months, he will eat out of my hand and is friendly to me, just not the others. He is sweet to me anyway but if he gets a lot worse I can’t really keep him as he lives in the garden.

I also have no real need for a rooster but it is nice to hear his crow I think.

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

He was great for the first 7 months, he will eat out of my hand and is friendly to me, just not the others. He is sweet to me anyway but if he gets a lot worse I can’t really keep him as he lives in the garden.

I also have no real need for a rooster but it is nice to hear his crow I think.

oh you just live with one for 3 years and you might not like the crowing anymore. But it is a consistent alarm.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you have a place or a chance to let the rooster go, I would recommend it. Having roosters changes the interactions of the hens away from people to the rooster. If you don't like that, you would be happier with the rooster gone.

Personally I don't buy the whole being protective, lets attack people who feed us excuse for a rooster behavior. It is my house, my garden, and I need to be happy. I would let him go.