r/chickens • u/lupy_color • 6h ago
Question Rooster hurting my chicken
Aurora is the only hen he hurts, he is extremely aggressive and pecks at her comb even when it’s not mating. All my hens are terrified of him, what should I do?
I’ve separated them from the other chickens, but he gets extremely lonely. I’ve also tried a few things to protect her comb, but he always manages to take them off. This hen is very important to me.
13
u/maroongrad 6h ago
Roosters hurting hens is how you say Sunday Dinner. There are plenty of decent roosters out there. This one goes to Freezer Camp, go find a good roo.
9
u/Mcbriec 6h ago
The rooster needs to be culled or permanently separated from all hens.
We owe all our animals the right to a safe, happy life. Not one full of fear and physical abuse and injury. No good rooster hurts his hens and those bad genetics should not be passed on, nor his physical abuse tolerated. Your hens deserve much better.
8
u/Tesnivy 6h ago
If all your hens are terrified of him, then unfortunately you need to have him “sent to freezer camp”. A rooster that frightens and brutalizes hens has no place in any flock, and you have a duty of care to your birds to keep them safe and happy.
I know it’s not a pleasant answer, but there is no place on this earth for a rooster that aggressive. A good rooster is a benefit to the flock, not something that terrorizes it. He’s not likely to behave any better in any other flock (if you could even find someone willing to take him in the first place), and as you said, he’ll just be extremely lonely if kept away from other birds. There’s no other option that doesn’t cause suffering. Find someone near you who can take him off your hands and dispatch him humanely, it’s the kindest thing for everyone.
6
5
u/CallRespiratory 6h ago
All my hens are terrified of him
The only question I have is why are you even asking
What should I do?
You have a rooster that is terrorizing your hens. Why on earth do you still have the rooster?
2
u/Buckabuckaw 6h ago
Bad Rooster gotta go to Freezer Camp. Either that or look for a Rooster Rescue program. But one way or another he's gonna have to go.
2
u/Dapper-Ad9787 5h ago
Can roosters be neutered? I think they used to call that a capon, but I don't know if it's still done.
2
u/Mediocre-Draft1722 2h ago
It's possible and yes some people still do it, but it's very dangerous for the bird. A chicken has very small testicles and it's entirely possible to kill the bird trying to do it. Plus it may not even change the behavior.
2
u/mind_the_umlaut 5h ago
Get rid of him. There is no need to have a rooster at all, and you owe safety and a good life to your hens. There are gentle roosters, if you have to have one. Also, the accepted ratio is one rooster to ten to fifteen hens, and even this number does not guarantee that the hens will be safe from a rough rooster.
1
u/Embercream 5h ago
He needs to go to freezer camp. There is no excuse for this, and he's torturing your flock.
1
u/ThePinkPhonyClub 5h ago
Immediately get rid of this roo, why have you waited so long?
Every day you leave them together is another day he’s beating them up
18
u/krupta13 6h ago edited 6h ago
you gotta protect those poor hens. a bad rooster is horrible for the whole flock. theres too many sweet gentle caring roosters begging for good homes to let a mean one ruin tbe flock.