Rooster taken away from hens? make sure to read detail?

Question

I took the rooster out of the coop because he was abusive to some of the hens. By this I mean some of the hens had many bald patches and feathers missing. Now the rooster is outside of the fenced in coop and is circling it and making sad noises. I'm afraid this will make the hens sad and not want to lay eggs. I also don't want to kill the rooster, just send him away.

Should I put the rooster back in, and let the hens be abused? OR

Should I send away the rooster but it may take a couple days, should he just stay out of the coop so he doesn't hurt the hens?

Also If he is sent away will it affect the hens egg producing ability?

Answer 1

Are you sure this "Abuse " isn't just mating? Feathers missing and bald spots can be caused from a variety of sources. Are your birds molting? Are the infected with lice, fleas etc.? These parasites damage the feathers as they are developing and cause them drop or not develop properly. The parasites can cause developed feathers to fall out.Do the hens need sprays/dustings to control the vermin?



Pecking order? To establish dominance over the other hens, they will peck and abuse weaker members of the flock. Once a blood spot from the pecking appears others will join in and eventually kill the bleeder. Finally they will often feast on the corpse. Are you sure it isn't the hens that are abusing the other hens in a pecking order ritual?



Are your hens receiving the proper nutrition? If the feeding is unbalanced the hens may be losing feathers to malnutrition. They are in a pen. They can't forage for insects, worms etc. You are controlling what they consume.



The rooster crows in the morning as a call for his hens to rejoin the harem after being dispersed or scattered the prior evening. Of course he is mournful as he tries to collect his flock and is locked outside the pen.



Are you sure the abuse isn't yours rather than the rooster's? He can't delouse them, he can't get them the proper food, he can't change their environment. Are you sure his abusing them and not just mating? Are you sure it isn't the other hens that are abusing each other? If you see it, can you separate what you observe from what you think?



I'd check out the potential problems first and rectify them. I'd return the rooster to head his flock and observe what was going on. Then I'd make a decision on my observations.



Your hens wont stop producing eggs. They just wont be fertilized. Do you know how to keep them producing through the winter? If not, don't blame the rooster. I'll be here to answer that one too.

Answer 2

You can try puting the rooster in a seprate cage inside of the coop or next to the coop. When you want the hen and the roster to mate put them in a sepearte cage together. Don't leave them alone too long, this will prevent the hen from getting hurt. I don't think then rooster will make the hens sad but you can test it out. Put the rooster inside the coop in a separte cage or next to the coop and just watch what happens over the next couple of days. If the hens egg production slows down, then we know it might be becuase of the rooster. Take the rooster away for a couple days and see what happens to the hens egg production. Only time will tell.

Answer 3

Ignorance is nothing more then a welcomed excuse for laziness. I believe the second is more truthful because through understanding not only is there deeper compensation for the effort given but it brings a purity to the world that is so easily forgotten with ignorance. All people are given the ability to reason and decide. Many purposely cast it aside with any of the things you mentioned such as "doubt, pain, superstition" or "untameable appetites" One thing you didn't mention which I find to be the most common is fear. So many times I hear people say they are too afraid to do something for one reason or another. My favorite lyrics to quote at that point is "fear is just the crutch that tries to hold you back and turn your dreams to dust". Fear is what we use to escape what will be hard for us. When truly if we were committed to what we were doing the first thing we would ask is why are we afraid, and go from there. I think many people have grown week and susceptible to the excuse of always saying "I can't do that". While some things are impossible I don't believe that there is anything possible that someone can't do. Can't is simply saying your will not to do something is stronger then your will do to it. So, yet again, if we are committed to doing something we should explore the reasons we wouldn't want to do something, solve our self esteem problems, and go for it.There has never been a quote more true then "when there is a will there is a way", just figure out how strong your "will" is.

Answer 4

Hens will lay EXACTLY the same w/out the rooster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kill it,clean it & EAT the useless beast.