Well, I am quickly becoming an advocate of buy the darn chickens every year because I am really beginning to hate roosters!

First, thank you all for your advice on the roosters pestering the hens and we are down to 1 rooster with the hens and they seem happier. We did keep the rooster that was the nicest.

Now another problem has arose. Several of the "girls" are getting bald and even some are minorly bleeding from being "grabbed" around the neck and head during mating. Should I just give up on these roosters or is there another solution? Thanks a million!

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002

Answers

If you can seperate them {bleeding} for a few days to let them heal .Always seems the roosters have there favorite hens .If you are down to only 1 you should be fine.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

Haven't found any good sites for AI and chickens but: "Fertile eggs can be produced for up to 4 weeks after removal of males, but the number of sperm is reduced resulting in lower fertility and hatchability. In the last 10 years, advancements have been made in the cryopreservation of semen such that in certain strains 70% fertility has been achieved from inseminations with semen that has been stored frozen." One site suggested that big chicken corporations use AI now, but don't have any info on it yet.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.

Oh, Karen, do I ever agree with you about buying chickens every year - I'm beginning to hate roosters too. I currently have two roosters and 9 hens. It seems like every rooster I try eventually turns mean to either me or the hens. I'm sorry I don't have a solution to your problem other than separating them. I just had to sympathize with your feelings that I share!!!

-- Mel Carroll in N.C. (frank.a.carroll@worldnet.att.net), April 21, 2002.

You might separate the hens that look really bad to give them a break. Give them lots of high protein treats (cat food or boiled egg) to speed up feather regrowth.

Another thought, as i've had this happen to me......by chance is your rooster abusing these hens? I had one hen last year whose head was bald and scabby/bloody. looked absolutely awful! One day i caught my roo in the act of abusing this poor hen. never once tried to mount her, rather grabbed/picked at her head and flogged her!! he lays off during the winter season but picks back up during spring at which time i have to move her to separate quarters.

Still, if the abusing part doesn't describe your rooster, merely one roo amongst hens will pick out favorites. If the hens look to be in need of break, simply separate them for a week or so.

:0)

-- Buk (noaddy@chickensrus.com), April 21, 2002.

Since you just got rid of the extras, you probably just need to give it a little time. I agree, though, that you should separate any hens that have the least bit of blood. Chickens are terribly cannibalistic when it comes to blood. I don't know why it attracts them so, but if they see blood, they go at it.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 21, 2002.

Things should get better when he's adjusted to not having competition. He's still in the mode of trying to have his sperm outnumber his competition. He should get better with time, but it WILL take time.

Never mind separating out the girls who are being most beaten up - that will just let him concentrate more on beating up the others. Separate him out instead. Let them recover, then try again, and if that doesn't work throw a third of them in with him each second day (three times a week). Give them anklets to wear (green is the Monday shift, blue is the Wednesday girls, red is the Friday specials. If that's still too often, double the spacing - Monday, Friday, Wednesday, Monday, Friday, Wenesday.... If that's still too often, more rooster casserole and soup.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 22, 2002.

What type of rooster do you have? I have buff orpington roosters and a partridge leghorn. Both are WONDERFUL, they don't hurt the hens and are very protective of them. They are also safe to have running around the yard with kids.

-- Lynelle SOwestVA (X2ldp@aol.com), April 22, 2002.

The agressiveness of a rooster often has something to do with the breed. I have Shaver Reds and those guys are pretty laid back. I hatch out all my own chicks, and every year my freezer is pleasantly filled with young roosters - just at the stage that they become abnoxious. I once had a banty rooster, a long legged black thing, that was a real piece of work. He would just appear behind you all of a sudden, you would walk away, and as soon as you took your eye off of him, he would be behind you again, always just out of reach. Real attitude - he didn't like me very much. Right now we have 2 roosters for 20 odd hens. They have an established hierarchy.

-- Chenoa (ganter@primus.ca), April 22, 2002.

Banty roosters are the worst .Never had a nice one . We had 1 so bad that until I could catch him we went out with a bat or hockey stick.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

How are white rock roosters? Are they mean? Looks like I have 2 with 1 hen. Are they loud crowers?

-- Jenn (none@none.com), April 22, 2002.

We got tired of the rooster problems. When a hen went broody, we just ordered up a batch of day old chicks, waited until 10 or 11 p.m. and exchanged them for her eggs. When they've been asleep awhile, they don't seem to know the difference. A bit more expensive, but less hassle. Ordering fertile eggs might work, too, and would be significantly cheaper.

-- Nina (Ingardenwithcat@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.

Oh, Patty, don't give up on those banty roos just yet. I have 5 of the most friendly banty roos. Docile, sweet, love to sit in my lap for pettings. One actually scratches on top my feet looking up waiting for me to pick him up. Sweet things, they are!

-- Buk (noadd@chickensrus.com), April 22, 2002.

Jen, we've had only one white rock rooster, but he was a very nice rooster. Still, if you have two roosters to one hen, at least one will have to go.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 22, 2002.