Cockerel attacking 1 hen - why??

CherokeeRose

CherokeeRose

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I have had my cockerel for quite some time now, last week I got some new hens and he has been fine with them all apart from 1. I noticed tonight she was reluctant to go into the coop, once she was in he went for her. Some of the other hens had a peck at her too. About a month or 2 ago I caught him attacking a bantam hen, he was on top of her and proper going for it, so much so that he pecked her eye resulting in an infection and I had to put her down because of it. He is fine with all the other hens and he is fine with me he has never went for me, he is perfectly sensible and well behaved apart from picking on 1 hen he just takes a dislike to. Is there any reason why he could be doing this? He is on his last warning. I really don't want to dispatch him as he's a nice looking chap and looks after all the other girls (plus I was hoping a hen would go broody and hatch me some little chicks) but I don't know what else to do? Can someone please help?
 
Hi CherokeeRose. Heard a similar problem recently but never got to the bottom of it. I speculated the hen was dominant and he perceived her as a threat. If the other hens are following his lead it won't be long before she is seriously injured.You won't get eggs from her if she is being bullied anyway. Guess he has had his last warning. The hens should go broody without a cockerel.
 
I have just been out to put them into the coop and he is being a right prat and refusing to go in so I have left him wandering around. I really don't want to get rid of him and I know this sounds mean but maybe he will disappear during the night. I am a vegetarian and I just can't handle having to kill my chickens myself. When I have had to do it I have asked my dad or brothers to do it for me and even then I have to go and hide in the house, I am a complete woose! I really want to keep my eye on this hen in particular as the lady I got her, and the others from, says she has been broody a few times and a fantastic mum. I have some young hens that were hatched by her so I really want to keep a hold of her. The last bantam he attacked was one who was a broody and unfortunately, as already mentioned, she didn't survive.
Who knew keeping chickens could be so stressful? I adore my little hens and my ducks, I never thought I'd get so attached to some birds haha
 
Perhaps it is due to them being broody. They fluff up their feathers in a defensive posture and perhaps the cockerel can't handle that. The other hens will just follow his lead. Think the cockerel needs to go CR.
 
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