Cockerel killing my girls

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I have 2 dark dorking hens and finally managed to get a dark dorking cockerel. As I had researched the breed extensively I really didn't expect the problems I am having.
In a nutshell he is this years stock probably about 4 months (no spurs yet) and for the first 3 weeks he has been an absolute gem.
He then started to pick on the younger of the two hens and pecked half her comb off and a load of feathers. We have seperated them and nursed her back to health.
However when we introduced her back to the enclosure she was immediately submissive and and on the run. The other hen attacked her and pinned her down whilst the cock kept repeatedly attacking her...it was extremely upsetting to watch. We have now moved her to another pen and she is now almost back to normal.
I then went out to collect the eggs yesterday and found the other older dorking hen on a nest box covered in blood with the comb ripped off and a large piece of her scalp is missing. God bless her she has been treated and today she is up and about (however I am expecting to loose her).
We have a number of farming friends that have had allsorts of breeds but no one has come across this extent of aggression or damage.
He is fine with the younger hybrids we have but they are only 18 weeks old. We bought him from a rare breeds farm and he has been with the other cockerels til he came to us.
But I am hoping some one may be able to shed some light on what to do, or what we are doing wrong.

 

[podstable]

How awful for you.It won't be what you want to hear but I would cull him or get the breeder to change him.If he is attacking your older birds I guess he may do the same to your growers when they start to lay.THere are sadly so many nice cockerels who would like a home that I think there is no need to tolerate a psychopathic one!Ros

 

[foxy]

Completely agree, often with young cockerels first in with hens there is a bit of scrapping as the hens will challenge a young lad and often will regularly give him a right pasting! This usually settles down as the cockerel gains confidence and the girls get used to him. In your case I am not sure harmony is ever going to reign, and with so many boys that have to be culled I would go and get yourself a nice one!!

 

[peter wade]

hi i know this sounds daft but if my birds act like this i put a older cockerel in this tends to quieten young bird down if your not going to breed yet it doesn't matter

 

[snifter]

Putting in an older cock bird can work but only if you have one already that you know will be the boss. Getting one in just for the purpose might be a bit much.

Personally, having kept bad tempered and aggressive cock birds in the past, the best place for them is in the pot IMHO. I've had one that was really aggressive to the hens and then started getting really mean with people. He didn't last long after that. If your hens are being so badly damaged by this one I'd suggest getting a replacement. I don't think adding a few more hens will help either really in the long term as they tend to have favourites even then.

 

[foxy]

I usually pop all my male growers (large faverolles) and boy are they big! in with an older cock to get them under control, interestingly size doesn't seem to come in to it, the boy I use is an ancient and very peppery lavender pekin! Any attempt by them to woo any of the ladies in the run is met with a ferocious tiny pekin launching himself like something out of a Bruce Lee film!!! :lol: :lol: