Roosters out of control

Anyone have an idea how I can calm down roos? I have 5 roos that are almost a year old that are being so agressive that they have killed 5 of my hens over the past couple months. I really don't want to destroy them, I want to breed in the future, but not sure what to do, I have 2 silver laced cochins, 1 welsummer, 1 americana, and 1 white cochin. These boys are driving me crazy. I have over 200 chickens and about 10 roosters. The roos are being so ruff on the hens, I have another flock with older roos that are not at all like this. Help.

My expersive with an aggressive rooster is they only get more so the older they get...you might want to consider putting them in separate pen and let the survivor come out. My roosters if I had more than 2 I had trouble.

D

You might have to pen the roosters individually if you don't want a big war like irisloverdee suggested. Do get them away from the poor hens, it sounds like gang rape!

I had a problem with a EE roo.. He was not hurting any hens, but constantly chasing them.. I kept him out for a couple of weeks, then, since I couldn't stand penning him up.. I let him back in.. Now he is courting them! He has calmed down a LOT since he learned how to breed.. He was just a frustrated youngster...

I would separate them for sure though till they get a little more age and can learn how to treat the ladies!

10 is not a huge amount for 200 birds. I am sorry about the loss of the 5 hens. That is so sad. I agree with Iris. I would pen the seperate for awhile away form each other. Are you going to seperate them anyway for breeding? I mean, put them in with certain girls? I would watch them anyway. I just had to get rid of my favorite roo Duke, because he was getting aggresive with my girls. Many were loosing feathers on their backs and having their skin ripped on the sides. It was awful. I loved that roo so much. The last straw was when he chased my daughter. It could just be they are reaching sexual maturity and are now jockeying for the girls. My best thought would be to seperate the boys away from each other. I wish you the best.

It looks from the pic, they all just run free range. It seems to me with that many birds, Roos and hens, that there are no constraints in place. Even humans get crazy with no constraints. I would pen the boys and rotate them in to the flock of hens. That many at one time is courting disaster. That way you could also see how the individual roos are behaving with the girls. May three roos for two days, and then pen them and let three more rotate in and see how it goes. When you see who is behaving then you eventually cull the others or limit their time with the girls. Just a thought. I have some penned and use them for breeding only. Their time with the girls is limited and that way the girls do not take a beating. Hay

I got rid of the 4 Roos that were causing the problems. I sold them. Life is calming down. My poor girls really look rough. I just had no place to pen up the boys and they had NO manners.
Better off without them anyway.

Inn ---late to this thread, but for future reference --my experience has been the same as ZZ's --pubescent and just learning to establish dominance and they're awful. I've had many outgrow it. Sorta once they get comfortable with their manhood, roo-hood or whatever. But mine free range and I and the older roos keep them off the girls when they aren't acting like er...gentlebirds.......fwiw

Roo-hood, LMBO :D

heh-heh....really what DOES one call that?!.....lol.

A lot of gall. As in "muy macho gallo".

cheap wine? pbhphblhlplhlptt!!! :p

LOL

Has anyone noticed if the pubescent rambunctious roos end up being the ones that like to go after people when they are bigger? Just curious....

Things are much better and the girls are relaxing more now the bullies are gone. In the future I need to build a pen for the bad boys to keep them until they relax. Thanks for all the comments.

Mine have been calming down as they get comfortable. It's the ones at the very top and very bottom of the pecking order that take work to gentle. And I'm sure there are 'personalities' in there...