# Shades acting weird



## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Today Shades is acting strange and I don't know why. Hubby thinks Chickadee (our Rooster) is picking on her but I haven't seen it. When we go out side she is always the first to run up to us, to follow us around the yard and the others normally follow her if they are not eating. 

Today she perched herself on a bike and wont come down. Normally they all walk on the ground eating and doing chicken things and sometimes perch on things but never for a whole day. I just went out with some seeds and the other two ran to me and I walked over to Shades and let her have some seeds, thew rest on ground and she still didn't come down while the others were eating. I picked her up and gave her a lil pat and put her on the ground, the oter chickens kept eating and Shades went back onto the bike.

Just now heard chicken noises looked out window all the chickens were on the ground and got a little spooked by a cat. The white cat. We don't trust the white cat, all the others in the area ignore the chickens and go about their day but the white cat watches them. 

The cat left and saw Chickadee slowly walk towards shades and kinda looked like he was keeping Buckfast away trying to lead her away from Shades. When Chickadee got close looked like he attacked Shades, so shades went onto the bike out of his reached and looked like Chickadee was thinking about jumping up there. 

Seems like weird behaviour from both Shades and Chickadee as this hasn't happened before and we are not sure why Chickadee is singling out Shades and attacking her.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Chicken hierarchy is hard to understand. That might be what's going on but I'd watch her to make sure she doesn't have something physically going on. 

Did you say you have four birds? If you do can you put Shades and the other bird in a separate area to see if things change. 

And he could be bullying her. I've got something similar going on in my pen. I gave my rooster a boot in the butt for picking on one of my old Hamburg hens.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

the 4th bird is Giggles. an inside Parakeet.
Wondering if we need to get rid of the rooster if it keeps happening? if so he wont be replaced and we would get a bigger hen?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If you do that you will disrupt the hierarchy. All I can suggest is that you spend as much time as you can observing, see what might be causing Shades to behave differently. 

If it's the male causing the issue then separate him for a time out. Most of the time it's suggested a disrupting bird be placed where they can not hear or see the flock. That many times is enough for an attitude adjustment. 

If Chickadee is that protective of the one girl, I would be watching for broken or missing feathers. That will indicate over breeding and that he definitely needs a time out.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Deffinately the Rooster causing the issues. We gave him a time out and put him away with food and water away from the girls and after that he was better for a little bit but then he would attack shades again. The girls would then be together and they were fine.

It only started few days ago, before that they were all fine walking around the yard together and he wouldn't attack her. He doesn't attack our other hen. 
We are not sure why he is doing it. We made sure she was fine and then we learnt about the chicken's crop because it just looked like a big cyst. 

Now If shades is on the ground she will be a part from the other two at the other end of the yard keeping her distance. 

Just not sure why it has started and don't know what we can do to stop it unless we take Chickadee away.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

It's time to get rid of your rooster.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

dawg53 said:


> It's time to get rid of your rooster.


That is what we are thinking. His a young Rooster still, not quite a year old. He might end up as chicken soup. Hubby doesn't want another Rooster after him (hates the crowing) so might just have a small flock of hens.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

dawg is right, time for him to go. The biggest issue for him is that he is young and they tend to be more bully like. You gave him a chance but it's going to take time for him to mature and figure out the entire group of hens is his responsibility, not just the one.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

The rooster should not pick on hens. I had one that tried to kill two of my hens. He was immediately culled.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

His getting culled this week. Nothing has changed, it hasn't gotten better and Shades misses her sister but is terrified of the Rooster. 
It will be sad, I have enjoyed his company.. He always sat nicely on my shoulder. Never pecked me. Except yesty when I stopped him attacking Shades again. He was a good Rooster up until a week ago but it has to be done and his bad behaviour hasn't changed or stopped. 
I don't think we will get another rooster as we don't plan on having our own hatchings this point in time.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It's not an easy decision to make. 

It's Spring and the hormones are raging but I think you're getting a preview of what he'd be like on day to day basis.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Friday shall be the day. Hubby's father is coming over to help us kill him and show us how it is done. figure it better in person then watching videos.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I feel bad that you have to do this but the girls will be better for it.

BTW, if you get a third hen you might have some challenges introducing her to the two. If you can get away with it, you should be able to make things easier by getting two.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

We have a outside pen we plan to use. Can make any size it has i think 8 sides we can put together. Less if we want it smaller. Or even make it into 2 next to each other. We do plan to try and get 2 more hens later in the yr. When it is warmer. Think we will only have bantams. So no large chickens towering over them. Wont know how it goes til we try. 

We know it is best to get rid of chickadee and knew the day would eventually come. Didnt think it would be so soon. 
They would jump on the bins under the kitchen window all 3 of them in the evening ready for bed. (Well we would bring Shades in at the moment just before sunset or he would attack her on the bin) and hubby would take the girls first to bed. And chickadee would watch never turning away from the direction of hubby even when they all out of view. Even stand their patiently watching for hubby to return to take him to bed. I always found that adorable. 

Today hubby was in the vege garden and Shades was with him helping to dig in the dirt. Hubby was planting seeds and shades was helping by filling the holes before the seeds went in.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

As much as I probably shouldn't say this, if there was someone with a larger flock that would take him chances are his personality will change. I've seen it happen several times. I had one Silkie rooster that was determined to attack any human that came near him, I gave him to someone letting them know how he was. Turns out once in his new home he was totally different.


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## Shrub (Jul 25, 2018)

Chickadee is gone and the girls have been doing great over the last week without him. 
Shades seems heaps happier. They seem less scared of the rabbit (try and have stand offs with him) so we have to make sure they dont peck at the rabbit coz he just stands there. The girls walk around together again and sometimes apart still but never leave each other too long. We don't plan on any more Roosters in the near future


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sometimes, they go rogue and there's not much you can do about it other than to remove them. 

Many years ago, I had this gorgeous boy. I wanted chicks from him. Every time I put girls in with him he was godzilla, scared the heck out of the girls. But I had a surprise for him.

I had one hen. You'd never know she had the guts she had she was so docile in the flock but I knew. I had had enough of his behavior with the girls so I put just her in there with him. He charged her. Next thing, he was cowering in a corner. He attempted the same charge again, once again he was cowering in the corner. 

One day with her and he was a changed bird. I did eventually get some very nice peeps from him and the girls that produced those peeps were never intimidated by him again.


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