Roosters fight among themselves: reasons for what to do to prevent aggression

Those who have chickens in the household, led by several roosters, often face the aggressive behavior of their leaders. Violent males cause a lot of problems to the owner, because by doing this they disturb the order in the house and make laying hens nervous, lowering their egg production. It is important to understand the situation, why the roosters fight among themselves, what to do about it and how not to harm the bird family.

Causes of rooster fights

It is in the nature of roosters to protect their hens from competitors and various predators. The number of females that must be with him to ensure food and fertilization depends on the strength of the rooster.If there are two or more males in the chicken coop, fights between them are inevitable in order to establish the hierarchical stability of the flock. They begin to sort things out from the age of nine weeks.

Why roosters start fighting and attacking each other depends on different reasons:

1. Male was purchased as a teenager or as an adult. He cannot accept the fact of the master's authority, since his character is already formed.
2. Struggle between old and young rooster in order to arrange a new hierarchy. A young rooster is a stranger to the flock, while an old rooster will defend its territory, sometimes fiercely and bloody.
3. Competition between young roosters trying to take the place of the dominant leader in the pack.
4. The imprint on the character of one of the males can impose a past negative attitude towards him of the owner or other chickens, as a result of which the rooster grew up hostile against others.
5. Cramped conditions in the chicken coop force the birds to survive each other due to the resulting stress.
6. The ratio of roosters and hens was not calculated: too many males in the flock.
7. Aggressive behavior intensifies in the spring when mating processes are activated.

Fighting between roosters is problematic for the bird owner, as it distracts the males from what matters most: covering the hens. During the fighting, chickens do not eat well, experience stress, lay eggs less often, and lose weight.

What to do if roosters fight each other

There are many ways to try to reconcile restless roosters. Providing the necessary conditions in the chicken coop, over time, it will be possible to achieve he althy competition, productive males and full-fledged defenders.

Insulation

Often, young roosters who have recently entered the flock become aggressive.Their place has not yet been determined, and they become the subject of attack by strong individuals. As a result, a young male can become aggressive himself and attack anyone he considers dangerous to himself. Isolation will help solve the problem - the owner allocates a separate enclosure or chicken coop for the rebel to minimize meetings between warring roosters.

It is not recommended to let him out for general walking until the aggressor stops behaving wary.

Hunger strike

A starvation diet will help to teach a fighter a lesson. Having isolated it immediately after the attack, it is necessary to leave only clean water and not visit the bird for two days. So, the cockerel will not die of dehydration, and will think about his behavior. Since chickens have episodic memory, this will allow the owner to play the role of a savior. After 2 days, entering the aviary and feeding the rooster, you can see that he is glad to meet you and has become more accommodating.

Beak debeaking

To protect weaker individuals from the attack of aggressive feathered pets, debeaking or beak trimming will help. Inexperienced poultry farmers consider this method to be unnecessarily cruel, but the cut off tip of the beak does not prevent the rooster from eating and drinking in the future. At the same time, roosters stop pecking at calm birds. One common debeaking method is using hot blades. Laser cutting is also used, but much less often due to the high cost. Beak trimming in adulthood should be done only as a last resort and with the involvement of an experienced specialist.

Remove irritants

There may be cases of aggressive behavior of roosters due to irritating factors. It is necessary to pay attention at what point the male's mood changes, what provokes him. It can be bright clothes or sudden movements.Sometimes small children show aggression towards chickens, and then roosters towards their relatives.

Following carefully the behavior of the feathered one, you can understand what he reacts so sharply to and eliminate the reasons for provoking aggression.

Mirror

By installing a mirror in the chicken coop, the owner will provide the bully with a new "enemy" in the face of himself. Feathered will begin to fight with reflection, forgetting about other opponents. This method has 2 significant drawbacks: the rooster can ignore the mirror or, conversely, injure itself too much.

Particularly violent individuals can beat off their chest and head against a mirror.

Paint

The main task of the rooster is to ensure order and discipline in the chicken coop. The presence of a bright color provides the leader with great attractiveness. To give a bright color, natural dyes are usually used: brilliant green, henna, basma.They should be smeared with the most prominent places: wings, back, neck. This way it will be possible to attract the attention of the chickens and the rooster will not have time to sort things out with the opponent.

Special Glasses

The invention of the Chinese farmer Xiao Long was forced. He said that there were frequent fights between roosters on the farm, resulting in up to 10 birds per day. He concluded that the birds see each other and this is a challenge for them. Glasses were invented in the form of a small plastic bracket that is attached to the beak. The eyes are closed with plates. The bird can eat and drink, but does not see an object to which aggression can be directed. Glasses are not a panacea, they only limit the uncontrollable situation. In a cramped confined space, birds have a heightened sense of touch, they can peck out each other's feathers and down by touch.

Pouring water

Only strong, he althy individuals endure education with water.The fact is that water procedures for birds are very stressful. The exception is individual chickens, who like to swim in the water of their own accord. In other cases, such upbringing can turn into a serious illness.

The method should be carried out immediately at the crime scene. As soon as the roosters enter the fight, you need to catch the aggressor and dip it in a container of cold water, pour it from a bucket or pour it from a hose. The options are not fundamental, it is important to develop a reflex in the bird. As soon as the rooster enters the fight, they immediately repeat the educational procedure. Usually 5-7 repetitions of dousing with water is enough to correct the nature of the troublemaker.

Bang the rooster

Physical punishment is an undesirable method and is used as a last resort when no other methods help. Animal defenders oppose this method of punishment, arguing that it is violence against our smaller brothers.Experienced bird owners, on the contrary, consider this method effective, since it conveys information to the raging male in an accessible way.

To adjust the reflex, punish a rooster immediately after attacking another. At the same time, it is important to calculate the strength so as not to harm the bird.

Downgrade before chickens

The world of birds lives by its own rules. Among roosters, the one who attacks first is considered the most powerful opponent. If the owner enters the chicken coop and attacks the rooster first, he will try to flee. The instinct of self-preservation in all living beings is in the first place. By periodically reminding who is in charge in the chicken coop, the owner will be able to lower the status of the rooster in front of the hens and mitigate his aggression, turning it into fear of a stronger opponent.

Prevent aggression

In order to prevent fights between roosters, you must follow the rules:

1. The number of males should be optimal: for 1 rooster up to 12-16 hens.
2. Provide the chicken coop with drinkers and feeders. Divided into groups, the chickens will not share the area and there will be fewer fights.
3. If there are a large number of roosters in one chicken coop, you can put an inclined ladder in the middle. To avoid a fight, weak individuals will run upstairs.
4. It is worth watching the nutrition and diet of birds. A balanced menu, compound feed and vitamins are an excellent prevention of stress in chickens.
5. The behavior of birds depends on the lighting inside the chicken coop: it should not be too bright or, on the contrary, too dim.

Prevention of aggression in males does not always depend on the owner. Often, genetics affects the behavior of birds. There are breeds in which aggressive males are more common than in others. When purchasing an adult, you need to make sure that there have been attempts to display aggression in the past

Why do chickens peck each other

Fights between females are no exception. Their behavior becomes aggressive for the following reasons:

• if there is no leader in the flock, then order and discipline are violated among the chickens;
• cramped chicken coop, no free range;
• breed incompatibility;
• few feeders and drinkers;
• winter period, when chickens are often in a dark room;
• establishing a hierarchy between young and old birds;
• Stress from a change of scenery.

It is enough to improve the living conditions or, if necessary, to plant a male, then the behavior of the chickens will change.

Preventive measures against pecking and cannibalism in chickens

The following content changes will help prevent pecking and cannibalism in chickens:

• check temperature and humidity according to regulations;
• spray tap water on chickens in hot, dry weather;
• adjust the light (paint the bulbs red to calm the birds);
• ensure uniform access to drinkers and feeders;
• with more than 30-40 heads, you need to share a paddock or chicken coop;
• provide chickens with loose litter;
• layer nests should be in dark places.

Farmers have noticed that providing birds with free range, the risk of pecking or cannibalism is significantly reduced.

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