How to Keep a Rooster From Biting a Hen's Neck

Chickens are highly sensitive animals, and roosters are especially prone to reacting to stress by becoming aggressive. If your rooster is biting your hen's neck, this may indicate deficiencies in your rooster's environment. Rather than punishing your rooster, which can actually increase aggression, providing an optimal environment can help to eliminate neck biting.

Things You'll Need

  • Chicken mash
  • Salt
  • Straw
  • Wood shavings
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Instructions

    • 1

      Observe your rooster to see if he is engaging in mating behavior. Roosters frequently bite hens during mating season. If your hen isn't being injured and the rooster only bites her for a few seconds after walking around her in a circle, it's probably a mating ritual. Separate the hen and rooster if you do not want them to mate. Otherwise, there's no reason to intervene.

    • 2

      Give your flock more space. Both roosters and hens may begin biting and pulling the feathers of other chickens if they are living in cramped living quarters. If you keep your flock in cages, give them at least an hour outside of their cages every day.

    • 3

      Change your rooster's diet. Roosters should eat a diet containing at least 20 percent protein, and when chickens receive inadequate protein they may become aggressive. If you are feeding your flock chicken pellets, switch to chicken mash, which is a healthier choice that frequently results in less biting.

    • 4

      Remedy a mineral deficiency by supplementing your rooster's diet with salt. Inadequate salt intake often leads to aggressive and even cannibalistic behavior. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon to the rooster's water.

    • 5

      Avoid housing your chickens on bare floors. Chickens have sensitive feet, and when they live on wire or bare floors they may become aggressive. Instead, provide them with litter, which satisfies their natural nesting instinct. Straw and wood shavings are excellent choices for chicken litter.