What To Do With Menacing Rooster?

[HutsonHobbyFarm]

Hello, I have an issue with a rooster from my coop. I know many people say that it is recommended to have one rooster in a coop, however I have 3. Now it's not all that bad, I have a large fatty blonde rooster that does absolutely nothing, one 'pimp' who is the main attraction for the ladies, and one smaller rooster.

Pimp

Blonde

Hen

Menace
The smaller rooster used to be the pimp, until his fall in the pecking order, resulting in him having a raw comb/crown for a good while (I placed him in solitary until his comb healed a few weeks ago) and a dreary/depressed mood. He, however, seems to not like the change and will go off and peck the pimps hens, then the main rooster would go and run him off.

This is where the main issue comes along. I started to notice that some of the hens' rear end (in front of the tail feathers but behind the wings) would be completely raw (no feathers and sometimes bleeding). As usual, i thought it was just from the roosters riding them, however it became very clear to me that something else was going on when one of my hens was killed. The reason? Her rear end was gushing blood.

I then proceeded to but both the roosters (at this point I don't consider the blonde to be an issue) in solitary for a night, resulting in my hens to seem to be regrowing feathers. I then let the roosters out and before my very two eyes, I see the depressed/troubled rooster grab a beakful of feathers off my hens. At this point, I don't know whether to kill the menace rooster, the pimp, or wait and watch the blonde.

I appreciate any and all answers or opinions on the matter. And I can upload images of the hens and roosters if it would help.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

The second photo is your blonde "rooster"? I ask as that is not a rooster in the photo.....so I'm a bit confused.

 

[Grub Digger]

How many hens do you have? I agree that the 2nd chicken looks female.

 

[dekel18042]

How many hens do you have? I agree that the 2nd chicken looks female.

You've shown pictures of two roosters only, but I'm assuming two may even be too many for the number of hens you have. Although it varies, a rooster can easily keep ten hens fertile and at one point I had one rooster and eighteen hens and 100% fertility. All eggs I put in the incubator hatched.

 

[brucifer]

I have a great recipe for chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. Let me know if you want me to post it. Mr. broken-hearted roo sounds like an excellent candidate for the main ingredient.

 

[SAZUGT]

I have a great recipe for chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. Let me know if you want me to post it. Mr. broken-hearted roo sounds like an excellent candidate for the main ingredient.

Oh man post it! I'm always looking for good rooster recipes. We turn our extras into chicken brats. Soak them in beer and throw them on the grill!

As far as the rooster situation goes I would dispatch two of them. Unless you're doing targeted breeding experiments I'd just keep the nicest of all of them. Left alone with hens even the lowliest rooster in the pecking order will regain his libido! If all you want is to hatch your own chicks every year one rooster is plenty for your number of hens. If you don't have the heart to dispatch him, I'd refrain from giving them away to a free home unless you trust the people you're giving him to. But I would definitely get the two extra roos out.

 

[javaferret]

I have just gone through this very thing! 3 roosters, one was planned, two were mercy saves from the freezer camp..anyway, yes too many roosters for the amount of hens and since I can't free range atm, so the hens have a harder time getting away.

What we did was build a bachelors pad for two of the roosters not far from the main coop and run. All is happy now, just wish I didn't loose my favorite hen (apparently their fav too).

I was planning to hatch out some blue ameraucanas later in the spring and would have to have done something with the other two roosters at some point, so had started the ManCoop prior to the feather plucking of my poor girls. I did actually see one of the lower status roosters actually pull at the feathers at the top base of the tail of a hen, maybe he just didn't know what to do or was too aggressive with is chance when the main rooster wasn't looking.

 

[SAZUGT]

Also Blonde looks a little too much like a hen which may explain the filling out and less aggressive behavior. Why do you think Blonde is a roo? If Blonde is a hen you may only need to ax the roo causing the problems.

 

[Zoomie]

See that one you've labeled "Menace"? Well, that kind tastes really good. Just sayin'...

ETA: And that Blonde one sure looks like a hen to me. Was this one a "free rooster"? Maybe they made a mistake?

 

[HutsonHobbyFarm]

Also Blonde looks a little too much like a hen which may explain the filling out and less aggressive behavior. Why do you think Blonde is a roo? If Blonde is a hen you may only need to ax the roo causing the problems. 

See that one you've labeled "Menace"? Well, that kind tastes really good. Just sayin'...   

ETA: And that Blonde one sure looks like a hen to me. Was this one a "free rooster"? Maybe they made a mistake? 

   You've shown pictures of two roosters only, but I'm assuming two may even be too many for the number of hens you have.  Although it varies, a rooster can easily keep ten hens fertile and at one point I had one rooster and eighteen hens and 100% fertility.  All eggs I put in the incubator hatched.

How many hens do you have?  I agree that the 2nd chicken looks female. 

The second photo is your blonde "rooster"?  I ask as that is not a rooster in the photo.....so I'm a bit confused.

The blonde roo is indeed a roo, with pig stickers and all. Yes we did get the roosters for free by a friendly neighbor who was indeed trustworthy, however I dont think the rooster would be very good to eat, since the old age and the many times of sickness. All three roosters are around 2-3 yrs old, and I am planning on axing the menace. I also have around 24 hens, so two roosters should be very well supplied.