Re-introducing a rooster

A little over a week ago, my head rooster (Dumbledore) got into a fight with one of my other roosters (Thor) and was injured pretty badly. He is now doing MUCH better, and I am thinking of putting him back with the rest of the flock soon. (I no longer have Thor.) However, I have a third rooster (Loki) who has very much enjoyed having all 43 ladies to himself this past week. I put Dumbledore in a sectioned off part of the coop yesterday so he and Loki could see each other, just to see what would happen. I went out last night to put everybody away and found that both roosters were hoarse from crowing at each other all day and they had literally worn a rut in the ground on either side of the wire from pacing back and forth. They were pecking through the wire, but not violently, and Loki often backed down. My question is...what would be the best way to re-introduce them? Should I even try? I was thinking of maybe putting Dumbledore with the ladies and putting Loki in the separate coop so Dumbledore could reestablish himself with the ladies before taking on Loki. (And maybe it would take Loki down a notch.) Loki has never showed any aggression to Dumbledore before this. (Loki was the lowest rooster and Dumbledore the highest.) I will (sorrowfully and begrudgingly) get rid of Loki if I need to, but I would really like to try and keep both of them if at all possible.

I would remove Loki and reintroduce the once dominant rooster - wait a couple of days and then reintroduce Loki. Closely monitor the reintroduction of Loki - they will most likely fight, and hopefully he will back down. If he appears to be winning the fight and Dumbledore is your choice, then you may have to relocate Loki.

I think you are looking at another wreck.

When you do introduce them, you will need a way to separate them if they do get to fighting. Your dominant rooster lost the battle, if you had kept Thor, him and Loki might have kept the status the same, but might not have too. One can't always tell.

In my opinion, Thor is now coming in as a stranger rooster to a fellow that has won the lottery, and will fight to protect his flock from this strange rooster.

If you want to keep Thor as the dominant rooster, you will need to let the other rooster go. You could try and raise up some chicks, with one of them being a rooster. Sometimes that will work, but two full grown roosters are not probably going to let this go.

Mrs K

I want to keep Dumbledore, as he is a lavender orpington, and he is the best with the ladies and humans. I have accepted the fact that I might need to get rid of Loki too, but maybe I need to admit I HAVE too. If I try to integrate them, how much is too much fighting? When should I step in/give up on them getting along?

If it were my flock, I'm not even sure I'd try it. Your one rooster has already been beaten up once, do you really want to put him through that again? It's your flock, and you are the only one who can determine how much fighting and blood you're ready to deal with.

sourland said:

I would remove Loki and reintroduce the once dominant rooster - wait a couple of days and then reintroduce Loki. Closely monitor the reintroduction of Loki - they will most likely fight, and hopefully he will back down. If he appears to be winning the fight and Dumbledore is your choice, then you may have to relocate Loki.

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I would try this^^^^

Chicks Galore3 said:

I want to keep Dumbledore, as he is a lavender orpington, and he is the best with the ladies and humans. I have accepted the fact that I might need to get rid of Loki too, but maybe I need to admit I HAVE too. If I try to integrate them, how much is too much fighting? When should I step in/give up on them getting along?

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Do you free range? That would be the best scenario for a reintroduction, so the loser can get away.
One should back down/run away/submit fairly quickly....if they keep fighting and someone starts bleeding profusely, that's when I would step in and remove Loki for good.

"I want to keep Dumbledore" Whoops - I got the names mixed up.

Keep the one you want, let the others go, rooster fighting is upsetting to your flock. And I think you can bet on rooster fighting.

Mrs K