Are two roosters better than one when free ranging?

[missnu01]

Thanks everyone. We have at least two young roosters and maybe a few more that are too young to tell. I will probably have to get rid of one or more of them but wanted to check here first before I made the decision. I guess I'll try to keep two and see how they get along. They will be free ranging quite a bit so perhaps feeding them will not be so much of a deal breaker.

My rooster count is now up to 3, but at least now we have 7 females of age...We are getting quite a few more hens very soon, but the newest roo might just have to be separated if I see any issues arising. It is strange, but my large roo doesn't seem to mind the newer roo, but he hates that silkie roo. The silkie is going to get his own coop with his own hens though, so that should make him pretty happy. Poor guy. I guess the Big roo isn't interested in the smaller chickens that the smaller roo is into...but they crowed all day long today...annoying, but they will calm down once everyone knows where they stand.

My Silkie roo takes care of predators, by making himself bait...while the hens and big roo run for cover, he runs in the opposite direction squawking all the way. He is ready and willing to take one for the team. but he doesn't even get to be on top, when in fact he is the only rooster doing any roostering. It's a sad state of affairs, but the big roo keeps the hens from being bred by anyone but him, and he is apparently very easy with them, and he doesn't let any of the chickens fight. Not hens, not roosters, not hens and roosters together. So I will keep them both as one is scrappy whilst the other keeps the peace...
but now I have a cockerel that became a rooster today. He is trying to mate the bantam mix hens as my birds have regrouped into 2 flocks. the adult birds, with 3 hens and 2 roos, and then the small sized group with 4 hens and the one roo. My big guy doesn't mess with this new flock establishment, but he won't let the silkie near his big girls.

 

[limhyl]

Thanks for all the comments and it is quite clear to me that the answer is at best, unclear! I will just have to wait till they mature and observe the dynamics of the group to see if they can both earn their keep. As with all things chicken, nothing is cut and dried.

 

[Owingsia]

We have 27 chickens and 2 Japanese Bantam Roos. They tend to both protect the hens. I often notice that although Kimchee is the Alpha he cant keep up with all our hens running all over the place. I have noticed our hens tend to break into about 2 groups and each group has a roo with them although sometimes both roos are with the same group. Kai is a sweetheart and loves to be picked up however I have seen him protect the hens and can be a bit scary when he gets ready for a fight. Kim is our tough guy and scared off a dog once without even having to fight it. We have stray dogs that will kill chickens and I saw it run up and by time I got outside it Kim was standing there being as big as he could (For a Japanese Bantam thats not very big) and that dog decided it was not worth it.