Help! Chicken Game of Thrones! Who do I put where?

[Fishychick]

Will roosters by themselves fight though if they share a fence line with the hens?

I just e-mailed my handyman to see if he can come one day when I'm at work. I could go to work late and tell him what to do before I leave and then hope he actually gets it right without me there to guide him step by step. The two times that I've used him, I had to be there all day to tell him exactly what to do and to help him lift heavy stuff because he was by himself. The outcome would have been much different if I wasn't there. Last March, he got up the fence and gate dividing the two runs with my guidance. The contractors didn't even get that up. I then put Perky in there to raise her chicks without the others being able to get to them. I had to tarp the run since there was no roof, and that made a mess!

 

[Chicken Heel]

I currently have two mixed flocks of 16 large breed and 16 bantams (all hens) and they have been far less stressed/agitated than my many previous flocks that had roosters with them. I do have 6 three week old TSC grab bag chicks and at least one is a rooster (Golden Polish) so the dynamic may change at some point.

 

[Kris5902]

Will roosters by themselves fight though if they share a fence line with the hens?

That all depends on your Roosters and the space. It is quite possible they will, they might try to fight even if they are no where near the hens... it all comes down to personalities.

As I mentioned, I have three boys together in confinement that usually get along fine. They were spooked by a dog during haying (dog was outside, they were inside the run, he wasn’t threatening, he just scared my birds by being there and a dog) and 2 of them turned on the less dominant boy and it wasn’t good. I had to intervene, stop the bleeding on his comb and wattles and hold him for a good hour until it was dark. He bit me a lot thinking I was going to hurt him at first, I had bruises from it all down my arms. He was panicked and stressed. I reintroduced him back that evening and they were fine that night and the next morning it was all back to normal.

I have one boy that free ranges and he will challenge every other rooster and person, or cow, he sees. He runs up to the bachelor pen and stands his hackle feathers up bobbing his head and the bachelors reciprocate. They would probably fight and injure each other given the opportunity, but these three bachelors get on fine, even when the free range Boy is taunting them.

I’ve had more aggression issues when I’ve had to separate out a single boy than in keeping them together, but I’ve also had boys that got pecked on badly and kept from food and water in the bachelor pen despite multiple feeders and waterers, so it can go both ways. My bachelor pen started with 12 and is now down to 3.

Basically no one can tell you how it will go for sure, just what our personal experiences have been and how we would respond. And Boys can be jerks, regardless of what you do to make things better for them. Just remember you may have to intervene, change things, or part with a troublemaker. Don’t sacrifice the entire flock to protect a single bird by mistake is what I think we are mostly trying to say

 

[pennyhaddock]

I have a similar issue and wondering if I can get some advice. We have a decent size chicken run (about 130 sqf) with a Formex Snap/Lock unit that was shared by 3 Guineas, 1 Turken Rooster, 1 Leg Horn hen, 1 Americauna hen and 2 R.I hens- 8 Total birds...up until recently somehow one of my guineas shattered her leg and we had to keep her in our house until she recovered, except she still doesn't have use of that leg.

While she recovered from the broken leg, we ended up rescuing two special needs baby peachicks- who were also in our house while their new coop and run was being built. Finally got the coop built- which is about 12 feet high and a total of about 450 sqft and this is where we've placed our now physically challenged guinea, peahen (which has deformed legs) and the peacock. The three of them share a house.

The Rooster (Turken) is really beating up on my sweet leg horn hen- and I feel like I should place her in the peafowl run too. I'd also like to place the other two guineas in with the injured one because they love being with her - except when it comes to night time- when they all (guineas/chickens) want to go back to their old house - the snap and lock unit. This is the only home they've ever known.

Neither the two guineas nor my leg horn mind at all hanging out in the new run with the Peas and injured guinea during the day, but once the sun goes down they start getting anxious wanting to go back to the other house. They won't go into the night coop on their own and just pace up and down the sides of the run wanting out.

My big question is - if I force them to go into the new house will they be okay? Will they ever know the "new house" as their normal or will they be unhappy? How long would it take for them to feel comfortable at night? What's the best way to make this transition? Is it okay to split up a flock that have been raised together?

Also, I know that I don't have nearly enough hens for my Turken Roo, but how many does he need so that he doesn't hurt my other hens? As reference- my peafowl are approximately 3 months old and all of my chickens and guineas who were raised together just started laying eggs and are about 5 months old. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Folly's place]

What a group you have!
So you have one cockerel and four pullets, and your cockerel is too rough on at least one of the pullets? Any actual injuries? If yes, I'd move him on now, because IMO it's unacceptable even in an adolescent young rooster.
If no bird is being injured, more space is always better, and hiding places, multiple feeders and waterers, and more to do all help the situation.
You do know that peafowl and chickens are a bad combination, because of their parasite issues? Look up gapeworm, and 'Heterakis' species.
Chickens do hate change, but will grow accustomed to their new coop, given a bit more time.
Mary

 

[NatJ]

My big question is - if I force them to go into the new house will they be okay? Will they ever know the "new house" as their normal or will they be unhappy? How long would it take for them to feel comfortable at night?

Chickens can certainly get used to another house. Usually a week or two is enough (just shut them in the new house each night, until they start putting themselves there.)

Guineas--you've already got one (the injured one) that did get used to another house, so I'd say they can too. (No personal experience there.)

Is it okay to split up a flock that have been raised together?

Yes.

Also, I know that I don't have nearly enough hens for my Turken Roo, but how many does he need so that he doesn't hurt my other hens?

That depends on the rooster, and you may have to experiment to find what works for yours. Plenty of people breed from just a pair or trio of chickens (one rooster, one or two hens.) Some roosters cause problems for their hens in those situations, and some don't. And even if you gave him LOTS of hens, he might still over-mate a few favorites--it really depends on the rooster.

 

[pennyhaddock]

Chickens can certainly get used to another house. Usually a week or two is enough (just shut them in the new house each night, until they start putting themselves there.)

Guineas--you've already got one (the injured one) that did get used to another house, so I'd say they can too. (No personal experience there.)


Yes.



That depends on the rooster, and you may have to experiment to find what works for yours. Plenty of people breed from just a pair or trio of chickens (one rooster, one or two hens.) Some roosters cause problems for their hens in those situations, and some don't. And even if you gave him LOTS of hens, he might still over-mate a few favorites--it really depends on the rooster.

Thank you so much for your reply. I have heard that they have "favorites" I feel like my rooster just mounts my other hens without any aggressiveness, but my little white leghorn he mounts and pulls her comb with his beak- quite hard and makes her bleed- I don't ever see him doing this with the others. Someone told me that he might be doing this because he knows that I favor her and is jealous? Sounds crazy...My rooster is really nice to me and I hold him all the time- but he is just terrible to my my leg horn and I can't stand to see that... Thank you!!!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Thank you so much for your reply. I have heard that they have "favorites" I feel like my rooster just mounts my other hens without any aggressiveness, but my little white leghorn he mounts and pulls her comb with his beak- quite hard and makes her bleed- I don't ever see him doing this with the others. Someone told me that he might be doing this because he knows that I favor her and is jealous? Sounds crazy...My rooster is really nice to me and I hold him all the time- but he is just terrible to my my leg horn and I can't stand to see that... Thank you!!!

It could be jealousy. Chickens often just see us as a big rooster. My hens will squat for me when I go to pet them. He's probably just marking her as his favorite. You could try seperating her until he gets a new fav or using an antipeck spray. In general if he's being aggressive you need to seperate before her hurts her badly.

 

[Fishychick]

My chickies' thread has been hijacked! It's ok Penny.

As for my flock, I'm giving up my birthday (the only day of the year that I put myself before my animals) to have the handyman come out on Friday, and we're going to work on making the quarantine house useable so I can put three cockerels in there. They are testing out more and more who they can "have their way with."

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

My chickies' thread has been hijacked! It's ok Penny.

As for my flock, I'm giving up my birthday (the only day of the year that I put myself before my animals)

Birthdays aren't really important. They occur whether you want them to or not. I personally spend MORE time with my birds on my birthday. They make me happy and thats what is important. I'm glad your problem is getting solved. Just take it easy and celebrate the fact that you exist another day.