Is it okay to pen up roosters without hens?

[NatJ]

Ugh, I just remembered, I planned on wrapping the backside of the girls' pen with a thick clear tarp as a wind block during winter and take it down in spring. But, the roos will be on that backside, so now I don't know how I'm supposed to wrap their pen and be able to take it down without going in the roosters pen. I'd put the roosters on a different side of the hens' pen, but it's already fenced off for our ducks.

If you put something between the pens that blocks sight (like several people have suggested), that will probably block wind too. So you might not have to do anything special for the winter.

If you really need to do something in the rooster pen, plan a day in advance and you can probably avoid most problems: after dark, grab the roosters and put them in something like a dog crate. Let them sleep in the dog crate, do your job in the morning, and then let the roosters back into their usual pen.

Chickens don't see well in the dark, and are usually sleepy. So you should be able to grab them without being attacked, although when you do pick them up they might flap their wings a bit and possibly try to bite you (solution: thick coat, maybe gloves. You won't need to wear the protection for long, if you are just stuffing the roosters into a crate and then leaving them for the night.)

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

If you put something between the pens that blocks sight (like several people have suggested), that will probably block wind too. So you might not have to do anything special for the winter.

If you really need to do something in the rooster pen, plan a day in advance and you can probably avoid most problems: after dark, grab the roosters and put them in something like a dog crate. Let them sleep in the dog crate, do your job in the morning, and then let the roosters back into their usual pen.

Chickens don't see well in the dark, and are usually sleepy. So you should be able to grab them without being attacked, although when you do pick them up they might flap their wings a bit and possibly try to bite you (solution: thick coat, maybe gloves. You won't need to wear the protection for long, if you are just stuffing the roosters into a crate and then leaving them for the night.)

I am waaaay too chicken to be in the same pen as them. We got them into their separate pen tonight. They have a dog house to keep out of the weather. I put a tall tree branch in a cinder block they can perch on, and put green netting over the whole pen.

Tomorrow I'm going to put a tarp over half of the coop to give them more space to stay dry.

 

[NatJ]

I am waaaay too chicken to be in the same pen as them.

In that case, if your husband is sure the roosters cannot be killed & eaten, anything that needs to happen inside their pen should be his problem.

Handling chickens in the dark really is different than handling them in daylight, so keep it in mind in case you ever need to. They can't run and fly to attack you when they can't see you, and their night vision is worse than yours. And if you grab them in the dark and put them somewhere else, then they are not in the pen anymore, so you can work there in peace.

We got them into their separate pen tonight. They have a dog house to keep out of the weather. I put a tall tree branch in a cinder block they can perch on, and put green netting over the whole pen.

Tomorrow I'm going to put a tarp over half of the coop to give them more space to stay dry.

Sounds good

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

In that case, if your husband is sure the roosters cannot be killed & eaten, anything that needs to happen inside their pen should be his problem.

Handling chickens in the dark really is different than handling them in daylight, so keep it in mind in case you ever need to. They can't run and fly to attack you when they can't see you, and their night vision is worse than yours. And if you grab them in the dark and put them somewhere else, then they are not in the pen anymore, so you can work there in peace.


Sounds good

My husband is disabled and has limited physical capabilities. He wouldn't be able to get out of their way quick enough. The roosters seem fine today and probably are enjoying the grass (until they scratch it up)
I will keep in mind their night vision -thank you!

 

[NatJ]

My husband is disabled and has limited physical capabilities. He wouldn't be able to get out of their way quick enough. The roosters seem fine today and probably are enjoying the grass (until they scratch it up)
I will keep in mind their night vision -thank you!

This is a situation where it's hard to tell online whether I should be offering a different kind of advice.

One person forcing another to keep and care for a dangerous animal is a problem.
But two people discussing the matter of whether to keep the animal, and figuring out a way to do it safely if that is what they want to do, is not a problem.

I am hoping that you are in the second situation, the not-a-problem one. But I don't want to misunderstand and encourage you or anyone else to put up with a dangerous situation that could be prevented.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

This is a situation where it's hard to tell online whether I should be offering a different kind of advice.

One person forcing another to keep and care for a dangerous animal is a problem.
But two people discussing the matter of whether to keep the animal, and figuring out a way to do it safely if that is what they want to do, is not a problem.

I am hoping that you are in the second situation, the not-a-problem one. But I don't want to misunderstand and encourage you or anyone else to put up with a dangerous situation that could be prevented.

Second one for sure! We actually do love the roosters and we enjoy them, just not their aggressive nature. We wanted to see if penning them up separately would help calm them, you know not so much competition to be the top rooster.
Today they seemed a bit calmer, still rubbed their sides along the fencing to intimidate but I just talked sweetly to them and gave them grub worms from my garden. Maybe they were stressed having just three hens to mate, plus the bigger issue of competition to get the hens. Time will tell.