Yesterday I went outside to discover that one of my roosters had gotten out of the bachelor cage. It took me a while to catch him and when I finally did, I just put him in the main coop and told him to go visit for a bit as we were on our way to the timber to harvest wood.
An hour later when we got back Dos, the escapee rooster and Primo, his hatching brother who is the rooster in the main coop acting as lieutenant to the flock master, were going at it hot and heavy. I don't interfere. They have done this before and what I do is wait till they wear themselves out and then intervene.Usually one or the other calls it quits before then but this time neither seemed willing to do that. They were so tired that the most they were doing was making half hearted attempts to dive at one another's combs and wattles and bump chests. Their wings were hanging on the ground and they were panting like little steam engines. I saw my opportunity and simply went in and picked up the escapee cockerel, Dos. He seemed relieved to be rescued at that point. I set him down near their water bowl and he stayed their drinking his fill. On the way by, Primo was doing the same thing.Sitting beside his water dish so all he had to do was dip his head in and get a drink. They were both exhausted.This morning Dos looks like he has gone 8 rounds with a prize fighter. Primo definitely lived up to his name.
Roosters are going to be roosters. As long as they are not trying to seriously injure one another or kill one another, I let them work it out between themselves. In the past I have dowsed them with a bucket of water if things get too violent. Sometimes it works but sometimes it doesn't.
Thank you for sharing. I have been very lucky so far with my fellers. I keep a close eye on my two oldest in case they turn nasty as they age. They both have huge spurs but they do not use them. I let them keep their spurs due to the Hawks we have here.