Rooster Chat

[microchick]

X2 with Mrs. K.

Alpha Zeus is just laying down the law and protecting his territory. Completely normal behavior. 3/4s of my flock is molting right now and the remaining 4th is too young to care so my extra cockerels have been running with the main flock. It's been very interesting watching the interactions between the roosters since they have all been together. What I've noticed is that age groups pretty much stick together and even they squabble on occasions. The Alpha rooster still makes the younger birds toe the line and doesn't tolerate the younger cockerels getting even near 'his' hens even if he himself isn't showing any interest in mating at this time.

I figure when spring comes and the hormones start to surge again they will let me know when it is time to separate them again when feathers start to fly.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Alright.

I'm hoping they will get along,I do not care about squabbles as long as they are not trying to kill each other.
Zeus hormones have not seemed calmed down,not quite sure why,but his teen hormones still seem to push him,he mates " a Ton".Hopefully he'll calm down, or maybe his breeds is just a active breeder?

Do you think 2 more cockerels could make things worse?I do note even think that we will be keeping most of them,most we want is two,or most I want.So deciding day is coming here very soon.

Anyone know anything about Black Sex Link Roosters?We have one 4 month old cockeral.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Can a rooster live in isolation for a while and not be psychologically damaged?

I took the girls away from my number two rooster to put with my number one rooster and now he's all by himself and SO SAD. My heart is breaking for the little guy! He's a good boy but we got the girls for Nero and little Derpy turned out not to be a girl.

We have two coops so Derpy can be in the smaller coop and I was going to get some Derpy sized (he's also dwarfed, hence the name) girls for him in the spring, but that's a while from now.

Poor lonely guy! I figure he'll pine for a while but should get over it eventually? No idea what to do.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

Alright.we have one 6 month old RIR who has started acting like an actual rooster.So of course,he has started drama between him and Zeus our Alpha.
I wanted to know if it is completely normal for the Alpha roo,to continuously chase the other younger less dominate one off?Because the last time our other rooster did this we ended up having to give one up.

So I'm hoping it is completely normal?Just the older guy showing the younger one a little "Respect"?

My scenario is this:

Nero (top roo) ignores Derpy (bottom roo) except:

1) if Derpy tries to mate, Nero chases him off

2) if Derpy goes near one of the top hens, Nero chases him off

Nero doesn't fight Derpy, even if Derpy is attacking him, he just completely ignores him, looks through him like he isn't there. The alpha girls however, will flare their hackles and attack Derpy, at which point Nero will get involved, but by then Derpy has run away.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Can a rooster live in isolation for a while and not be psychologically damaged?

I took the girls away from my number two rooster to put with my number one rooster and now he's all by himself and SO SAD. My heart is breaking for the little guy! He's a good boy but we got the girls for Nero and little Derpy turned out not to be a girl.

We have two coops so Derpy can be in the smaller coop and I was going to get some Derpy sized (he's also dwarfed, hence the name) girls for him in the spring, but that's a while from now.

Poor lonely guy! I figure he'll pine for a while but should get over it eventually? No idea what to do.

Here's where my boys go.



We have recently added another two pens to house roosters, one is empty the other has 2 bantam mottled cochins in it. They are housed where they are part of the flock. Other roosters interact with them through the fence. The rooster in the photo spent about 8 month in the pen before being released. Another was in there during the last year and was recently released. They aren't damaged at all. They emerge mature and level headed and take their place in the flock without much fuss. Currently a new one is occupying the pen.

Make sure the space is large enough for them to get some exercise pacing and interacting. I have had good luck managing roosters like this. Some get penned for weeks, others for months. It has allowed me to keep some troublemakers and have them turn around in time.

 

[Amelia Egghart]

GREAT SETUP! Thank you so much!

 

[the poppster]

The alpha rooster will have to let the younger cockrels who is boss. I have 6 adult or almost adult Roos. Three, three year olds, a big white rock, Welsummer Banty and a black Silkie. Surprisingly of those three, the alpha rooster was the black Silkie! Then the next at 2 years old, is a big Brahma rooster, once he came of age, he exerted his size and attitude to take over the top spot. Then comes the cream Legbar boy who just lingers around and stays out of the way. And last is Mike the mutt,the youngest almost grown cock....he is still trying to figure out what he wants to be....so far with plenty of space....no serious battles have been fought. This may be due to them all growing up in the flock. I did eliminate two youngsters a week ago....sure calmed things down.

 

[MollySunshine]

We just placed all of our roo's (12) in a bachelor pad this weekend. I am hoping this works out well. They were all brooded together, from what I have heard it should work out.
Something curious though, I am fairly certain that I have 3 remaining roo's with the pullet's. They have bigger combs and waddles (2 RIR's, 1 silkie) but they don't act like roosters. They don't mount the girls, they don't crow etc. Although, I thought I heard the beginnings of a crow this morning when I left the coop. I will never be able to place these "guys?" with the rest of the roo's. The roo's would destroy them! They stayed away from the roo's because they would pummel them relentlessly. This all has me quite confused....I hope I won't have to get a 3rd set up going to house these "guys?" Time will tell....the sage continues....

Anyone have ideas as to what may be happening? Are they roo's are they pullets?

 

[the poppster]

As long as they aren't causing any problems....leave them with the girls.

 

[lcertuche]

I am down to 7 cockerels 28 weeks old and 7 pullets, 5 which are also 28 weeks and 2 which are about 24 weeks. My rowdy boys will try jumping them first thing when I let them off the roost but then the pullets go their way and the boys another for most of the day (they are free range). Eventually I will probably be down to one as they are being butchered as needed. Meat on the hoof (feet) so to speak. They are nearly as bad as I thought they would be. I say run with the girls and see what happens.