Sleeper Cell Cockerel

[Mimi13]

Today! Today I have dealt with more than my fair share of chicken problems; however, this thread is about my shy, very backward SLW, Winnie the Roo. He will be 18 weeks old on Monday and up until today has never crowed or even made the slightest sound, period.

Back story of today: I have 4 cockerels, two of which will be culled in the next couple of weeks. I had to place those two in a separate run early this morning because Boris, my beautiful barred NN, decided today was the day he would become a serial rapist. (I’ve read where a chicken can only recognize another chicken within a few feet, give or take. I call hogwash on that!) Boris recognized my poor little 2 yo Red Star, Penny, from 30-40 yards away. She had barely emerged from hiding in the dog house on my deck when he spotted her and ran faster than I’ve ever seen a chicken run to “mate” her. In all his immaturity, he was standing solidly on her back, but was completely backwards. Ain’t nothing gonna come of that Big Boy.

Anyway, while the two cockerels were sequestered today, my other two, very good cockerels enjoyed a day to themselves along with their pullets/hens. It was this evening I noticed a new sounding crow. I turned to look, just to make sure my “favorite” boy and “head” cockerel, Duke the Welsummer, wasn’t crowing differently. Nope, it was Winnie, the backward SLW, with a full out crow. From 0 to 60 with one crow! Whaaaat?!? Yay, I was so proud of him. Then I noticed him doing a little dance around one of the pullets. My awkward little boy was certainly growing up fast.

Fast forward to 10-15 minutes before roosting. I had already closed up (to safeguard) my 4 hens in their coop and let out the two sequestered cockerels. I had all 23 of the nearly 18 week olds out around me feeding them a handful of treats before roosting when Boom Chocka Locka, Boris the NN, and Winnie the SLW, attaaaaacked my Welsummer cockerel. Whyyyy? Never has there been any aggression whatsoever among the boys. Three of them have shown submission (flapping their wings and moving/running away from him) to the Welsummer for quite some time. So what happened today? Did the SLW, who was at the bottom of the cockerel pecking order, suddenly grow balls (while the other two were sequestered) and decide to follow and attack once the NN began the hunt and subsequent knockdown of my Wellie? (I intervened and stopped the beat down. Not gonna happen on my watch! No injuries, except to my heart and his pride.)

My main concern is this: has the Sleeper Cell SLW become a bully now? The Welsummer is my chosen cockerel and will be the last roo standing, even if it means I have to cull all three others. I was hoping that the Wellie and the SLW would work well together with 25 hens between them. Please tell me there’s hope for this still. No, better yet, just tell me the honest truth.

Thank y’all so very much. I appreciate the answers of experience and wisdom!

 

[azygous]

Very, very entertaining tale! Cockerels are a hoot, but too many of them can wear you out very quickly. I wouldn't try to keep more than two, and it would really help if you can choose the two that seem to have their roles and ranks settled.

Your "Sleeper Cell SLW" may have been last in rank, but it's an option written into the Chicken Contract that each member of the flock is entitled to challenge any other member for their spot in the pecking order. A fight may ensue, but it can be very short and sweet as long as the one being challenged doesn't mind giving up their slot to the new young upstart.

I have two roosters, Strawberry and Tootsie Pop. Strawberry is three years older than the Toots who is one, being the father of the young one. Their roles have been predetermined over the past year. The older one will discipline the younger one for trying to mate a hen who doesn't wish it and screams in protest. However, lately Toots has been standing up to his pop and challenging him. Neck feathers flare ominously on both but neither ever touches the other, and Tootsie Pop always backs down or is chased off by Strawberry.

The two rooster have somehow divided the hens into two harems, each roo standing guard over his girls when out free-ranging. Today, both roos were snuggled up close to each other while enjoying a bachelor dirt bath without any responsibilities for hens.

This may be a model for how two roosters can get along with each other. Don't be in a big rush to get rid of the cockerels before you are able to see what sort of relationship each has with the others. It works much better if one has significant seniority. But others have reported having roosters brooded together being amicable. What you do not want is two roos that both believe they are the boss of the other, resulting in constant bloody war.

 

[RWise]

I myself would be concerned with the 2 that teamed up on 1. I have seen that here and my answer was to cull the 2 attackers. The one being attacked (now 2 YO) is on the flock now, makes very nice chicks, I am glad I kept this very calm boy!. He did get hurt, and has a scar from it, but I got there in time to save him.
Good luck with your choice.

 

[Mimi13]

So, day two began with me getting up before the crack of dawn to ensure bloody hell did not break loose in the coop before I usually would have gotten there at the opening of the door. I removed the two cockerels, NN and NHR, that were sequestered yesterday and put them back in the “bachelor pad.” It is not nighttime predator proof yet, but will be by the end of today. Those two, two of three “oops roos” I received, had already been scheduled for dispatch several weeks ago. One of the three really pushed the envelope and met his date with destiny a tad earlier.

The two cockerels I ordered, I ordered as paired sets. A male and female of each, the Welsummers and the Silver Laced Wyandottes, aka Duke and Duchess (namely Harry and Megan) and Winnie the Roo and Dotte too! And that’s how our chicken run began this morning, with just those two at the helm. I patiently waited in the wings watching for signs...of what, I was afraid. As it turned out, Winnie was the first to crow a couple of times. He then sauntered over Duke’s way (can’t you just picture a chicken sauntering?) and stopped just short of passing him. Pow! One peck to the head. Guh, guh, I couldn’t breath! Duke just stood there, then bam, he answered back, with a peck and a flog, which sent Winnie running.

I am hoping beyond hope that Winnie would not have taken part in the attack last night if the NN had not instigated it all. I don’t think fighting is in his nature, but I guess only time will tell.

We shall see how the day plays out today. They have not yet been turned out of the run, but will be shortly.

 

[azygous]

I love how you write!

 

[chickendreams24]

Lol as long as you are prepared to do what is necessary in the future I would keep both of them in the meantime.

You may need to give the ladies occasion breaks as the boys mature and free ranging will definitely help with their disagreements as well as their possible attempts at breeding. They have to establish the pecking order. I wouldn't interfere unless it becomes a danger to one or the other or both of them. If you interfere it will only go on longer and it's better they figure it out now than in a couple years when they have spurs.

It may be that the Wyandotte has really matured but was submissive to one of the other two cockerals. By taking them away the pecking order changed but would likely have continued to change for at least a month or so yet.

Love them some time and you may find one or the other is better with either the people or the hens. You may decide to cull one more cockeral later on or you may not.

 

[Mimi13]

Very, very entertaining tale! Cockerels are a hoot, but too many of them can wear you out very quickly. I wouldn't try to keep more than two, and it would really help if you can choose the two that seem to have their roles and ranks settled.

Your "Sleeper Cell SLW" may have been last in rank, but it's an option written into the Chicken Contract that each member of the flock is entitled to challenge any other member for their spot in the pecking order. A fight may ensue, but it can be very short and sweet as long as the one being challenged doesn't mind giving up their slot to the new young upstart.

I have two roosters, Strawberry and Tootsie Pop. Strawberry is three years older than the Toots who is one, being the father of the young one. Their roles have been predetermined over the past year. The older one will discipline the younger one for trying to mate a hen who doesn't wish it and screams in protest. However, lately Toots has been standing up to his pop and challenging him. Neck feathers flare ominously on both but neither ever touches the other, and Tootsie Pop always backs down or is chased off by Strawberry.

The two rooster have somehow divided the hens into two harems, each roo standing guard over his girls when out free-ranging. Today, both roos were snuggled up close to each other while enjoying a bachelor dirt bath without any responsibilities for hens.

This may be a model for how two roosters can get along with each other. Don't be in a big rush to get rid of the cockerels before you are able to see what sort of relationship each has with the others. It works much better if one has significant seniority. But others have reported having roosters brooded together being amicable. What you do not want is two roos that both believe they are the boss of the other, resulting in constant bloody war.

Thank you very much for your insight. You know, I don’t mind if my Wellie and SLW fight for top roo, or even if the SLW winds up being the dom roo, but I can’t stand the thought of a gang style beat down. It was my hopes that these two brood mates could live amicably. It is my intent to still shoot for this and hopefully be successful once the big old instigator is completely removed. I was hoping the two would be completely happy with their over abundance of females and each have their own harem. My goal for these two specific breeds was to breed the Wellie to his Wellie mate and also to my other three blue egg layers, CLB, Blue Ameraucana, and EE, to hatch several Olive Eggers. And then for the SLW, since they are my DH’s favorite breed, nothing other than to breed them together for more little SLW’s for him. That is, as long as all the planned breeding birds don’t have serious personality defects that I don’t want replicated. And so far everything looked good, until last night. But in the words of Barney Fife, we’re gonna “Nip it in the bud” by first and foremost getting rid of anything that shows any aggression.

 

[Mimi13]

Lol as long as you are prepared to do what is necessary in the future I would keep both of them in the meantime.

You may need to give the ladies occasion breaks as the boys mature and free ranging will definitely help with their disagreements as well as their possible attempts at breeding. They have to establish the pecking order. I wouldn't interfere unless it becomes a danger to one or the other or both of them. If you interfere it will only go on longer and it's better they figure it out now than in a couple years when they have spurs.

It may be that the Wyandotte has really matured but was submissive to one of the other two cockerals. By taking them away the pecking order changed but would likely have continued to change for at least a month or so yet.

Love them some time and you may find one or the other is better with either the people or the hens. You may decide to cull one more cockeral later on or you may not.

How is it that roosters know which pullet/hen is breedable? So far none of the cockerels have really tried to mount any of the underage pullets, only the hens. And so far I’ve seen that, of my four hens, one is a b****, two are too fluffy to mount (for beginners anyway) and the last one is just plain easy! And, I might add, these hens have never been around a male. It was humorous to watch my head hen, Biscuit the BO, throw the serial rapist like a bucking bronc would throw an inexperienced cowboy. Yep, she spun in circles, bucked up and down, and succeeded by throwing him to the ground. It’s too bad I’m not quick with my camera.

You hit the nail on the head about my removing the two males changing the pecking order. That certainly caused the Sleeper Cell SLW to “grow up” instantly yesterday. That is the only thing that makes any sense about yesterday’s fiasco. I now realize I absolutely cannot turn the other two out with the rest of the flock. By putting them apart, I changed the entire dynamic of the flock, which most likely caused the incident last night! Oh the things you'll learn keeping these wonderful things called chickens...and by reading all the insightful remarks on BYC. And I thank you for yours.