For those of you that breed chickens and keep several roosters, how do you manage the roosters? Can they ever be kept together and get along with each other?
I am down to two breeds now, with 3 roosters. I am going to add another rooster soon, so that I have 2 of each breed.
I'm taking them out of the breeding pens now and want to turn them all out on pasture for the winter. I have a mobile coop, made out of a travel trailer, so it is roomy enough for most of them. I also have a coop up by the house, where I can keep one group. I close up the coops at night and they all free range during the day.
The Delaware roo was the first to be placed out in the pasture coop. A few days ago, I put one of the Dorking roos with one of his hens in that coop, at night. He was bloody & battered the next morning. Those two refuse to go back in the mobile coop at night. I locked the Delaware roo in a nest box during the past two nights but the Dorking pair still don't want to return to that coop. I have to chase, catch and put them in that coop at night.
Will these two roos ever learn to get along or is it impossible for roosters to get along with each other?
My best Dorking roo is up in the house coop with his group of hens. He gets along with the second Dork roo, but I don't want to have too many chickens up by the house because they end up on the deck, chairs etc. and make a mess.
I don't want to have my best roo out in the pasture coop because, even though the coop is secure, I worry about predators and I like to keep a closer eye on my best birds.
It's also very important to me that my chickens get to free range during the day. I felt bad about locking them up in breeding pens all summer but that was necessary. I'd really like for them to have some freedom during the winter. I don't want to always have the roosters locked up in pens.
How do you pro breeders manage having so many roosters? What is your set up? Do any of you free range roosters together when they are not being used for breeding?
Do you think there is any way that I can have 3 or even 2 roosters together in a my large mobile coop?
Thanks for any advice,
Kim
I am down to two breeds now, with 3 roosters. I am going to add another rooster soon, so that I have 2 of each breed.
I'm taking them out of the breeding pens now and want to turn them all out on pasture for the winter. I have a mobile coop, made out of a travel trailer, so it is roomy enough for most of them. I also have a coop up by the house, where I can keep one group. I close up the coops at night and they all free range during the day.
The Delaware roo was the first to be placed out in the pasture coop. A few days ago, I put one of the Dorking roos with one of his hens in that coop, at night. He was bloody & battered the next morning. Those two refuse to go back in the mobile coop at night. I locked the Delaware roo in a nest box during the past two nights but the Dorking pair still don't want to return to that coop. I have to chase, catch and put them in that coop at night.
Will these two roos ever learn to get along or is it impossible for roosters to get along with each other?
My best Dorking roo is up in the house coop with his group of hens. He gets along with the second Dork roo, but I don't want to have too many chickens up by the house because they end up on the deck, chairs etc. and make a mess.
I don't want to have my best roo out in the pasture coop because, even though the coop is secure, I worry about predators and I like to keep a closer eye on my best birds.
It's also very important to me that my chickens get to free range during the day. I felt bad about locking them up in breeding pens all summer but that was necessary. I'd really like for them to have some freedom during the winter. I don't want to always have the roosters locked up in pens.
How do you pro breeders manage having so many roosters? What is your set up? Do any of you free range roosters together when they are not being used for breeding?
Do you think there is any way that I can have 3 or even 2 roosters together in a my large mobile coop?
Thanks for any advice,
Kim
