2 Roosters- to keep or not to keep??

[3KillerBs]

I’m assuming they would try to mate with their daughter??

Yes.

Chickens have no sense of family and freely breed with any available member of the opposite sex.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I've had roosters "team up" to manage the flocks. I say flocks, plural, because each will have their own harem of girls to watch over. When I let them out to range, they'll go to separate areas. When they are in the run together, there is some fussing as each maintains their place in the hierarchy. Once inside the coop, however, all is peaceful. This is so strange to me - you'd think they'd be fighting or fussing, but they do not.

Just my flock, though. Every flock and every rooster are different.

 

[ChickyWhicky]

Thanks! Do you keep them in the same coop at night? Or do they free range all the time? We have a large hawk population in our area so I don’t feel comfortable letting them free range for too long.

Yep, mine coop together at night. Have not seen any issues. They often roost together.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I’m assuming they would try to mate with their daughter??

Yes, they will.
I don't think the in-breeding is an issue with 1 generation, but into 2 or 3 generations.... problems can happen. At least that's how it is with cattle, or dogs or cats, but I don't know about chickens. It's why ranchers "rotate" or trade bulls every few years.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, they will.
I don't think the in-breeding is an issue with 1 generation, but into 2 or 3 generations.... problems can happen. At least that's how it is with cattle, or dogs or cats, but I don't know about chickens. It's why ranchers "rotate" or trade bulls every few years.

Chickens are reportedly more tolerant of inbreeding than many other animals, but a degree of care is called for over time.

 

[Mdavchicks]

I've had roosters "team up" to manage the flocks. I say flocks, plural, because each will have their own harem of girls to watch over. When I let them out to range, they'll go to separate areas. When they are in the run together, there is some fussing as each maintains their place in the hierarchy. Once inside the coop, however, all is peaceful. This is so strange to me - you'd think they'd be fighting or fussing, but they do not.

Just my flock, though. Every flock and every rooster are different.

This gives me hope! I’ll just have to wait and see but hoping my situation turns out like yours.

 

[Yardmom]

Thanks! Do you keep them in the same coop at night? Or do they free range all the time? We have a large hawk population in our area so I don’t feel comfortable letting them free range for too long.

My birds do go into coops at night. I actually have two coops with 4 roosters in one and 2 in the other. A dominant roo may chase a subordinate from the food. Sometimes a lower ranking rooster will stay on a roost while a dominant one eats, but after a bit they trade. No issues at all for night roosting. In the smaller coop the two roos often roost together. Those two were hatch mates

 

[Mdavchicks]

My birds do go into coops at night. I actually have two coops with 4 roosters in one and 2 in the other. A dominant roo may chase a subordinate from the food. Sometimes a lower ranking rooster will stay on a roost while a dominant one eats, but after a bit they trade. No issues at all for night roosting. In the smaller coop the two roos often roost together. Those two were hatch mates

Thanks for that! Hoping mine will continue to get along, they are hatch mates as well!

 

[Mrs. K]

You are kind of in the darling stage. Enjoy it. Be prepared with a plan B.

Can it work? Maybe, maybe not. A lot of roosters do not. In my experience I think it is the luck of the draw: I do think you get the best roosters in multi-generational flocks. I think you get the worst roosters in flock mate flocks, like what you have.

I think what you will see, is the cockerels will get bigger faster and mature much sooner than the pullets. They will be the biggest birds in the flock and often times become bullies, because they can have their way due to their size. They can make pullet's lives hell. You need to monitor your flock and always solve for peace in the flock.

This forum is filled with posts, where the darling becomes the nightmare in an instant. Inexperienced people often times do not pick up on the signs of approaching aggression. Most people vastly underestimate the violence a cockerel or rooster can cause.

So do be aware. Do know that their behavior today is NO indicator of their behavior tomorrow or next week. Being raised together has almost no influence on their later behavior. There really is no perfect way to raise roosters to guarantee a great boy, and there is no way to predict who will make a good rooster.

I hope you are one of the lucky ones, but IMO there is a real possibility that you will need to cull one or both of them.

Mrs K

 

[Mdavchicks]

Yikes but good to know! Is there information on the best way to cull a rooster on here? I want to be prepared if my situation doesn’t end up being the good one.

Also, is there information on here for signs to look for as far as aggression goes.

Thanks so much for your response, I really appreciate it!