3 roosters - 1 rooster = happy coop?

[Lauren4868]

I am glad you reported back. They don't call it cockfighting for nothing. Some work it out, but I think it is more of a time bomb waiting to go off and one never really knows when it will go.

Mrs K

I think you're right. I'm pretty new to all of this (4 years). I was just very caught off guard when we went from coop bliss to total chaos within a matter of 24 hours.
This forum has provided me with so much knowledge. I hope that if anyone has a similar situation, they read this and proceed however they feel but with a little more insight.

 

[Charlotteandfriends]

I think you're right. I'm going to give that a try. I really would like to be able to keep both roosters. Fingers crossed!
I'll be sure to update in a few weeks.

Poor baby! I had the same problem with my roosters but I didn't cull them! I would never! I don't think anyone should cull their roosters unless they are severely injured and unable to survive. I rehomed three of my roosters to a chicken rescue near me and to this day, they are having a happy life with their other rooster friends! Please, on behalf of all our sweet chicken babies, don't cull unwanted roosters... It's just their nature... They don't deserve it...

 

[Lauren4868]

Poor baby! I had the same problem with my roosters but I didn't cull them! I would never! I don't think anyone should cull their roosters unless they are severely injured and unable to survive. I rehomed three of my roosters to a chicken rescue near me and to this day, they are having a happy life with their other rooster friends! Please, on behalf of all our sweet chicken babies, don't cull unwanted roosters... It's just their nature... They don't deserve it...

You're correct in saying it's just their nature. And nature is a cruel beast.
The world of chickens seems to be the cruelest!
You are horribly wrong when you say that I culled him today because he was "unwanted". He was wanted. He was loved. He was snuggled. He was my daughter's pride and joy for 3 years. He was her most beloved out of all of our chickens. Today was devastating for our family and I cannot express that enough.
Unfortunately the reality of having roosters means things can go wrong, especially when you're keeping multiples in a flock. If he was "unwanted" I wouldn't have reached out to members of this forum. I asked for advice because I care.

I would suggest that you be mindful of your posts on here. No one is looking for advice to better a difficult situation if they didn't care and you could be making a horrible situation even worse by adding your two cents after the fact. Please refrain from doing this in the future.

 

[Mrs. K]

Lauren - you did the right thing. People who care for animals have to make tough decisions and you did make the right one.

 

[Jtaranc]

Poor baby! I had the same problem with my roosters but I didn't cull them! I would never! I don't think anyone should cull their roosters unless they are severely injured and unable to survive. I rehomed three of my roosters to a chicken rescue near me and to this day, they are having a happy life with their other rooster friends! Please, on behalf of all our sweet chicken babies, don't cull unwanted roosters... It's just their nature... They don't deserve it...

I allowed a rooster I raised to attack me for months unprovoked and then he got me one day when I was bending over and I needed 12 stitches next to my EYE. I culled him and wished I had done it sooner.

Not every rooster is sweet, cuddly and manageable. I almost lost an eye because I felt like you do and now I see how ridiculous it was.

 

[5OneChick]

Update
I want to start this by saying thank you to sourland for their advice. If there would have been a chance of creating a balanced coop again, the advice that I was given was the best way to approach this difficult situation when you want are motivated to keep multiple roosters.
Unfortunately things didn't work out. I put the younger/aggressor rooster back in the coop late lastnight. I also put out a treat block in the hopes of distracting the 2 boys from fighting in the morning. It didn't deter, nor help the situation at all. In all honesty, the fighting was worse than before. The older/head rooster was more motivated to win the fight this time. No one was backing down.
I had to make a choice and it wasn't something that I took lightly. There is nothing harder to do than feeling forced to chose between 2 pets that you've come to love over the years.

I hope that anyone having a similar issue reads this and I hope that you can create peace inside of your coop again. If you love them, it's always worth a shot and I don't want my experience to deter you.

Lauren - you did the right thing. People who care for animals have to make tough decisions and you did make the right one.

I think you're right. I'm pretty new to all of this (4 years). I was just very caught off guard when we went from coop bliss to total chaos within a matter of 24 hours.
This forum has provided me with so much knowledge. I hope that if anyone has a similar situation, they read this and proceed however they feel but with a little more insight.

Agree, this forum has been a great support to help us newbies (1 year for me).
Thanks for your update and sharing your experience. Clearly you gave much thought and energy into the best interest of your family’s flock.
Recently we had to rehome the one rooster (out of 3) we initially decided to keep. Not an easy decision. He was almost a year old. After months of repeated unprovoked attacks from behind, attacking our grandson, and attacking the silkies, (he was a standard breed size, and quite handsome) we decided he couldn’t stay. It took at least 4 months to find someone to take him. Need be, I was prepared to pay to have him humanely culled rather than ditching him on the side of the road to starve or to be coyote bait.
I miss the crowing but do not miss having to walk around the yard with a stick.

 

[Lauren4868]

Agree, this forum has been a great support to help us newbies (1 year for me).
Thanks for your update and sharing your experience. Clearly you gave much thought and energy into the best interest of your family’s flock.
Recently we had to rehome the one rooster (out of 3) we initially decided to keep. Not an easy decision. He was almost a year old. After months of repeated unprovoked attacks from behind, attacking our grandson, and attacking the silkies, (he was a standard breed size, and quite handsome) we decided he couldn’t stay. It took at least 4 months to find someone to take him. Need be, I was prepared to pay to have him humanely culled rather than ditching him on the side of the road to starve or to be coyote bait.
I miss the crowing but do not miss having to walk around the yard with a stick.

This thread has become so much more than I imagined.
I appreciate the stories being shared and the advice/support going around. I read it all and it makes raising/caring for chickens a little easier.

I, like alot of people have found homes for roosters that we couldn't keep and even then, it didn't end well.

I purchased a straight run of Cochins, 3 were roos. I found a loving home for 1 and another home for the other 2 (all 3 were adopted out to fantastic homes) when they were 3 months old.

Roo #1- Two years later I was contacted by the woman because she was getting a divorce and couldn't keep any of her chickens. She loved them. I couldn't take him back because I couldn't put a two year old rooster into my flock with other mature males. She had no choice but to move into a city.

Roos #2- Two roos that were like dogs for the first year. They even ventured into the house, they were so sweet. Then the owner got a flock of hens and introduced the two roosters and all hell broke loose. They became very aggressive, defending their flock to anyone that came near. They were friendly until they got hens.

You can do your best- rehome, try harder, learn more, love harder..
I appreciate all that has been shared here.

 

[Ilovechickens2525]

Update
I want to start this by saying thank you to sourland for their advice. If there would have been a chance of creating a balanced coop again, the advice that I was given was the best way to approach this difficult situation when you want are motivated to keep multiple roosters.
Unfortunately things didn't work out. I put the younger/aggressor rooster back in the coop late lastnight. I also put out a treat block in the hopes of distracting the 2 boys from fighting in the morning. It didn't deter, nor help the situation at all. In all honesty, the fighting was worse than before. The older/head rooster was more motivated to win the fight this time. No one was backing down.
I had to make a choice and it wasn't something that I took lightly. There is nothing harder to do than feeling forced to chose between 2 pets that you've come to love over the years.

I hope that anyone having a similar issue reads this and I hope that you can create peace inside of your coop again. If you love them, it's always worth a shot and I don't want my experience to deter you.

That must have been so hard on you, I’m so sorry to hear it worked out this way. I feel for you we had to rehome a couple roosters, one was my sons favourite. It was so hard!

 

[skeeeter]

Hi, I know it was rough, and perhaps you had no other options because of space issues. I just wanted to say that another option could be: just separate the roosters permanently. Folks do keep roosters tethered to a small shelter, here down south. You know, like some people will chain a dog to his house.The hens are free to choose with whom they will associate and no one gets beat up that way. Actually, the ideal thing to do, if one wants hatching eggs, is to have "breeding pens". Pens large enough for a trio, swapping out hens occasionally if you'd want him to be with ones other than those two only.
You gotta get more cochins, they are sooo nice. = }