5 chicks turned out to be 3 roosters and 2 hens - What do I do?

[Aapomp831]

As long as they were raised together they will probably be ok. I have some multiple males in with females and no issues but if you do have issues then you will have to separate them once their hormones kick in. The problems I have had in the past with multiple males in with females is they will compete for the females and even try to mate with one female at the same time. One will jump on the female and a male see it then he will try to get on her too. Then I move the males to bachelor coops and pens.

I find this to be not true at all.... I’ve raised many, many roosters together and eventually they end up fighting. It’s better to be safe than sorry; all the times they happened it was out of the blue. Cuddled next to each other on the roost one night, pecking each other’s faces off the next day.

 

[Aapomp831]

Thank you all for the excellent advice. It’s a lot to think about. Everyone had different experiences. I’ll have to watch them and see how they seem.

A bachelor pad does sound like something of interest because thus far they all seem to be docile little guys (all bantam; part silkie).

Anyone dealt with bantam breeds in particular and silkies and silkie mixes? Are they more amenable together?

No. I had two bantam cocks raised together, they were fine for about 8 months and then suddenly tried to kill each other.

 

[Cazook]

with another 25 more pullets and a lot of space it may work

 

[sewingkitty1170]

I’ve grown out 5 chicks - 2 that I hatched and 3 that I got at 1 day old. They’re my first chickens and I’m very attached, and they’ve grown up together. They’re my pets, and they even lived in my room for most of their life to date.

Now that they’re older I’m starting to be able to tell which are roosters and which are hens. 2 have crowed already. And a third is also definitely a rooster. Two of them are almost certainly hens. All of the chicks are either silkies or silkie mixes, however, so I suppose I could always be surprised.

They all seem to be docile and get along. But I know they’re still young (less than 2 months). I was wondering if anyone had luck with raising a backward hen/rooster ratio like this if they were raised from birth. I’ve bonded with all of them and I’d hate to have to part with any. Three of them even imprinted pretty hard on me and used to follow my finger like ducklings. Those three have grown up to be lap chickens and just die for pets (they love to be pet!). Two of those three are roosters.

Again, if anyone has had success making a ratio like this work, I’m all ears.

Thank you so much for posting the thread!!! Looks like I'm going to have the same problem with my five chicks. I'm pretty sure I have two roos, which is heartbreaking because they are so friendly & curious right now. Mine are just 5 weeks old, and the two combs are popping up a little too quickly. Such a shame, they are going to be pretty EE roos.

 

[McChooky]

I’ve grown out 5 chicks - 2 that I hatched and 3 that I got at 1 day old. They’re my first chickens and I’m very attached, and they’ve grown up together. They’re my pets, and they even lived in my room for most of their life to date.

Now that they’re older I’m starting to be able to tell which are roosters and which are hens. 2 have crowed already. And a third is also definitely a rooster. Two of them are almost certainly hens. All of the chicks are either silkies or silkie mixes, however, so I suppose I could always be surprised.

They all seem to be docile and get along. But I know they’re still young (less than 2 months). I was wondering if anyone had luck with raising a backward hen/rooster ratio like this if they were raised from birth. I’ve bonded with all of them and I’d hate to have to part with any. Three of them even imprinted pretty hard on me and used to follow my finger like ducklings. Those three have grown up to be lap chickens and just die for pets (they love to be pet!). Two of those three are roosters.

Again, if anyone has had success making a ratio like this work, I’m all ears.

If and when you get a broody hen you can add a roo to your hen house to increase your flock. Meanwhile decide how to best separate the hens from the roos or they all will be fighting over the hens and the outcome won't be good for any of them.

 

[meepANDpeep]

Thank you so much for posting the thread!!! Looks like I'm going to have the same problem with my five chicks. I'm pretty sure I have two roos, which is heartbreaking because they are so friendly & curious right now. Mine are just 5 weeks old, and the two combs are popping up a little too quickly. Such a shame, they are going to be pretty EE roos.

If I find a solution that works, I'll let you know. I'm thinking of trying the bachelor pad and just rotating them with the ladies. I've read more and more that non-aggressive breeds with roosters raised together have a better shot at getting along. I'm not sure if EE are aggressive or not, but my little ones are all mixes and I'm hoping the silkie in them dominates their personality

 

[Cazook]

Thank you so much for posting the thread!!! Looks like I'm going to have the same problem with my five chicks. I'm pretty sure I have two roos, which is heartbreaking because they are so friendly & curious right now. Mine are just 5 weeks old, and the two combs are popping up a little too quickly. Such a shame, they are going to be pretty EE roos.

this happened to me first time I hatched... 3 pullets, 2 roos. I ended up getting another 7 rescue hens from a nearby farm (basically year/2yr old production breeds that were due to be culled). i would say it worked, but one of the roos ended up turning human-aggressive in the end

i've found multiple roos can live together fine as long as there's enough space and hens. it really depends on the individual personality of the roo though. that they grew up together usually helps, they seem to tolerate each other easier that way. my problem has never been with the roos being aggressive to each other (a bit of chasing seems to be it) but the hens/pullets getting over-bred.

 

[Fallenone05]

I would honestly play it safe and find your favorite boy, then rehome the others. It keeps them from any sort of fighting once their hormones kick in. I had a male separated from my females to quarantine but he did everything in his power to get over to them because he could hear them. I can't imagine what roosters would do to one another with females they can hear and see but can't access.

I know you love them now and it'll be hard to say goodbye, but what would be worse - separating them before they fight or stepping outside to find that they've been attacking each other since sunrise and are a bloody mess?

 

[PegDemetris]

I’ve grown out 5 chicks - 2 that I hatched and 3 that I got at 1 day old. They’re my first chickens and I’m very attached, and they’ve grown up together. They’re my pets, and they even lived in my room for most of their life to date.

Now that they’re older I’m starting to be able to tell which are roosters and which are hens. 2 have crowed already. And a third is also definitely a rooster. Two of them are almost certainly hens. All of the chicks are either silkies or silkie mixes, however, so I suppose I could always be surprised.

They all seem to be docile and get along. But I know they’re still young (less than 2 months). I was wondering if anyone had luck with raising a backward hen/rooster ratio like this if they were raised from birth. I’ve bonded with all of them and I’d hate to have to part with any. Three of them even imprinted pretty hard on me and used to follow my finger like ducklings. Those three have grown up to be lap chickens and just die for pets (they love to be pet!). Two of those three are roosters.

Again, if anyone has had success making a ratio like this work, I’m all ears.

Please take my advice. I had a clutch of 6. 4 roosters and 2 hens that hatched. I kept them together. As they began to mature, there didn't seem to be any issues at all. One morning, I went to let them out of the coop and into the run. Everyone was killed but one cockrel who did the killing. He even killed his sisters. I had him put down. I posted about it a few months ago, the day it happened. It was horrible.

Separate them!

 

[lv9777]

Please take my advice. I had a clutch of 6. 4 roosters and 2 hens that hatched. I kept them together. As they began to mature, there didn't seem to be any issues at all. One morning, I went to let them out of the coop and into the run. Everyone was killed but one cockrel who did the killing. He even killed his sisters. I had him put down. I posted about it a few months ago, the day it happened. It was horrible.

Separate them!

I currently have 3 roos, a runt and two adult hens after letting a broody hatch four eggs. My roos are 12 weeks old. Everyone is happy at the moment, but your story scares me. How old were your roos?
Rehoming roosters is not an easy task.