a new rooster

[leghorn890]

so I have 13 hens and one rooster at the moment and I was thinking on getting a new rooster but im afraid they might fight to the death! or would they? would they establish whose boss and leave it at that? any feedback is much appreciated

 

[sourland]

It is very difficult to introduce an adult rooster to an established flock. Given enough space (think free range) it might eventually work, but getting there will most likely not be pleasant.

 

[leghorn890]

It is very difficult to introduce an adult rooster to an established flock.  Given enough space (think free range) it might eventually work, but getting there will most likely not be pleasant. 

Ok thanks ! But just wondering what if you bought them at the same time and they will be free ranging

 

[sourland]

That's a significantly different situation. The second situation is generally more workable. Two roosters raised together are more likely to work out a hierarchy in the flock. Also a 'hen reared' cockerel in the flock is more likely to 'know his place'.

 

[speckledhen]

And some roosters won't share, even with sons raised up in the flock with them. My own 6 year old Delaware rooster is fine with his juvenile sons in the flock until they begin mating the hens. He's already killed one who was starting to surpass him in size and a few weeks ago, almost killed another one who had been living with him for months. I'd never dream of bringing in an outside rooster with this guy or even with his son in the coop/pen next door to him. He doesn't share, either.

 

[sourland]

It's all about assuring that their genes get to carry on.

 

[speckledhen]

These really want to make sure, apparently. Some will allow a second in command, but not Isaac or Rex.

 

[enola]

I have roosters that tolerate other roosters, also. And like you mentioned they are fine until the other rooster wants to mate the hens. This becomes very stressful for the hens. Valentino spends all of his time herding his hens into a group to 'protect' them from the other roosters. He doesn't take time to eat. The hens don't eat because they are herded around because of his jealousy. Egg production goes way down. Think twice before you try to get two roosters to share hens. Sometimes the plan works, but when it doesn't work it can get really ugly, really fast. My solution to this problem is putting all cockerels in a pen where they can not see the hens.

 

[centrarchid]

You can do it with most non-game roosters but it will be a headache. My first approach would either to bust up existing flock into two roughly equal flocks with respect to hens and make so they have separate roosting quarters and areas to free-range. Flocks would need to be confined separately for a few days to ensure imprinting on respective roost sites and their will likely be some scrapping upon release of flocks, possibly involving hens as well. I do this with my American Dominique flocks each spring but I also also have several acres that at structurally complex. Second approach would be to rotate roosters so that one is always confined in a location the other can not get to. This do with games. Third is to get more than one additional rooster and make introduction in a neutral location where you can control the scrapping. To prevent major damage I would interfere directly with the scrappers by suppressing their attacks. This done with American Dominiques when hen: rooster ratio is low where more males is better. I also employ this with fish that have similar problems when male abundance is lower than natural. Thirteen and even 6 hens to one rooster is not natural.

 

[leghorn890]

That's a significantly different situation.  The second situation is generally more workable.  Two roosters raised together are more likely to work out a hierarchy in  the flock.  Also a 'hen reared' cockerel in the flock is more likely to 'know his place'. 

Thanks for all the feedback guys but what if you bought 2 roosters at the same time but one of them was a bantam rooster would they still fight? Or would the large fowl rooster not touch the bantam rooster?