Add 2 roosters or 1 roo and 1 cockerel?

[sahmhomesteader]

I am getting rid of an aggressive 12.5 week old EE cockerel. I have the option to add a 2 yr old EE roo and a barred rock roo of the same age. Or I could take the 2 yr old EE roo and try raising another male chick. I have a 3 yr old son and a 1 yr old son running around while the chickens are free ranging. The two adult roos have not shown aggression to the current owners grandchildren.

Is one of these the better option? I didn't know if adding 2 adult roos to a flock is asking for drama or not. They are housed together with a 3rd EE roo right now plus all their ladies. Thanks!

 

[iwiw60]

I am getting rid of an aggressive 12.5 week old EE cockerel. I have the option to add a 2 yr old EE roo and a barred rock roo of the same age. Or I could take the 2 yr old EE roo and try raising another male chick. I have a 3 yr old son and a 1 yr old son running around while the chickens are free ranging. The two adult roos have not shown aggression to the current owners grandchildren.

Is one of these the better option? I didn't know if adding 2 adult roos to a flock is asking for drama or not. They are housed together with a 3rd EE roo right now plus all their ladies. Thanks!

You don't state how many hens you have...you'd have to have a large flock to warrant 2 roos at all.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

You don't state how many hens you have...you'd have to have a large flock to warrant 2 roos at all.

So sorry. I have 6 hens right now. I have 14 12.5 week pullets. So I will have 20 hens when the pullets reach maturity. I was worried that might be too many for 1 roo to look after, and he might be stressed? Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[bobbi-j]

If you can keep the adults and young ones separate for awhile, it might work to put the adult rooster in with your current hens, and the cockerel in with your pullets so they can each establish their flocks. Free ranging might help with the male squabbles that will likely happen when they are eventually combined. Just a thought. I think that no matter what the age, the two males will eventually square off.

PS - Glad you're getting rid of the aggressive one.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

If you can keep the adults and young ones separate for awhile, it might work to put the adult rooster in with your current hens, and the cockerel in with your pullets so they can each establish their flocks. Free ranging might help with the male squabbles that will likely happen when they are eventually combined. Just a thought. I think that no matter what the age, the two males will eventually square off. 

PS - Glad you're getting rid of the aggressive one.

I had a quick thought today that maybe I would try to train him again...but then he ran at me, and flew at my son (no contact). I put him straight down on the ground after that, and held him there for fifteen minutes. My sons went inside but I went and watered my garden. Every time I would walk away he would start running behind me. I would turn around and he would immediately lay down, but it just proved to me that I 100% cannot trust him. He may get caged separately for a few weeks until he is a little bigger, and then he will be dinner or I may just do it in the next few days. I haven't decided yet.

 

[LindaB220]

I had a quick thought today that maybe I would try to train him again...but then he ran at me, and flew at my son (no contact). I put him straight down on the ground after that, and held him there for fifteen minutes. My sons went inside but I went and watered my garden. Every time I would walk away he would start running behind me. I would turn around and he would immediately lay down, but it just proved to me that I 100% cannot trust him. He may get caged separately for a few weeks until he is a little bigger, and then he will be dinner or I may just do it in the next few days. I haven't decided yet.

Sounds like you have an answer to me. Get rid of him. Stew is nice.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

Sounds like you have an answer to me.   Get rid of him.    Stew is nice.

Yep he is toast. The adult roos that are available to me have never shown aggression. So now just to decide if I get one and a chick or two adult roos...

 

[donrae]

One rooster won't be stressed out at all by 20 hens. I'd just go with one adult rooster and not keep any cockerels for a year or two, until your'e ready to replace the mature guy. Two roosters just causes issues most of the time, and if you happen to lose one, they're very easy to replace.

 

[sahmhomesteader]

One rooster won't be stressed out at all by 20 hens. I'd just go with one adult rooster and not keep any cockerels for a year or two, until your'e ready to replace the mature guy. Two roosters just causes issues most of the time, and if you happen to lose one, they're very easy to replace. 

I had no idea. I thought with free ranging he wouldn't be able to keep track of all those girls. Thanks!

Right now the guy I am adopting is peacefully living with 2 othet roosters, 13 hens, and a bunch of pullets and cockerels. They don't fight! I thought that was pretty crazy. But the hens are torn up from all the mating which is why he is being rehomed. He is a beautiful guy!

 

[donrae]

He is quite the beauty!

I've had decent luck with roosters and cockerels living together with no or minimal fighting, but yeah the hens can look pretty rough.

I guess some of it will depend on how much your birds scatter while they range. Some flocks stay together, some spread out. He might keep them tighter, or just go back and forth checking on different groups.