Adding a rooster to a flock that already has a rooster in it

[super roo]

We have 2 roos and 8 hens now, the dominate roo has all the ladies but one, he lets the younger roo have one girlfriend. Of course the young roo gets in trouble so times over the other girls. Such is life, LOL

 

[they'reHISchickens]

We have 5 different groups free ranging right now since we had 4 different hatchings this year.
Here's how it's shaking out: Warning: it's complicated.
Barney the roo is 1 year old and has been in charge of the adult ladies since April. He's a nice guy and we like him. Group 2 consists of 2 RIR hens and 2 splash orps that were all born in April but we still don't know if the orps are boys or girls. The one we thought was a girl sorta crowed this morning but the one that looks most like a boy by the comb is still silent. This group shares night lodgings with the adults but on lower levels. Group 3 is a mix of 3 white cochin banties (2m/1f),3 orps (1White F and 2 blacksM&F - we think) and Barney Jr. These were all broody hatched in mid May and have been freeranging with the others since birth. Barney Jr- a sample egg to see if Dad was fertile- is crowing. The white birds ( cochin and orp) hang out together and generally sleep with the adults , as does Barney Jr.
The black orps hang out with Group 4: 11 blue and black copper marans ( 4f/7m) that hatched in Mid June. The black ones sleep together in the teenage coop although tonight there is a white one in there too.
Group 5 (2 white orps and 8 black orps from early July)is in the maternity coop and will meet the outside this weekend. They have only been looking out the screen door so far.
And group 6 is only 2 weeks old and inside.

So, from this wild experience, we conclude that age AND color dictates how they will divide themselves. Even tho the white orp was hatched with the black ones, she always hangs around the white cochins. We have to look very closely to see which of our marans are actually the black orps which are 4 weeks older.
I'm very curious to see how Barney Sr. deals with the young roos coming along. So far he ignores them all.
I am thinking we will have to grow the roos into January to select the best for next year's breeding.
Oh, and space? They roam about an acre of ground with no fencing.