Any Chance??

[sadierae]

Is there any chance these 2 guys will continue to get along? I have 2 cinnamon queen hens and these 2 roosters. My husband is planning to start building the bachelors pan next week because the Plymouth Rock is getting HUGE and his feet are starting to turn red. The other roo is getting impressive spurs but is clearly MuCH smaller than Rock. I’m just asking if it’s possible for them to continue to live in harmony. I hate to separate them because they have all been together since fluff.

 

[MarkJr]

The cockerels may get along just fine. My concern would be all the attention the females get.

 

[MarkJr]

All you can do is observe and adjust.

 

[black_cat]

The cockerels will get along just fine on their own. My concern is also the females-if I were to have two roos I would have at least 20 girls. That doesn't apply to bachelor pads, obviously. Roos will fight over the hens, and females will get stressed and overmated.

 

[sadierae]

The cockerels may get along just fine. My concern would be all the attention the females get.

The girls are starting to get a bit of attention. If I separate the roosters, will I ever be able to let them free range in the evenings all together? Should I let one Roo free range with the hens at a time? Right now, they are let out about 2 hours before sundown to run around and are fed snacks. I’m really thinking I should have gotten sexed chicks .

 

[black_cat]

The girls are starting to get a bit of attention. If I separate the roosters, will I ever be able to let them free range in the evenings all together? Should I let one Roo free range with the hens at a time? Right now, they are let out about 2 hours before sundown to run around and are fed snacks. I’m really thinking I should have gotten sexed chicks .

I personally would free range them separately, but I am not an expert on the subject.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I agree. Each bird varies according to their own personality. I have a Bachelor pad and they fight occasionally but it's only when the pecking order is getting rearranged. Otherwise, they do fine together. I haven't been successful in adding more cockerels but the ones that have been together since hatch, tend to do well in their own bachelor pad. I'm not saying that adding more is impossible, just that I haven't had luck doing it. Each birds personality is the biggest factor here, in my experience

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I do not free range my roosters/cockerels with my pullets/hens, especially if the boys spend their days away from/separated from the girls. Mating is the ONLY thing on their mind because they haven't been able to get to the girls all day. They may protect somewhat, but in my flock, predators aren't the first thing on their minds. They have tons of land to roam, but the boys just harass my girls way too much to enjoy their time

 

[sadierae]

All you can do is observe and adjust.

Do you think that the Plymouth Rock rooster is supposed to be that much bigger than the others? I’m not sure if it’s just his breed or if he is dominant and stunting everyone’s growth. They are all the same age.

 

[black_cat]

Do you think that the Plymouth Rock rooster is supposed to be that much bigger than the others? I’m not sure if it’s just his breed or if he is dominant and stunting everyone’s growth. They are all the same age.

Rocks are dual purpose, so the hens and roos are quite large for butchering. I've never heard of a dominant chicken stunting the growth of the others.