Anyone Keep Multiple Roosters Successfully?

[Aunt Angus]

Well, I am in the midst of integrating the 3 week old chicks into the flock. It's been in the 60s/70s, and the chicks are feathering out well. So far, so good. They are in the duck house (the ducks sleep with the chickens in the chicken coop). I put a large dog crate in front of the duck house so that the duck house opens into the crate. The result is a look-don't-touch situation. We'll see how it goes...

 

[Iowajones]

I have read lots of bad situations with multiple roosters. I just want to be as close to 100% sure as possible before I decide what to do.

I have an established flock of 8 hens, 3 laying pullets, and 1 rooster, mixed ages (8 months - 3.5 years).

I have two 2-week old chicks (a pullet and a cockerel) in the brooder.

I am expecting an order of 6 female chicks in early May. The final ratio would be 2 males:18 females.

I will have a 10x10 coop ready before the current 2 in the brooder are ready to go outside. I will also have a 1600+ sq ft yard for them. Free ranging is not possible here due to huuuuge predator load.

I would *like* to keep both males, but I know that invites a whole host of potential problems. And I want to do right by all the birds involved.

1) In your folks' experience, is that a big enough area to help alleviate issues?

2) is it even possible for 2 unrelated boys to cohabitate?

3) Would having separate coops help? I am not keen on building another, but I can, or I can try dividing the 10x10.

4) Or should I just rehome one of the males? (Full disclosure: I don't eat my chickens) I realize whoever gets one will probably turn him into soup.

Any advice/input would be hugely appreciated.

I tried keeping 2 roos. One is no longer with us. It was a disaster. I have 19 hens in about 2000+ sq ft. 8x12 building. The cruelty of bird on bird makes soup humane. Separate coops are a possibility but would you put an 18yr old in a cage at the playboy mansion? Just my rambling thoughts. Watch them close and be prepared with a large dog kennel should it take a bad turn. I don't want to relay my friends experience but chickens are cold blooded when it comes to dominance or eliminating the weak. Keep a good eye on the younger Roo. They will eat one another alive. Sorry that's gross but, true.

 

[Iowajones]

I have read lots of bad situations with multiple roosters. I just want to be as close to 100% sure as possible before I decide what to do.

I have an established flock of 8 hens, 3 laying pullets, and 1 rooster, mixed ages (8 months - 3.5 years).

I have two 2-week old chicks (a pullet and a cockerel) in the brooder.

I am expecting an order of 6 female chicks in early May. The final ratio would be 2 males:18 females.

I will have a 10x10 coop ready before the current 2 in the brooder are ready to go outside. I will also have a 1600+ sq ft yard for them. Free ranging is not possible here due to huuuuge predator load.

I would *like* to keep both males, but I know that invites a whole host of potential problems. And I want to do right by all the birds involved.

1) In your folks' experience, is that a big enough area to help alleviate issues?

2) is it even possible for 2 unrelated boys to cohabitate?

3) Would having separate coops help? I am not keen on building another, but I can, or I can try dividing the 10x10.

4) Or should I just rehome one of the males? (Full disclosure: I don't eat my chickens) I realize whoever gets one will probably turn him into soup.

Any advice/input would be hugely appreciated.

The breed matters greatly.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would rehome one of them with full disclosure. Not because of any of this stuff but because he is attacking you. Don't worry about doing the right thing for your chickens, do the right thing for yourself.

I may have found a taker for my rooster. I'm happy and sad.

*sigh*

I don't want him to die (he's just doing his job for his girls), but I know it's for the best.

IMO, it's better for long-term enjoyment of your chickens to get rid of any aggressive males. Not only are there plenty of boys out there who have no faults except that they are male in a flock that already has enough, but aggression can often be heritable.

That said,

In my current flock I have 21 hens with 2 males and they seem to be getting on well at this moment -- though with the younger one only 6 months old and thus not fully grown I can't be sure that will last.

Both males were brought up in the flock with, in Ludwig's case, older hens to enforce respect and, in Ramses's case, older hens and an older cockerel (Ludwig took a big-brotherly interest in the chicks when he was 5-6 months old and escorted them around protectively).

One thing that I think helps in my situation is that I have oversized facilities so that, even with avian flu lockdown, I *still* have 11 square feet per bird without access to the run.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I tried keeping 2 roos. One is no longer with us. It was a disaster. I have 19 hens in about 2000+ sq ft. 8x12 building. The cruelty of bird on bird makes soup humane. Separate coops are a possibility but would you put an 18yr old in a cage at the playboy mansion? Just my rambling thoughts. Watch them close and be prepared with a large dog kennel should it take a bad turn. I don't want to relay my friends experience but chickens are cold blooded when it comes to dominance or eliminating the weak. Keep a good eye on the younger Roo. They will eat one another alive. Sorry that's gross but, true.

I relayed elsewhere in the thread that I will keep them in separate coops in different areas of my property. So it will be a non-issue. Thank you for not sugar coating it, though. I appreciate the honesty!

 

[CatWhisperer]

I have 10 roosters in my flock of 27. They are so pretty. In my years of chicken keeping I’ve always had multiple roosters. The only people ‘aggressive’ one was a silkie. Not very aggressive and certainly not scary at all. My hens are all fine, no saddles needed. It may just be the breeds, but I think if more people didn’t get rid of all their roosters the boys would be too busy with each other to bother with people. I have 1 roo that occasionally gets chased but there is no fighting.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have 10 roosters in my flock of 27. They are so pretty. In my years of chicken keeping I’ve always had multiple roosters. The only people ‘aggressive’ one was a silkie. Not very aggressive and certainly not scary at all. My hens are all fine, no saddles needed. It may just be the breeds, but I think if more people didn’t get rid of all their roosters the boys would be too busy with each other to bother with people. I have 1 roo that occasionally gets chased but there is no fighting.

I really, really, really hope it works out as well for my flock.

Again, all of this gives me hope AND realistic expectations. I'm so glad I asked. Now I know better what the odds are, and I have a plan in case things don't work out.

 

[Granitestater]

Here's a different possible solution for those who don't want to take a roosters life, for whatever reason.
My avian veterinarian does "Lupron implants" into male birds, be it inside birds (like parrots, macaws, etc) or roosters! It suppresses testosterone and this is the drug used for human prostate cancer. It is a chemical sterilization for the bird. It is a slow release of the drug and lasts 12-18 mon. depending on size of bird and other factors. Believe she said this is method used for ferrets. Now it does not always work but sometimes does. For $250. and no anesthesia needed, a chance to have a peaceful backyard. Takes about 10 days to start seeing results. What do you all think of this?

 

[Brooklyn2012]

I've kept at least 12-15 roosters in my flock at once (I had a huge flock of hens to go with them) and I've never had issues. The only time I started having issues was when I hatched out too many and didn't rehome them fast enough. But it was mostly my black Sumatra mixes I had issues with. During breeding season those roosters are known to be aggressive towards other males of the same breed.
I have one jersey giant easter egger who is my head rooster and he always keeps annoying teenagers in line.

 

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

I’ve seen someone keep them separate and out of eyesight of the females. They were doing fine and their hormones weren’t bursting