Bachelor Flock in Turmoil

[GracieMeow]

Hello! Long story short, we accidentally got a straight run with our first set of babies and have 4 roosters in a bachelor flock. These boys have of course lived together since day one. They're nearly 9 months old now and have become increasingly violent with one another.

Before, there would occassionally be a scuffle or two but rarely drawing blood. We had a real bad snow storm weeks ago and brought them into the basement for a few days. The fighting slowly started just before going back outside, and since returning outside they have been fighting even more. I had to divide their run with chicken wire so it was 2 on one side and 2 on the other. Even now weeks later they try to fight through the chicken wire. How do I help repair their relationships and restore the flock?

 

[BoundlessLove]

Rehome or cull three of them.
Peace in the flock should be priority.

This is considering you have pullets, as well.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I suspect hormones are to blame at that age. Moving them to the basement also gave them the idea that their territory had changed and screwed up whatever pecking order they had going on. People with more rooster experience will know better. I have two roosters but they are free range during the day and share 20 hens. They sleep in separate areas but will occasionally scuffle during the day when the subordinate goes into the dominant rooster’s area.

 

[SourRoses]

Sorry, but there probably is no way to "fix it". They make their own choices. Fighting is second nature to roos, unless their genetics make them more mild.
When they get along, they can be like brothers.
When they don't get along, it's like prison survival.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I agree with culling/rehoming. Roosters can do a lot of damage to each other, so better to protect them from themselves. I’m sorry it started unraveling on you after the basement trip. I’ve had something similar happen, myself.

 

[chooki]

With an all rooster flock, there might be stages where the flock establish or re-establish the pecking order, especially if you have a mixed age group like mine.

This process might take a week to a few weeks, until the new pecking order is established. During this time, there will be fierce battles and they tend to be bloody, sometimes very bloody. This lasts until the loser(s) accepts the defeat and stops the challenges.

Your segregation will not stop this process, just prolong it.

My advice, if you want to keep all 4 cockerels:

1) Monitor their fights, make sure no one is seriously injured.

2) Give them a lot more space and hiding places where the defeated bird(s) can hide.

3) Be prepared to provide extra food places and safety roost spaces for defeated bird(s)

4) Separate your cockerel flock to be as far away from the pullets/hens as possible.

My rooster flock had a few bloody fights over the past 3 years and 2 major power reshuffles. None of my birds were killed during those fights, there were also no permanent injuries.

 

[chooki]

This is my rooster flock:

Some of them had major, very bloody fights before. Now 3 of them can sit in a pile again. The only exception is the formal head rooster - the light yellow one in the picture, he has been defeated 2 months ago and is still a bit wary of the others.

 

[GracieMeow]

With an all rooster flock, there might be stages where the flock establish or re-establish the pecking order, especially if you have a mixed age group like mine.

This process might take a week to a few weeks, until the new pecking order is established. During this time, there will be fierce battles and they tend to be bloody, sometimes very bloody. This lasts until the loser(s) accepts the defeat and stops the challenges.

Your segregation will not stop this process, just prolong it.

My advice, if you want to keep all 4 cockerels:

1) Monitor their fights, make sure no one is seriously injured.

2) Give them a lot more space and hiding places where the defeated bird(s) can hide.

3) Be prepared to provide extra food places and safety roost spaces for defeated bird(s)

4) Separate your cockerel flock to be as far away from the pullets/hens as possible.

My rooster flock had a few bloody fights over the past 3 years and 2 major power reshuffles. None of my birds were killed during those fights, there were also no permanent injuries.

This all super helpful information thank you so much!! Our roos are really great when it comes to their interactions with us humans, so silly and always happy to see us. We raised them with so much love and time with them. So I think that's what made the breakdown of their flock structure all the more heartbreaking. Definitely going to try all these tips thank you again