Before you make a bachelor pad, a cautionary tale.

[roosterhavoc]

My opinion is the advice regarding bachelor pads is based on erroneous assumptions.
In my experience fights (the serious ones) are not over hens.
The hens choose the roosters in the end. While a rooster may be able to force a hen to mate, particularly if the hen doesn’t have a rooster of her own, a rooster can’t make a hen live with him, follow him about, take the treats he finds, or even breed with him. A hen can abort unwanted sperm.
The roosters know this, so they have to attract the hens.
The roosters have it seems to me at least a separate hierarchy from the hens and often it seems this is based on access to resources. The rooster that can take his hens to the ‘best’ spots attracts hens.
So, having hens out of sight of the roosters seems to me to be a bit pointless. The roosters may still fight.

It’s called hormones. Depending on the breed of roosters and if they’re actually worth being called a rooster at all. Hens running loose in close proximity to a penned up bunch of roosters will absolutely cause more problems.

 

[centrarchid]

My opinion is the advice regarding bachelor pads is based on erroneous assumptions.
In my experience fights (the serious ones) are not over hens.
The hens choose the roosters in the end. While a rooster may be able to force a hen to mate, particularly if the hen doesn’t have a rooster of her own, a rooster can’t make a hen live with him, follow him about, take the treats he finds, or even breed with him. A hen can abort unwanted sperm.
The roosters know this, so they have to attract the hens.
The roosters have it seems to me at least a separate hierarchy from the hens and often it seems this is based on access to resources. The rooster that can take his hens to the ‘best’ spots attracts hens.
So, having hens out of sight of the roosters seems to me to be a bit pointless. The roosters may still fight.

Shadrach, you do not maintain bachelor pads based on your numerous postings. Your efforts are confusing people.

 

[centrarchid]

@roosterhavoc do you remember seeing a video linked showing a guy that could more game stags from one pen to another where they only fight when in a pen they are not from? Guys doing it where in south America and really knew how to push envelope with games.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My experience with a bachelor pad is somewhat limited. I typically raise several cockerels and pullets with my flock without issues, but every three of four years the cockerels get rowdy enough I separate them into my Grow-Out coop/pen, usually around a dozen cockerels. I normally keep them in there until they are maybe 23 weeks old, when I butcher them. That grow-out coop/run is right next to the main flock, only separated by a fence.

I very seldom see any fighting in there although the pullets tend to hang around outside that pen, they miss the boys. The very few fights I see are more like minor pecking order skirmishes, not the all-out flock dominance fights I see when they are out with the main flock. It's amazing how much they calm down even just across a fence from the pullets.

On the other hand, one year they were all ranging with the flock one cockerel took an intense dislike to another specific cockerel he grew up with. They were around 4 months old. He killed that other cockerel although they were not tightly confined. These were not games but were Buff Rocks.

 

[centrarchid]

My experience with a bachelor pad is somewhat limited. I typically raise several cockerels and pullets with my flock without issues, but every three of four years the cockerels get rowdy enough I separate them into my Grow-Out coop/pen, usually around a dozen cockerels. I normally keep them in there until they are maybe 23 weeks old, when I butcher them. That grow-out coop/run is right next to the main flock, only separated by a fence.

I very seldom see any fighting in there although the pullets tend to hang around outside that pen, they miss the boys. The very few fights I see are more like minor pecking order skirmishes, not the all-out flock dominance fights I see when they are out with the main flock. It's amazing how much they calm down even just across a fence from the pullets.

On the other hand, one year they were all ranging with the flock one cockerel took an intense dislike to another specific cockerel he grew up with. They were around 4 months old. He killed that other cockerel although they were not tightly confined. These were not games but were Buff Rocks.

I can keep groups of game stags / cockerels that are much more consistent in their inclinations for death matches. A moderator in the form of a cock (usually a game as well) is kept in the bachelor group. He engages the stags getting sassy before they commit to total war. The cock suppresses the aggression, seldom by actually attacking the stags. I can usually tell the day before and always the morning of when a serious battle will get under way. So can the cock and his work starts then.

 

[roosterhavoc]

@roosterhavoc do you remember seeing a video linked showing a guy that could more game stags from one pen to another where they only fight when in a pen they are not from? Guys doing it where in south America and really knew how to push envelope with games.

I’ve seen quite a lot of interesting stuff like that. In my own yard yesterday two brothers fine, another challenges. It’s a done deal. Same two brothers are fine today, the challenger not so much.