Can 2 roosters get along?

[Xenia's Chickens]

I bought a batch of "pullets" this spring and two of them turned out to be cockerels. One is a Barred Rock, the other a Silver-laced Wyandotte. They are now 16 weeks old and the Rock just started crowing. So far, so good. I can't free range them - the last 2 years predators killed nearly all of my chickens

and I've given up. Should I "re-home" one now, or just wait to see what happens?

 

[12 gauge]

how many pullets do you have?

 

[Xenia's Chickens]

7 pullets and an older hen (the only survivor of the fox attack last year. They have an 8' x 12' converted horse stall inside and a 16' x 12' outdoor run.

 

[12 gauge]

you want 8 to 10 hens per rooster so you may need to get rid of 1

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only reason you need a roster is if you want fertile eggs. Anything else is just personal preference. I always suggest people keep as few roosters as they can and still meet their personal goals. That’s not because you are guaranteed to have problems with more roosters, just that you are more likely to have problems with more roosters. Why do you want those roosters? If you are going to get rid of one or both now is a good time.

No one can tell you for certain how it will work out if you try to keep both cockerels. They may fight to the death. You might notice no violence at all. Most likely they will fight but work out an accommodation without serious injury. Your space for two cockerels is fairly tight though. The more room you have the better your chances of them working things out.

Many people keep flocks with a few roosters and a fairly bad hen to rooster ratio with no real problems. Other than having enough room a big key is that they are keeping hens and roosters, not pullets and cockerels. When pullets and cockerels go through puberty it often gets really rough, both on the cockerels and the pullets. You may be unusually lucky and not see much but usually that time is not for the faint of heart.

I don’t know your goals but I would suggest the right number of cockerels for you is either zero or one, certainly not two.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

It's ideal to have about 10 hens for 1 rooster, but if the two roos can get along, not over-mate the hens, and protect good, there should be no reason to get rid of 1. I currently have 2 that work out great with my flock of 19 hens. It's all about how the roos get along with each other, you, and the hens.

 

[Xenia's Chickens]

I don't mind having a rooster, as long as he isn't aggressive. I kind of like that "country music" in the morning. Chicks would be nice, too, if one of the hens is willing. A few years ago I had a RIR rooster that beat up the hens and attacked me whenever I annoyed him. He got the boot. The Barred Rock is considerably larger. Hopefully the Wyandotte will see the wisdom of being a subordinate.