Can 3 cockerels live peacefully together?

[Backyard Bruce]

Yeah I’ll probably end up with one, probably best for harmony within the flock.

 

[CannedMonster]

The little face off I witnessed was probably just the start of them fighting.... Gna seriously look into getting 2 of them a home. Too bad, they r gorgeous

I feel you!
I have 3 NN boys that are 3 months old and I’m trying to keep all of them.
Mainly because all three are beautiful.
The two top boys dominate the 3rd one quite a bit and my bantam Cochin cockerel as well.
Interestingly, the top two a pretty evenly matched but I know Conan is #1 and Loki is #2.
Most of the time they hang out together peacefully.
And you’re right...nobody wants cockerels!
And I don’t want them in someone’s freezer. I mean, if it came to that I’d eat them myself.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

With enough room and with enough hens there should be no problem, but it may take from 10 to 40 hens per cockerel and up to 5 acres per rooster before that happens. It'll also be easier if there are 3 separate coops, runs, or roosting areas so that each cockerel has his own kingdom to rule over. In the end only your roosters know when they'll be satisfied.

 

[CannedMonster]

Well in that case I’ll have to choose one.
Because my coop will only house 15-18 and that’s only 5 hens for each roo.
And my property is a half acre.

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I have and always will have more then 1 rooster. I need a "back up" rooster, which has happened where the 2nd rooster stepped in to assist once the 1st rooster was lost in an attack. I have seen problems with roosters and I have had grown boys live in harmony without ever fighting. I think it greatly depends on breeding and also temperament. EX: I was told Australorp roosters are vicious. I owned 2 roosters at the time one being an Australorp and never had one issue between them, me, the dogs, etc.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Those figures are from my experience of 50 years with game fowl. However the same dynamic works for all chickens. Furthermore on commercial hatching egg farms 100s or even 1,000 of hens and roosters may be housed together at the ratio of 1 rooster per 5 hens but chickens are unable to recognize more than 100 fellow chickens so they are confused about who is who or which rooster is which, and then the pecking order becomes so compromised that no one knows who they are allowed to fight or peck.

But in almost every situation one rooster will rule the roost and the under-study rooster will not generally breed a hen in the presence or sight of the alpha rooster except at the risk of grave bodily harm.

 

[llombardo]

In the same situation with 2 roosters, but I only have 6 hens and right now 4 of those hens are not out there yet. The two fought one time. It was within a minute of putting them outside the first time. I broke that up. Then for a few days the one was challenging the other, that has almost completely stopped. Then they wouldn't stop crowing, got the collars and that us under control. Now the one rooster has gone conpletely into a hormonal phase. The girls are running for dear life. It gets bad in the evening right before bed. Second rooster has stepped between first rooster and stopped him. Last night all the ruckus caused my dogs to go crazy, one redirected in another but I got there first. When I went outside one of the roosters and the girl were in with the ducks--he chased her in there through a small opening in the netting. Then the duck decided oh a girl--stopped that real fast. So now I think I'm making a seperate area about 4x8 for both roosters. I think they can live together peacefully without girls. But it will take me a coue months to get that done.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Some times a hen-less coop or run works and other times a hen-less coop or run fails. A hen-less coop or run works best however if there are no hens or pullets within hearing or within sight and you may need to keep a big mature & powerful cock in your pen who can from time to time can knock the snot out of the uppity young roosters and maybe use both of them for a girl friend as well. Then you'll have what we humans like to think of as peace.

 

[Momma*chicken]

Well as far as getting another coop, that's out of the question. We spent 2 wks building our current one, and r still putting some finishing touches on it. Guess, we'll have to just wait it out

 

[SueT]

Do you mean the cockerels are Mille Fleur D'Uccles? I don't think that would be the best choice to protect a flock.
I ended up w 3 cockerels this year. I sold 2 at the poultry swap at 3, then 4 months of age due to too much chaos. The lower ranking boys didn't fight back with the dominant one, but they'd try to get away with mating attempts and there'd be reckless high speed chases. The pullets were being harassed continually. As I said, chaos. Now there's peace in the valley. Nine ladies of various ages to one very responsible and diligent 6 month cockerel.