Can I ask about the bachelor pad situation?

[sapphiresilkie7]

Looks like it’s been talked about a few times but every situation is a little different.
I had 4 silkie hens. So I got 10 silkie chicks this spring.
7 out of 10 are roosters.

They’re starting to lightly fight and then they move on and cuddle. I don’t want blood. I know I need to do something soon.
I’m having a very hard time posting them for rehoming as I’ve hand raised them all. So I’m looking into a bachelor pad situation which is going to cost some money so I have questions.
If the roosters are in a different pen- will they be ok seeing the hens through the fence or do they need to not be able to see them?
What about hear them?
Will they still act like I’m about to steal their best girl (if there are no hens?)
And lastly- are they more likely to get along because they all grew up together?

Thanks for reading! I appreciate your input.

 

[azygous]

Like people, chickens are not out of a single mold. Individuals emerge, and sometimes there are unpredictable consequences.

I haven't had nearly the numbers of cockerels you are dealing with, but I've experienced the two extremes - having two roosters that want to do nothing else but try to kill each other and two roosters that are coexisting as best buddies.

The two I had that devoted their time almost exclusively to trying to eliminate the other were brooder mates, raised together and treated identically. They would fight, with bloodshed, regardless of having access to the hens or even just seeing them through a fence. This tense situation was resolved only when one was killed by a thoughtless person's dogs.

The two roosters I have presently are one year apart in age, and they reside in their own coop and run adjacent to the main coop and run that is occupied by thirteen hens. They have mostly gotten along peacefully in the eight years they've been together.

When they were young, there were light skirmishes when both were mingling with the hens. Most of the time, I kept them apart from the hens, but they've always been able to see and talk to the hens through mesh partitions. The older one maintained his dominance until two years ago when the younger one challenged the older one and won a role reversal. This occurred when the two were out ranging without any hens being present. Since then, the two have returned to a peaceful coexistence.

Returning to my original statement that all chicken relationships are as varied as human relationships, you might gain some insight from my experiences with my own roosters. However, "your mileage may vary".

By the way, in the future you may want to avoid buying chicks from straight run offerings or select breeds with auto-sexing advantages.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like people, chickens are not out of a single mold. Individuals emerge, and sometimes there are unpredictable consequences.

Absolutely. Very strongly agree.

If the roosters are in a different pen- will they be ok seeing the hens through the fence or do they need to not be able to see them?
What about hear them?
Will they still act like I’m about to steal their best girl (if there are no hens?)
And lastly- are they more likely to get along because they all grew up together?

Sometimes. Sometimes not. My experience has been similar to Azygous's. Each chicken is an individual with its own behaviors. Each flock has its own dynamics. Those flock dynamics can change when you add or subtract a chicken. The only way to find out how it works is to try it.

I had a 15 week old cockerel kill a hatchmate. I've had multiple males get along fine when with the entire flock, including girls. I've had cockerels in a bachelor pad have no issues with the girls going up to the fence and inviting them out. I've had boys fight through a fence with no girls in the bachelor pad.

By the way, in the future you may want to avoid buying chicks from straight run offerings or select breeds with auto-sexing advantages.

When I hatch chicks they are as they hatch. I can't control sex. But when I buy chicks I buy the sex I want. That is not always 100% accurate but it is a lot better than straight run. I once got 7 pullets out of 7 chicks on a straight run order. I wanted a couple of boys. After that I just ordered what I wanted.