Can I keep two roosters with thirteen hens

[Abriana]

so I have a cockerel named chickie. When he hatched, I thought he was a hen, but he wasn’t, and he was the only one to hatch. I knew I’d have to rehome him, so I didn’t give him a name. I referred to him as the chick, and soon affectionately as chickie and it stuck. He is six months old and the sweetest thing you’ll ever meet. He asks to be picked up, he follows bantam his mama around and runs with his head down and butt in the air which is tooooooo cute. He trusts me and I love him and I just can’t give him up. So here is my plan, i keep young chickiedoodles in the run until his crazy cockerel stage has passed (hasn’t even started at all yet) and then I use a nail file and keep his Spurs real short. Then I duct tape my grown cocks Spurs so he can’t hurt him. Chickie is very submissive and I don’t think Napoleon will attack him. But I wanted to ask about this here.
Also how old is too old to be castrated?

 

[azygous]

It's called caponize when you neuter a rooster, and the operation is somewhat precarious due to the location of the testicles. Your roo may not survive it.

An easier plan is to allow one roo to have access to the hens and keep the other one segregated. One roo with thirteen hens is just about perfect. Two roos with that many hens, and they will wear the girls out, stress them out, and possibly affect health and well being, and egg production could also suffer.

I recently acquired an accidental roo. He's seven months old and in full hormonal rush. His daddy is also catching the spring flow of his hormones, and between the two, my crew of twenty-one hens are being constantly under siege. So junior spends a good part of the day outside the run doing his own solitary thing, and spying on the flock inside. He gets to be in the flock for a few hours each afternoon, so he's pretty content.

This system has worked very well for my flock when I find myself with two roosters. In the past, I've had to give away the excess cockerels to keep the male population at a barely manageable two birds.

And one last tip. Your adorable chickie-boy may undergo a surprising and unexpected personality change when he comes into his hormones. Try to be prepared.

 

[Abriana]

It's called caponize when you neuter a rooster, and the operation is somewhat precarious due to the location of the testicles. Your roo may not survive it.

An easier plan is to allow one roo to have access to the hens and keep the other one segregated. One roo with thirteen hens is just about perfect. Two roos with that many hens, and they will wear the girls out, stress them out, and possibly affect health and well being, and egg production could also suffer.

I recently acquired an accidental roo. He's seven months old and in full hormonal rush. His daddy is also catching the spring flow of his hormones, and between the two, my crew of twenty-one hens are being constantly under siege. So junior spends a good part of the day outside the run doing his own solitary thing, and spying on the flock inside. He gets to be in the flock for a few hours each afternoon, so he's pretty content.

This system has worked very well for my flock when I find myself with two roosters. In the past, I've had to give away the excess cockerels to keep the male population at a barely manageable two birds.

And one last tip. Your adorable chickie-boy may undergo a surprising and unexpected personality change when he comes into his hormones. Try to be prepared.

Ah ok. I wouldn’t want to risk death.
Yeah this is what I’ve been thinking. I don’t have a big run for them all unfortunately so that won’t work for me.
I am. Everyday I test him to see if he’s getting aggressive, cuz his daddy is. But his mama (an EE hen, but my bantam adopted the egg) is sweet so maybe he’ll get her genes? About what age do cockerels get aggressive?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

If the young bird is submissive enough then he can live in peace with the older bird. At least as long as he shows the older bird the proper level of respect & submission. The problem is that all youngsters find it difficult (I know I did) to keep their opinions to themselves. In that case all heck may break out at anytime.

 

[Abriana]

If the young bird is submissive enough then he can live in peace with the older bird. At least as long as he shows the older bird the proper level of respect & submission. The problem is that all youngsters find it difficult (I know I did) to keep their opinions to themselves. In that case all heck may break out at anytime.

What about mating wise? Will the older bird get angry that he’s mating the hens? I know my ratio isn’t too good. I’m getting three ducks in the spring. What if I put him in with the ducks? No drake BTW.

 

[Saaniya]

I've 2 pet roos but I don't have hens
I wonder if they fought with ur hens

 

[Mrs. K]

Really I don't think your duck tape, and filing will be any solution. If they fight, they will still cause a lot of stress on each other, and there will be a lot of tension in the flock. Think about living with two much bigger men, constantly on the fight, it would make you sick, and often does the hens too.

If there is a problem, they may settle it, and that will be it. Not real likely, but once I did have a pair of roosters, a father/son and it was not a problem. Some roosters may fight every chance they get.

If you keep them, you need a plan be set up and ready to go. Such as a dog crate and a five foot handle fish net so that you can separate the birds. At that time, one of the birds should go.

You did mention that you were rather short of space, if so, that is more than likely going to make the problem worse. If you like the younger rooster better, cull the older rooster. If you are really short of space, cull both of them.

There is a lot of posts, where the darling chick becomes the nightmare, as they have no fear of humans. His sitting on your lap is an act of dominance for him. I would not be surprised if he does get aggressive. They are not like puppies, where if you are good to them, they are good to you. Chickens equate a bit of fear with respect of space. They protect their space. If they can invade another birds space, they are higher on the pecking order. What you see as friendly, is an invasion of your space.

Mrs K

 

[azygous]

If Chickie is four months or older, he is developing his homones as we speak. Look on the backs of his legs. If you see a red stripe going up the legs, he's getting hormones.

Hormones affect cockerels differently according to their genetic temperament. You really won't know what to expect until you watch things unfold in real time.

As Mrs K pointed out, father and son roos will generally get along fine, the older disciplining the younger and keeping him in line. I have a father/son pair right now and they get along splendidly until the young Romeo gets too rough with the girls. Then his dad flies in for a bout of quick reprimands, but it's not violent.

 

[keesmom]

Everyday I test him to see if he’s getting aggressive, cuz his daddy is. But his mama (an EE hen, but my bantam adopted the egg) is sweet so maybe he’ll get her genes? About what age do cockerels get aggressive?

If the older one is aggressive then why not cull him and be down to one male?

 

[red horse ranch]

I have 5 roosters right now and usually have 7 to 10. 4 of them are confined with the hens in their building right now since it is zero outside. Each of these males have their own harem of hens and I rarely see skirmishes between them. So it's possible that your two will get along. It all depends on the personality of the young rooster. If he is willing to accept his place in the male pecking order then life will be good. If hormones get the best of him and he wants to be top rooster then you will have to decide which one to keep. I usually only keep roosters that don't become aggressive. And any breed of rooster can be good or bad.
At 6 months old you will know soon if it is going to work out having 2 roos. I hope it does for you.