Can I put 3 roosters (no hens) in one pen?

[CassieReeves]

Hello!! We have (3) 6 month old roosters. We had to separate them from our 2 hens, straight run got us. Ha ha ha! Anyway, we currently have all 3 roosters separated into individual pens. The pens are roughly 2ft x 3ft each. It's hard to get in and out of the door to feed them and there's no way to clean their coop without them flying straight for us. They crow alllllll day long. Is there any chance building a bigger (single compartment) pen and putting them all in together is a good idea? Will they kill each other with all the rooster hormones?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Lots of people have flocks called Bachelor Flocks. These flocks are rooster only flocks and they do well. If your roosters have been raised together and not been separated longer than 3 days, you should be able to put them all together now.

I have never started a bachelor flock before, so I'm not sure of the progress of starting with separated roosters. I do know some breeds will fight to the death and is never a good idea to keep together. On others, I have known them to just settle a pecking order and be fine as long as there's no hens to fight over.

 

[CassieReeves]

Lots of people have flocks called Bachelor Flocks. These flocks are rooster only flocks and they do well. If your roosters have been raised together and not been separated longer than 3 days, you should be able to put them all together now.

I have never started a bachelor flock before, so I'm not sure of the progress of starting with separated roosters. I do know some breeds will fight to the death and is never a good idea to keep together. On others, I have known them to just settle a pecking order and be fine as long as there's no hens to fight over.

Thank you, Lacy!!

 

[triciayoung]

Hello!! We have (3) 6 month old roosters. We had to separate them from our 2 hens, straight run got us. Ha ha ha! Anyway, we currently have all 3 roosters separated into individual pens. The pens are roughly 2ft x 3ft each. It's hard to get in and out of the door to feed them and there's no way to clean their coop without them flying straight for us. They crow alllllll day long. Is there any chance building a bigger (single compartment) pen and putting them all in together is a good idea? Will they kill each other with all the rooster hormones?

I am so happy I can finally help. I do have experience here. I was the proud mother of eleven 1-day old chickens on June 20th, 2022. They were supposed to be all hens but I ended up with two speckled sussex roosters. At around 4-months, I started a bachelor pad and we built a 10x15 run with coops above (not taking up floor space), and cool jungle jim like perches for them to get into their coops. The coops are within the run and are separate but the run is common to both. This run, has chicken wire and hardware cloth and sits up against the fence (also hardware cloth), of the hens run. One rooster (Milo), is in charge, and Enzo is not. Milo does most of the crowing and he is the first to eat (of course he waits until the hens eat because he can see them). Anyway, as long as Enzo knows his place, Milo and Enzo get along fine. There is occasional fighting - nothing serious (once Enzo went into Milo's coop instead of his own), or if a hen (through the fence) is flirting too much with Enzo - etc...but overall, they do just fine. They strut their stuff during the day and the hens just go to the fence to watch them.

 

[CassieReeves]

I am so happy I can finally help. I do have experience here. I was the proud mother of eleven 1-day old chickens on June 20th, 2022. They were supposed to be all hens but I ended up with two speckled sussex roosters. At around 4-months, I started a bachelor pad and we built a 10x15 run with coops above (not taking up floor space), and cool jungle jim like perches for them to get into their coops. The coops are within the run and are separate but the run is common to both. This run, has chicken wire and hardware cloth and sits up against the fence (also hardware cloth), of the hens run. One rooster (Milo), is in charge, and Enzo is not. Milo does most of the crowing and he is the first to eat (of course he waits until the hens eat because he can see them). Anyway, as long as Enzo knows his place, Milo and Enzo get along fine. There is occasional fighting - nothing serious (once Enzo went into Milo's coop instead of his own), or if a hen (through the fence) is flirting too much with Enzo - etc...but overall, they do just fine. They strut their stuff during the day and the hens just go to the fence to watch them.

Tricia, thank you for your response!!! Do you have pics of this bachelor pad? It sounds cool and fun!

 

[Luv Ducks]

I sold several of my Ducks to a man that had a 10' by 10' large chain link 6 foot high dog pen full of Roosters. I could not believe how many were in the pen. They were all fine and I did not see any blood or feathers missing. I am not sure if they were all raised together or not but he seemed to have good luck with his altogether. Good luck with yours.

 

[3KillerBs]

Roosters have individual personalities. Some will fight, some will get along happily.

Breed matters -- the game breeds have been selected over thousands of years to fight each other rather than tolerate each other.

 

[nuthatched]

if by 'flying straight towards us' you mean they are aggressive, I would not bother attempting a bachelor pen. It's not worth it to lose an eye or gain scars. If they're just flying to escape, they might do well together or they might not. you won't know until you try.

 

[triciayoung]

Tricia, thank you for your response!!! Do you have pics of this bachelor pad? It sounds cool and fun!

I have attached a picture of one of the roosters in the pad. It has been raining here badly, but when it clears up, I will take pics of the entire run and coops. I love my roosters so much. His coop is actually above him in the pic.

 

[CassieReeves]

if by 'flying straight towards us' you mean they are aggressive, I would not bother attempting a bachelor pen. It's not worth it to lose an eye or gain scars. If they're just flying to escape, they might do well together or they might not. you won't know until you try.

Definitely to escape! Thanks for pointing that out. They aren't aggressive towards us but I was noticing how the 2 hens looked picked on and the runt hen, whose the lead hen, was getting grabbed on by all 3 while out free ranging. It freaked me out. Lol! The roosters grew up together and seemed to be puffing up at each other more and more before we put them in those pens. From what I've learned here, I need to get them back together asap. We've had them separated about a week and although they are side by side, they can't see each other.