Can Roos live in a bachelor pad?

[mikki717]

I keep reading about hen to rooster ratio, but if there are no hens involved, can several roos live together without fighting? I do not mean game cocks.

I am really new to all this, and am learning as I go...

I have a Duccle bantam "Slash", 6 months old living with 3 POL RIR hens (Slash's girls). I also have two 7 week old cockrells residing with 23 seven week old EE, unknown red variety, and White Leghorn pullets. The youngsters are seperated from the big girls as I am integrating them now.

I am looking to get a Jersey Giant roo.. (bantam and Jersey Giant... talk about integration!!!) I also have a Bachelor pad coop in the works that will keep the extra/pet boys seperated. Will this work? I have a neighbor who has three roosters as pets living happily in his yard, but there are no hens involved.

I really like the look of different roos, and have gotten attached to the two little guys, a black and white EE, who was my runt, and is VERY shy and docile, and a black and red EE who has a bit of an attitude.

What do you think? Can several roosters live together without hens?

 

[meriruka]

I have a roo coop, they do just fine. Just the occasional tussle, but no injuries.

 

[smith2]

In general, it is not a good idea to keep roos together in the same pen. However, if they are raised from babies together they tend to establish a pecking order and stay in it. If you are going to mix roos, you will need a lot of space--about twice what is required per square foot for just roos. I have kept roos all together, but the behavior is very unpredictable and they are prone to outbursts of temper and fits for various unknown reasons. I had about 15 all together in a huge yard and only one died and I think a hawk actually got him. So it really depends of age, temperment, raising together, space, etc. Sorry I can't give more specific info.

 

[finallychickens]

I read somewhere if you are going to have a coop with just roosters you should have three or more. I have a rooster coop too and they do just fine. They have their pecking order figured out and I make sure that food and water stations are well spaced so even the lower order roosters have plenty of access. This group was mostly raised together and has little buddy groups that pal around together. I give then ample space to stay out of each others way. I do not have any major fights, only squabbles, and they seem to be getting along even better now that they are over a year old. Diane

 

[fancbrd4me02]

I think if there are no hens around you could keep mult roos if they get along. That said I would not mix roos of such different sizes as a D'uccle and a Jersey Giant. That way if fights break out it would be more fair in case you were not around to break it up.

 

[The Chickens' Maid]

We have two Bo/Silkie roos who are brothers that we keep in a bachelor coop. They were raised together, and are inseparable! They get very upset and call for each other if I take them apart. As for space, they are living in a horse stall converted into a coop with a small run. They are just a wall away from the hens, and they can see them. They like to wrestle, but they don't get serious. Our's is kind of a unique situation, since these boys have been together since they were hatched. I don't know what would happen if two different roos were put together; you never know, though!

 

[Chic Chick]

I have both good and bad luck with the batchelor pens. I keep a couple of roos, an australorp and ameraucana together in my loft pen thats about 4X8 feet and they get along fine. I can't put my maran roo in there with either one because either he's bleeding or he's picking on the other one, so he's the lucky one to be with the layers right now.

 

[HBuehler]

We have a roo pen and it has hens on both sides of them with just a fence between them.They are all fine with the living arrangements

They will get their girls soon

 

[peachychick]

Mikki,
We have a roo pen with 23 roos housed together. They are not with in sight of any of the hens. They have est. the pecking order and do not even challenge me the way they did when they were in mixed company

.

 

[greathorse]

I have a number of RIR in a pen together and they do great, they are right next to a pen of hens but still no issues. A year ago I had a pen of SLW hatchery birds that were just the worst males I have ever seen. They saw no other birds, but fought unmercifully picking the weakest one and then on to the next.

I had to butcher them before I really wanted to due to their nature. That was the only pen I have ever had trouble with.