? Can you ever have 2 roosters without issues? New ? Post #16

[chantald]

I have a batch of bantams and it has yielded some roosters. I already have a bantam rooster. I've managed to find homes for all but 1 extra Roo and he is a cutie, so I'm thinking I'd like to keep him.

Can one keep more than 1 rooster in this situation?

8x10 coop
8x12 run, chickens do not free range
3 standard size hens
6 bantam hens

edited to indicate a new ? regarding which roosters are what in post #16. Thanks!

 

[BellLisamo]

ooooo 9 hens? Well, if they are NOT brothers or if they did NOT grow up together i'd say no. I had 2 roosters together since birth with only 3 hens and they did well.

Whats the situation between the two roos'?

 

[chantald]

They are not brothers.. but they have been raised together.. RIght now the dont' bother one another at all..

 

[scooter147]

The hen to rooster ratio is high, you will probably end up with a lot of bareback hens.
If they are raised togethe they will do just fine. They will have the occasional pecking order fight but generally they find their place in the pecking order and live in harmony

 

[Ridgerunner]

It will depend a lot on their individual personalities. You certainly can expect the dominance fights. If the two roosters are fairly equal in spirit, they could easily fight to the death. If one is a lot more spirited than the other, the weaker may die. If there is enough difference in spirit but not too much, one may become dominant and the other his able assistant. The dominant one will have his favorite hens, but the assistant would get a few.

I'd suggest to have separate eating and drinking areas. Each rooster will claim one as his own. Be prepared to intervene if required.

I expect bantams to be pretty spirited and think you are taking a real risk. You'd probably be better of rehoming one of the roosters. Bt you may get lucky and things work out fine.

 

[chantald]

I've tried re homing them.. no one wants roosters it seems.. since I won't make soup out of him.. guess I'll have to hope for the best

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

I've had 2 roo's together with out problems, even when not raised together, they share every thing and I mean everthing, when ones doing his job the other one watches so he's not interupted, when one of the hens in troble they both fight off the invador. this has happened more than once,

 

[Cuban Longtails]

I seriously doubt you will have an issue keeping two. Bantams tend to be less aggressive than their larger counterparts, if aggressive at all. I've kept bantam roosters penned together without issue.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I echo what Ridgerunner said, it will all depend on the temperment of those 2 roos. Some will get along just fine, some will fight to the death, most seem to find a happy middle ground. There may be some posturing & posing, a little sparring, but then they'll come to an agreement without too much injury.

You should still work on an emergency Plan B for one of them, and keep a rooster first-aid kit handy. Most of my roos get along, but every so often a couple of them will try to beat the giblets out of each other. And then go back to being neighbors the very next day.

 

[luvmyturkens]

We actually had 3 roosters together for awhile and had no problems. Our two bantams share a pen with our only hen and they don't fight (over the hen or food). I was very apprehensive after reading about rooster/hen ratios, but we haven't had any problems and our hen has all her feathers.