Cockerel behavior around other cockerels

[OlympicChick]

I currently have six chickens: two Novogens, one buff brahma, and three silkies. All are about 6 months old.

Of the three silkies, one is definitely a cockerel, another MAY be a cockerel and I'm pretty certain the third is a pullet.

Over the summer I had two other silkies, both of which turned out to be roosters, and I had to cull them.

Now, here's the thing: Over the summer I thought that I only had one rooster because it was the only one acting like a rooster and crowing and trying to mate. After he was gone, the other rooster started crowing and acting like a rooster and then we culled him too.

Do non-alpha roosters not present as roosters until the alpha is gone?

 

[aart]

Do non-alpha roosters not present as roosters until the alpha is gone?

Sometimes, yes.

 

[Kessel23]

Cockerels can pretend to be younger than they actually are so that the roosters do not mess with them. They can delay crowing, mating, and several other male activities for a few months until they feel ready to compete. I had a production red cockerel wait 11 months before starting to crow. I have had separated cockerels start to crow at 3 weeks old and when later introduced to a mature rooster they stopped.