Did my 5wk old Roosters kill each other :-(

[StephanieDC]

I have 5 wk old Rhode Island Reds- I had hoped for 4 hens, but it started looking more like 2 hens and 2 roosters. So, the 2 roosters started fighting at 5 wks old :-(. I was so sad because I was trying to figure out how to part with even 1 rooster. I let the chickens roam the yard freely pretty much all day and then once they move back into their coop in the evening, I lock them in. I went to open the coop this AM to let them out and found the 2 roosters dead. They were in the middle of the coop, away from the sides so nothing got to them. Could they have killed each other?
Also, now I only have 2 hens- should I add 2 more so they aren’t such a small group, or is 2 ok?

 

[kmatt87]

i'm not sure about the roosters, i've never had any before....

i would get a few more pullets though....

sorry for your loss

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

Probably not...were they bloody and torn up? Usually at that age they squabble and it's not that serious, typically there will be one roo left standing, not both dead. Look for other signs of tauma, it may have been a cat or weasle...your chickens are in danger, you have a predator, make certain the coop is safe with no holes larger than your finger and plug them up immediately.

 

[Retri33]

I have 5 wk old Rhode Island Reds- I had hoped for 4 hens, but it started looking more like 2 hens and 2 roosters. So, the 2 roosters started fighting at 5 wks old :-(. I was so sad because I was trying to figure out how to part with even 1 rooster. I let the chickens roam the yard freely pretty much all day and then once they move back into their coop in the evening, I lock them in. I went to open the coop this AM to let them out and found the 2 roosters dead. They were in the middle of the coop, away from the sides so nothing got to them. Could they have killed each other?
Also, now I only have 2 hens- should I add 2 more so they aren’t such a small group, or is 2 ok?

First, I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm sure this was a tough scene no one wants to wake up to. I have a RIR which is approximately 5-7 weeks old and is supposed to turn out to be a hen but now I'm being told might be a rooster. She/he is somewhat agreesive and puffing up to the other 3 that I have (Barred Rock, EE and an Americana) but I am being told this is to establish pecking order. At first it was just a quick puff and then a walk away. Last night the RIR and Americana went at it quite a few times for more than a minute to the point they were squeeking and pecking at each other with vigor. As a newbie, this was pretty disheartening/frightening to see and I was unsure if I should step in or let them figure it out. The RIR was very dominant and the the Americana finally seemed to give in and cowar down each time the RIR came at her again. Now wondering if this could turn into a disaster or is all of this quite normal in them figuring out the "pecking order"? The Americana is a couple weeks younger than the RIR as well. Don't know if this has anything to do with it either.

 

[StephanieDC]

Both my little roosters were about a foot away from the edge of the cage.Just smack in the middle- as if they were facing each other, then both fell backwards. I am temporararily using a huge (3'Tall, 3' wide, 4'deep) metal dog crate lined with chicken wire on all sides, then wrapped in a tarp (not pretty, but my real coop is being delivered Friday).
I could find no trauma on either of them. But the last couple of days leading up to this they had been going at it extensively- pecking each others heads and flying at each other. Not just bowing up. I was worried about it, but that night they were all 4 snuggled together like always- so I figured it must be ok for now.
I mainly find it odd that if it was something that got to them, even a little snake or something- why only the roosters?
On a side (sad) note- the girls seem to actually miss the guys. They are fine all day, but the last 2 evenings when they go back to their coop, they chirp in a loud distressed way and act like they are looking for something around the roost area.My daughter & I snuggle them for a bit then put them back. Maybe some extra snuggles at bedtime will help. :-(
(I never thought I would be snuggling chickens, but they are so sweet)

 

[keesmom]

I mainly find it odd that if it was something that got to them, even a little snake or something- why only the roosters?
On a side (sad) note- the girls seem to actually miss the guys. They are fine all day, but the last 2 evenings when they go back to their coop, they chirp in a loud distressed way and act like they are looking for something around the roost area.My daughter & I snuggle them for a bit then put them back. Maybe some extra snuggles at bedtime will help. :-(
(I never thought I would be snuggling chickens, but they are so sweet)

They aren't missing the boys, they're worried about a predator. My guess is weasel. Can you move them indoors temporarily until the coop arrives?

 

[speckledhen]

No, they didn't kill each other. You have some other problem.

 

[RedDrgn]

It's extremely doubtful that they killed each other. It'd be easier to surmise that if perhaps only one of them was found dead like that, but the chances of them doing each other in at the same moment are slim.

The most likely reason for it being only the roosters is because of instinct. If there's a threat to the flock, the roosters are (supposed to be) programmed to put themselves in harms way to save the hens. So if there was a predator and your roos recognized it as such, they'd likely be the first to attack.

If you can, move your crate inside a secure structure, like a garage or something. A dog crate with chicken wire around it is not secure. There are a lot of animals that can reach right through chicken wire and several more than can chew through it. Most dog crates are built with spaces between the bars large enough to let a number of critters squeeze in, too. So until your coop comes and you can make sure it's secure, I'd find a safer way to keep your chickens at night.

Also, two hens is alright (much better than keeping one alone), but 3 is typically the suggested flock minimum.

 

[Myron60]

Over the last 8 months we had been finding chicks and chickens dead or missing in our coop, couldn't figure it out. Two weeks ago we found a chick pulled thru the chicken wire half eaten and 2 in the coop dead. Then about a week ago my dog wake me at about 3 am, I went out to the coop and found a raccoon in the coop, with a dead chick on the floor and one in his mouth. Luckily later that morning I found the coon in the rafters and took care of the problem. Strange but the 5 adults didn't even raise a fuss. Sorry for your loss.

 

[ll]

2 hens will be just fine if you don't get more. I have two - they're wonderful