Failed attempt at a rooster flock

[Le Moth]

So my boy Rusty (1 year and 7 months old, Pekin x Ameraucana, used to be human aggressive but without hens is now a cuddlebug)

He was getting lonely so I picked up two 7 month old roo brothers, Chester and Charlie, Faverolle x Red Shaver.

I had them separate but within sight for a couple weeks and then I let them loose.
I expected blood and was supervising closely.
It didn't go well.

This is the pen they were released into, 42m of poultry fencing surrounding my cabin and the covered small pen they were in.

Charlie had no interest in fighting and spent the time alarmed and trying to break it up, only to run as fast as his legs could carry him when one of the others turned on him.
It would seem that Rusty and Chester are unfortunately equally matched in their dominance and though Chester was the clear victor each time they fought he would continue to persue Rusty and I would have to stop him.
Rusty would keep coming back.

I separated everyone when Rusty broke a rear claw and it took me 40mins to stop the bleeding.

Clearly Chester and Rusty won't ever get along, my question is what to do now?

Chester and Charlie get along happily, cuddling together at night.

The pen is halved, Spring starts in a month and Rusty and Chester still want to fight.

Do I attempt to rehome the brothers and try to find another companion for Rusty?
Try to keep Charlie and rehome Chester? (that would be sad to see since they get along so well)
Keep the two brothers and try again after their first breeding season has passed and hormones calm a little bit?

I am at such a loss, I imagine I made a few mistakes in my choices during all this too.

 

[McChooky]

So my boy Rusty (1 year and 7 months old, Pekin x Ameraucana, used to be human aggressive but without hens is now a cuddlebug)
View attachment 3908063
He was getting lonely so I picked up two 7 month old roo brothers, Chester and Charlie, Faverolle x Red Shaver.
View attachment 3908065

I had them separate but within sight for a couple weeks and then I let them loose.
I expected blood and was supervising closely.
It didn't go well.

This is the pen they were released into, 42m of poultry fencing surrounding my cabin and the covered small pen they were in.
View attachment 3908062

Charlie had no interest in fighting and spent the time alarmed and trying to break it up, only to run as fast as his legs could carry him when one of the others turned on him.
It would seem that Rusty and Chester are unfortunately equally matched in their dominance and though Chester was the clear victor each time they fought he would continue to persue Rusty and I would have to stop him.
Rusty would keep coming back.

I separated everyone when Rusty broke a rear claw and it took me 40mins to stop the bleeding.

Clearly Chester and Rusty won't ever get along, my question is what to do now?

Chester and Charlie get along happily, cuddling together at night.

The pen is halved, Spring starts in a month and Rusty and Chester still want to fight.

Do I attempt to rehome the brothers and try to find another companion for Rusty?till didn't fight
Try to keep Charlie and rehome Chester? (that would be sad to see since they get along so well)
Keep the two brothers and try again after their first breeding season has passed and hormones calm a little bit?

I am at such a loss, I imagine I made a few mistakes in my choices during all this too.

I raised 2 and they got along great. They didn't like being separated and roosted side by side but they completed for the hens(over mated them). One didn't like me picking up the hens either when he got older so I got rid of him at a year old.( I kept the docile rooster)My concern would be your brothers will gang up on your rooster and kill him.They could get along 6 months and wake up one day ready to fight

 

[NagemTX]

It's hard to know what to recommend. I have tons of cockerels and roosters right now. It's even hard for my older boys to keep the younger in-line. ( will have a pen finished on Friday for the more naughty cockerels. ) Mine get along but all where raised together or came in as chicks and raised in outdoor brooders with the flocks. Even tho I have separate open air coops they go in at night they all free range together during the day, with plenty of space and places to hide if it gets too intense. Still haven't had serious issues with any of them. (Cockerels are going to be sold or culled soon tho as they become a nuisance to the girls.)

I would rehome the one that will not give up that you're not attached to or look in to game tethering. Just be careful if you go in that direction.

 

[Le Moth]

I raised 2 and they got along great. They didn't like being separated and roosted side by side but they completed for the hens(over mated them). One didn't like me picking up the hens either when he got older so I got rid of him at a year old.( I kept the docile rooster)My concern would be your brothers will gang up on your rooster and kill him.They could get along 6 months and wake up one day ready to fight

There aren't any hens here anymore, I rehomed the last girl almost 2 months ago, I was sad to see her go but if I tried to rehome Rusty it would have undoubtedly been into someone's freezer as he was human aggressive at that time O.O
I've always been fomd pf him for some reason despite him being a piranha haha
I swear he is a good boy now though.

 

[Le Moth]

It's hard to know what to recommend. I have tons of cockerels and roosters right now. It's even hard for my older boys to keep the younger in-line. ( will have a pen finished on Friday for the more naughty cockerels. ) Mine get along but all where raised together or came in as chicks and raised in outdoor brooders with the flocks. Even tho I have separate open air coops they go in at night they all free range together during the day, with plenty of space and places to hide if it gets too intense. Still haven't had serious issues with any of them. (Cockerels are going to be sold or culled soon tho as they become a nuisance to the girls.)

I would rehome the one that will not give up that you're not attached to or look in to game tethering. Just be careful if you go in that direction.

Unfortunately the one that won't give up is Rusty and he has managed to ensure that I have bonded strongly to him (I suspect on purpose haha)
He demands that I cuddle him every day, full contact, arms wrapped around him sort of cuddles haha I'm a sucker for that physical contact.

So the main focus (although Chester and Charlie are such sweet boys) is ensuring that Rusty is not lonely.

It would be just my luck though if he is one of those roos who cannot get along with anyone else haha

 

[McChooky]

Unfortunately the only thing predictable about roosters not raised together is they're guaranteed to fight if contained.

 

[McChooky]

Unfortunately the one that won't give up is Rusty and he has managed to ensure that I have bonded strongly to him (I suspect on purpose haha)
He demands that I cuddle him every day, full contact, arms wrapped around him sort of cuddles haha I'm a sucker for that physical contact.

So the main focus (although Chester and Charlie are such sweet boys) is ensuring that Rusty is not lonely.

It would be just my luck though if he is one of those roos who cannot get along with anyone else haha

Not sure why you want to add unrelated roosters to Rusty's domain if you love Rusty and he's a pet?

 

[McChooky]

There are no guarantees either one of the brothers will get along with your rooster but once separated the brothers will fight each other.
I separated my related roosters and made two flocks (dividing the hens between them) I then gave all the hens to the best rooster. When I released my spare to free range 30 minutes a day he always picked fights with brother

 

[Le Moth]

Not sure why you want to add unrelated roosters to Rusty's domain if you love Rusty and he's a pet?

Because on his own he is lonely, even though I live in the pen with him and he can come and go freely but is also too anxious to have any hens.

Maybe the only option is to have company at a distance?
Put a little distance between the brothers fence and his own so that they can see eachother but can't square up?
And monitor the brothers closely?
Everyone seems happy enough when they aren't face to face, Rusty only gets super upset if I put the brothers to bed first, I think because I have to handle them haha

 

[chooki]

They are sorting out their pecking order, and when I physically add cockerels to my rooster flock, it has almost always resulted in blood, even if I had introduced them through wire mesh for two weeks.

Sometimes I have no choice but to leave my cockerels and roosters in one big coop at farm when I return to my suburban home, where I have hens unattended unless I return. By the time I return to the farm a few days later, my birds would have sorted out their pecking order and all is fine. My bachelor pad is not small and have smaller pre-fabricated coop, cage and branches fixed inside for the loser to hide.

If they are not of particular feisty breed or individuals, and you have a lot of places for the losing bird to hide, maybe you can let the them sort things out themselves. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but it has worked for me.