Fertilization with two roosters

[Country Birds]

So I currently have a splash ameraucana rooster and 13 hens. He is a very good rooster and all of my eggs end up fertilized.

One thing I have noticed is he seems to prefer the hens that he was raised with and those that were raised under his “rule”. I have a few hens that are older than him and they don’t really stick with him while out free-ranging and sometimes they bicker with him.

That being said, I am getting a dozen Marans hatching eggs soon (locally) and I would like to keep a male from that hatch. I have a huge coop and run and the flock gets out to free range on 2 acres often.

My question is, if I do this, what should I expect in terms of fertilization? I know one cannot predict any exact outcome, but I’m looking for some experienced multi-rooster keepers to weigh in. Would the older ameraucana rooster most likely mate with all the hens (including the new marans) and the marans rooster sneaks in when he can? Or would the marans rooster cover the hens that hatched with him and the ameraucana would stick to his original girls? Or is it going to be a free-for-all?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have a blue line (Cream Legbar) and a brown line (Barnevelder), about 20 hens, 2 roosters, on 1/3 acre, two coops with closeable runs, united free range.

At first, I had everyone free range. I personally ended up putting a divider between the two flocks (blue and brown) to keep the genetics pure for what I wanted, and to stop the everlasting fighting between the two boys. Geesh. No horrible blood baths, but constant, constant, bickering.

Any of your scenarios could play out. The older could get possessive of the flock and try to drive the younger boy away. Or, as the older ages, the younger will rise up and try to take over the flock trying to drive the older away (or simply run him until he is exhausted, what happened to my older Barnevelder).

You won't have any idea who has covered whom if you have a mixed flock. If your goal is all progeny Easter Eggers/Olive Eggers, then no harm. But eventually you will want daughters that you know have the blue genetics and a clear refresh of the brown genetics. (Most Olive Egger breeders advised me in keeping the dark brown in the rooster and breeding him over blue line and olive line girls to keep from breeding out your brown genes which seem to lighten each generation away from the original brown parent. It's easier to keep the blue as one gene is dominant).

You can try it and see what happens. Sometimes, when the stars align, the roosters get along. I've heard the stories from others on BYC. However, thus far, mine have always fought tirelessly whenever I've had more than one rooster and have always had to throw up the divider.

Right now I'm watching and waiting as I have 3 roosters at the moment. This last summer my flock was suddenly out of roosters. I immediately threw in a hatch under a broody of my current olive egger eggs, and looked for a new mature rooster too to refresh my brown line. I picked up a beautiful year old Marans-Welsummer, a really nice boy. From my panicky hatch, I got two nice boys (and 3 girls). So far, so far, they are all getting along, but the boys are young yet. We'll see how far this goes. I will have to separate and segregate the girls as I need a refresh from the brown line as my olive is fading. But I also need to carry forward some blue, so I hope to keep one of the blue line boys. We'll see if the divider has to go up again.

So watch for temperament and know eventually you'll have to segregate if you want to breed for particular characteristics. Otherwise, if they all get along, and you don't mind not following genetics much, one merry flock can work.

My thoughts.

LofMc

 

[Perris]

I’m looking for some experienced multi-rooster keepers to weigh in

Below are my answers to each of your observations and questions, based on my experience of 'one merry flock' as LofMc so charmingly put it

a few hens that are older than him and they don’t really stick with him

My older hens have not stuck faithfully with their roos. One has stuck with the dominant, whoever he is (it's changed 3 times during her lifetime), but the other elders favour the 2nd (nicer personality than the dom) or a toy boy. So I don't think it's predictable.

I am getting a dozen Marans hatching eggs soon (locally) and I would like to keep a male from that hatch

so he will grow up within the flock, the existing roo will assume it's his son, and relations between them should be OK - little bloodletting, just short sharp reminders of who's boss until the 'son' decides he wants to take over, if he ever does, and then how long or bad they fight depends on how quickly the senior cedes.

what should I expect in terms of fertilization?

it's been a mix up here

Would the older ameraucana rooster most likely mate with all the hens (including the new marans) and the marans rooster sneaks in when he can?

it's up to the hens whose sperm they retain (they can eject it if they've been forced to mate but don't want that roos offspring) and most roos get this sooner or later, so learn that forcing themselves on a hen is a waste of energy and sperm.

Penning removes the hens' choice in the matter, and they then usually accept whoever they're stuck with.

Or would the marans rooster cover the hens that hatched with him and the ameraucana would stick to his original girls?

Chickens aren't one of those avian species who mate for life. They prefer to mix it up and diversify the genetic opportunities.

Or is it going to be a free-for-all?

Roos often knock each other off to interrupt a rival's mating attempt, I've even seen a junior kicking the dom off if they forget themselves so I think 'free-for-all' is a pretty good description of it. But no blood is drawn and the resultant 'how dare you!' chase is over in the blink of an eye, usually.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have a huge coop and run and the flock gets out to free range on 2 acres often.

Huge is a relative term. It can mean different things to you, to me, and to the chickens. It can mean different things to different flocks of chickens. I have no idea of how much room your specific flock will need but not having enough can cause significant behavioral problems.

Being able to get out to free range often does not mean that space is always available. It may not be available when needed.

My question is, if I do this, what should I expect in terms of fertilization?

I agree with the others. Unless they are physically kept separated all of the time either rooster could be the father of any chick. Hens can store sperm for a few weeks. If one rooster gets loose for a while you cannot be sure which is the father for another three or four weeks.

I know one cannot predict any exact outcome, but I’m looking for some experienced multi-rooster keepers to weigh in. Would the older ameraucana rooster most likely mate with all the hens (including the new marans) and the marans rooster sneaks in when he can? Or would the marans rooster cover the hens that hatched with him and the ameraucana would stick to his original girls? Or is it going to be a free-for-all?

Different things can happen. The two boys may fight to the death. They may reach an accommodation on how to share the flock. I once had two that remained best buddies, hung together all of the time. They knew which was dominant but both mated with hens. I had trouble believing that when I was watching it.

If they have enough room each boy may claim a certain territory so they can stay separated. They will attract which hens they can. That will often follow the lines of who they grew up with but not always. The girls are not always faithful either, they may have a dalliance behind the rose bush. The girls have a lot of discretion in which rooster they will hang with.

In a larger flock that does have a lot of room the girls do not always choose a rooster to hang with. Some hens will stick tight to a specific rooster. Others may roam away from him, often in all-girl cliques. Dad had a free ranging flock of one rooster and 25 to 30 hens. A few stuck to the rooster but most of the others would separate out into groups. Even then, practically all of the eggs were fertile.

Basically what are your goals and what do you want to happen? That can go a long way in determining how you manage them.

Good luck!

 

[DemeterAD9]

I'm sort of in the same boat while planning for next spring's hatch. I have 2 roos, a blue copper maran and a black Jersey giant. The maran is the dominant roo but he only favors about half of the 19 girls. The BJG seems to favor the odd balls, in particular 2 EEs and 1 EE bantam, plus whoever he can get while the maran isn't looking. I have yet to see the maran roo breed the 3 EEs mentioned so I'd guess if I were to hatch their eggs they'd be fathered by the BJG. I feel telling who was fathered by which roo should be fairly simply as the maran is blue based and has the copper on his neck and feathered legs, which I assume he would pass onto at least some of his young.


My plan is to raise meat birds and a few EE pullets so really either roo would work in theory. I'll likely end up butchering the BJG come spring, assuming he truly is the leaner of the 2 boys. While they are the same age the maran is much more stocky and he certainly looks heavier right now.

For your situations, it's a wait and see game. You never know how a bird will act so you'll have to be flexible when the time comes. The only for sure way to predict who the father is would be by separating your breeder flocks.

 

[Country Birds]

Thank you for all the responses! It’s definitely given me a lot to think about.

 

[Chubbicthe2nd]

We raised five roosters together, they're a little set of brood brothers. Initially we thought they were hens, and when we found out they weren't we didn't have the heart to kill them. They're 8 months old now or thereabouts. They're not rivals at all, and they'll Chase around one week little hen and surround her, and then all take turns like a bunch of degenerate gangsters. They do this all day long. So yeah, sometimes they're not jealous at all. But it's actually kind of disturbing. The thought of eating them is becoming easier and easier.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

We raised five roosters together, they're a little set of brood brothers. Initially we thought they were hens, and when we found out they weren't we didn't have the heart to kill them. They're 8 months old now or thereabouts. They're not rivals at all, and they'll Chase around one week little hen and surround her, and then all take turns like a bunch of degenerate gangsters. They do this all day long. So yeah, sometimes they're not jealous at all. But it's actually kind of disturbing. The thought of eating them is becoming easier and easier.

I think you'll find this may change as they grow older, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Also, I would remove that one poor hen that keeps getting ganged up by the 5 roosters. It's important to divide up the roosters or it can be very rough on the girls especially if that poor hen is getting that much attention.

My 2 cents.
LofMc

 

[Mrs. K]

Yep, roosters are a crapshoot. The more you have the greater the chance of it going wrong.

I think what you are witnessing in your current flock, is a peculiarity of that flock and rooster. Not a trend that would allow you to keep them all together and have them sort themselves out.

Two summers ago, I had a pair of roosters that really seemed to get along, did not seem to be an issue with the hens. I had a dozen hens in 6x8 coup, and a 20x30 run. Thing is when I gave one of the roo’s away, I couldn’t believe how the tension was gone. The girls began to dote on him, it was much more peaceful in the flock.

Mrs K