Fighting Roos

[skullgrrrl]

I have a bantam roo and an 8.5 month old standard cockerel. Up till now the bantam has been dominant. Last night there was a ruckus at bedtime, the bantam had some damage/blood around his comb. I didn't realize till later the two males had been involved in a scuffle.

When I opened the coop door this morning they headed in opposite directions. A bit later, my partner called me at work to say the roo had flown the coop, literally - he made it over the fence of the 900 sq ft pen they are in. He was recaptured and put in a run within the bigger pen but now the two are fighting through the wire.

Is this the end of them being compatible? Am I going to have to re-home one? If so, how long is semen viable in a hen - i.e. for long will future eggs reliably be fertilized?

 

[Ourpeeps123]

You will have to re-home one of them. I have heard of roosters fighting and eventually killing each other.

 

[MeepBeep]

[COLOR=141823]Is this the end of them being compatible? Am I going to have to re-home one? If so, how long is semen viable in a hen - i.e. for long will future eggs reliably be fertilized?[/COLOR]

How old are they? If one or both are going through they young adult phase the fighting might very well subside once they grow up a bit and get over the hormone changes... From my experience young roosters are the worse, most of mine calm down 10 fold once they mature, but of course some just get more aggressive...

As for sperm being viable about 21 days in the hen, but I would collect as soon as possible and not expect them to be fertile that long...

 

[skullgrrrl]

The bantam roo is 2 1/2 yrs old and the standard cockerel is 8 1/2 months old. Despite their size difference the bantam has always been dominant (he chases the cockerel away from food, hens, but doesn't peck). Unfortunately the cockerel is much bigger and clearly caused a bit of damage to the little guy last night. The power balance has clearly shifted as the bantam is scared and flew out of the pen (first time in two years) to avoid more conflict. Will their roles just reverse i.e. the bantam with be subordinate and the fighting stop? Would like to keep both, but not if it means injury to either of them.

 

[MeepBeep]

The bantam roo is 2 1/2 yrs old and the standard cockerel is 8 1/2 months old. Despite their size difference the bantam has always been dominant (he chases the cockerel away from food, hens, but doesn't peck). Unfortunately the cockerel is much bigger and clearly caused a bit of damage to the little guy last night. The power balance has clearly shifted as the bantam is scared and flew out of the pen (first time in two years) to avoid more conflict. Will their roles just reverse i.e. the bantam with be subordinate and the fighting stop? Would like to keep both, but not if it means injury to either of them.

At 8.5 months the standard is going through his hormone rage stage, he might very well calm down in a few months and order will be restored, or he might not... Either way you have to decide if you want to isolate them now and see what happens in a few months or get rid of one... There is not black and white answer...