Flock Behavior - two groups

[GooseMoyo]

Hey!
I have 14 chickens; 6 adults (1 roo, 5 hens - 3 are ~1 year and 2 are ~25 weeks) & 8 (1 cockerel, 7 pullets) that are ~10 weeks. Food and water are all located in a single run/coop but they free range most of the day. There are zero issues when all 14 are together - aside from normal pecking order stuff when I throw food scraps in the run, etc.

However, when they are free ranging they, almost exclusively, run in two separate groups, the "adults" and the "kids". Is this likely a function of their age difference or are the two roosters creating competing flocks? A combination? From what I've read, 12 hens isn't enough to have 2 roosters and as the younger matures (just heard his first attempts at crowing this week) the competition for mating will increase and could hurt the hens.

Should I expect the two group to form into one as the pullets start reaching maturity? I've not no problems getting rid of one of the roosters, if necessary, but if they'll co-exist peacefully in the run and while they sleep, I have plenty of space for two separate flocks to range.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Everything I've learned says this is normal. Chickens hang around with whoever they grew up with. It's possible you'll get some crossover in the future, once everyone's older and settled, but in the meantime I'd consider the integration a success! I say give the two roosters a shot until it becomes a problem.

 

[GooseMoyo]

Everything I've learned says this is normal. Chickens hang around with whoever they grew up with. It's possible you'll get some crossover in the future, once everyone's older and settled, but in the meantime I'd consider the integration a success! I say give the two roosters a shot until it becomes a problem.

Great - thanks!
We'll see how things look in a few months.

 

[Mrs. K]

You have a sub flock. This is very normal, even if they were brooded by a broody hen right in the flock. When the pullets start to lay, all of a sudden it will be gone. They will be one flock. It is kind of neat to see.

As for the boys, it works until it doesn't. Have a plan B set up and at hand. If you never need it, so be it, if you do need it, you tend to need it now!

A long handled fish net, can separate fighting birds, a dog crate can be a place to put one. Leather gloves and a long sleeved sweatshirt and jeans can give you some protection.

If you can't get them separated, wait for dark, and pull one or both off the roost.

Do pay attention to your hens, once I had brother's in a dozen hens. They seemed to get along, hens seemed fine. But when I gave one away, I could not believe how the tension fell from the flock. Tension that I was not really aware of.

The more roosters you have, the greater the chance of it going wrong.

Mrs K