Gang Breeding

[RoostersAreAwesome]

If you do decide to start a rooster flock, read this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rooster-flocks.72998/

 

[Diannastarr]

I could try, I do have a run but unfortunately it can't be used right now (it needs repairs and cleaning).




They do get along quite well (the boys). But when girls are involved their personalities can change quickly.

But tonight I was holding a hen who couldn't get around the feeder because of the boys. And I was hand feeding her, and one of the Doms timidly came up and either tried to flog me or attack the girl, I couldn't tell if the "attack" was aimed towards me or the girl

yes it was aimed at you.. an so there you have it the beginning of a mean roo and tomorrow they might be worst and some one could get hurt.? so now it starts , your roos will now battle you to get their way , thats how the making of a mean roo begins, just you trying to save the girls from them starts it and you will be the next target , they will always see you as their enemy..! your the one who is keeping them from the girls so you are now the problem..!!! dont get hurt, just save your self & your girls from these testosterone raging roos, , pen them up and decide later which one was your best to use for breeding & i had 4 roos i ordered last year , one for each breed of pullets i bought in the same chick order, so right about at 16 weeks they were running my poor pullets ragged, and challenging me when i tried to stop them so thats when it had to stop , so they are all now in large pens in pares of which ever of the roos got alone best , i will use them, to breed more chicks of the breeds they are so its not a total loss in any way , i dont mind feeding a few roos if at some point they will serve my purpose ,they will all live good lives , for the rest of their lives.

 

[pennyJo1960]

it does not need to be the tajmahal of runs even a large dog crate would work to give the poor girl a break

 

[Diannastarr]

If you do decide to start a rooster flock, read this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/rooster-flocks.72998/

a roo flock hmmm they can be good lawn ornaments except for the crowing, thats a bit of a draw back ....lol... but you never know some might like the idea

 

[chickendreams24]

Okay I agree with some things said here but I strongly disagree with others.

Let me explain. Like most things cockeral/rooster-wise I think it all boils down to temperament. Which we cull for. Yes their hormones go crazy in the beginning and they are major jerks. It can be hard to watch one boy trying to assert himself a number of them can be awful.

I will not keep a cockeral or a roo that attacks me or attacks my girls. That being said we do give a grace period for maturing cockerals unless their behavior is extreme. How you respond to their actions is key. We will pick up and carry boys that test us but not hit or scare them. We also encourage them to move out of our way but not run from us. If you have the space and no mature birds I definitely recommend separating the maturing cockerals. They can especially in numbers rape a pullet or hen to death. Cockerals usually mature faster than pullets which can cause a lot of problems.

Having a mature hen or roo in the flock also helps tremendously! They will keep the young boys in line pretty well(unless they are overwhelmed by the number of maturing cockerals).

We do keep multiple boys but have a large flock that we free range. I personally would not recommend more than one roo for a flock that is always penned or for a flock of less than probably ten.

Sometimes it is better to leave them in a bachelor group, others really need to go in a pot. I know a lot of people hate thinking of that but a bird you raise has had a much much better life than a commercially raised bird. Beware some cockerals will try to dominate other cockerals in a bachelor group and can even injure or kill them. It doesn't always matter how much space there is. Some boys are just rotten.

Our docile breeds we raise generally calm down about 8 months but some take longer. The best way to tell is when they stop grabbing and dominating and start dancing. Then they're getting there.

I have roosters in my flock that have tested me as juveniles (we usually give them 3 chances but may do more or fewer of they thought we attacked a pullet or if it was only a mock charge or if they actually connected) if they draw blood-a couple have they automatically get tagged as needing a pot. I also have had boys that never tested me once as juveniles that then attacked me at 18 months(cull). I have also had a roo that as a 2 day old chick was horribly aggressive that is now a puppy.

We want our cockerals handleable but we rarely handle them unless necessary. We need to be able to handle them should something happen but we never force attention on them as soon as they're sexable we pretty much leave them alone. If they test us or are too rough with the girls we do carry them around. Very seldom do we have boys test us and even more rarely do we have boys test us more than once or twice.

We also don't keep boys that are overly aggressive towards each other.

You can separate and then reintroduce cockerals later even if they weren't visible.

Absolutely do not breed any birds if you don't have a plan for the cockerals. I have known multiple people who had this problem and we're overrun. Their flocks suffered for it. It's sad but a fact of life in this country way too many cockerals are hatched each year(millions in fact) that aren't wanted many die. Perhaps not in the best way. I think they should serve a purpose at least and be allowed to live a life and feel the sun and the grass. Yes cockerals can live together mostly peacefully but even with lots of space they will have times where they vy for dominance and these skirmishes can get bloody.
Do not waste your time with a bad rooster please. There are so many good ones out there that really do need and deserve homes. Our first year with chickens we got a bantam cockeral(straight run) that was the sweetest chick. The minute he got his hormones-overnight I'm not kidding he became like he was possessed. We couldn't walk on our back steps without him attacking us. We couldn't even touch him at night. He nearly killed one of our oldest pullets by over breeding her. We finally had to shoot him bc we couldn't get close. It was quick and painless, I cried for the bird he had been. Still I vowed to never put up with a bird like that again. I still have faint scars in just the right light on my thighs from him.

On the other hand that same spring we got a d'uccle cockeral that was the perfect gentleman. He called and danced and protected the girls. What's more he also protected me in the worst attack by the other cockeral that left the scars on my legs. Yes that's right even though he was smaller he put himself between us and fought off the larger aggressive cockeral.

We have roos that dance for the girls and they squat and the boy climbs on their backs gently and breeds them so they hardly know it happens. No holding them down, grabbing their necks, pulling feathers, none of that.

 

[chickendreams24]

Also of you really want to keep roos then you should either like the crowing or learn to like it.

Watch your flock find out what it means. Crowing is a good thing. And it's rather beautiful once they learn... Although some never figure it out. Lol

I can tell nearly all of our roosters apart just by the sound of their crow.

 

[keesmom]

I'll give them a few more days and see if anything calms down. This is the first week that the boys have even mounted any of the hens

Why wait? It certainly is going to get worse. You already have at least one pullet that can't eat because of the harassment and it's only been a few days since the hormones kicked in.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I beg to differ. You have made some good points but I say it all comes down to how you access the situation and the roosters themselfs. I have multiple roosters and my hens don't have bare backs. The roosters favorites do have slight patches on their head but I don't mind at all. But then again this is all my opinion. There's a solution to every problem but I recommend going with separate pens for the roos till their testosterone levels go down. Good luck,

Testosterone will level off after a year or two. It's ok to have a different opinion. I've had the most wicked of horn dogs for roosters to the most docile momma's boys. When it comes to chicken sex in a backyard flock-mind you- there is no rest for the hens when there is more than one rooster. And yes the egg laying favorite gets defeathered first. I also think there are hens with sturdier back and wing feathers than others. I have a lavender Ameraucana that has more feather damage and a welsummer who is laying like gangbusters with hardly a feather out of place and the rooster is always with her. Nonetheless propagation of their own line is what is in the brains of every. Single. Rooster. I've ever had. No matter the personality.

 

[BantyChooks]

Testosterone will level off after a year or two. It's ok to have a different opinion. I've had the most wicked of horn dogs for roosters to the most docile momma's boys. When it comes to chicken sex in a backyard flock-mind you- there is no rest for the hens when there is more than one rooster. And yes the egg laying favorite gets defeathered first. I also think there are hens with sturdier back and wing feathers than others. I have a lavender Ameraucana that has a bare back and a welsummer who is laying like gangbusters with hardly a feather out of place and the rooster is always with her. Nonetheless propagation of their own line is what is in the brains of every. Single. Rooster. I've ever had. No matter the personality.

Agree. I have, oh, probably 6--8 roosters in a flock of 30. It works fine. That is because I have a head rooster that keeps all of the younger cockerels in check. They are not allowed to make the hens scream or they will get their rears whupped.

If I didn't have that head rooster, I would have to butcher most of mine.

 

[Junglefowlboss]

I 8 roosters in my flock of 30. Im just waiting for some to mature and Ill keep one or two. My head rooster is a game. Really aggressive towards roosters but nice to people he will eat out of your hand. He keeps the young ones in check.