Help choosing flock rooster from batch of roos

[NatJ]

really only looking for one flock rooster. But we're open to keeping a mature bachelor rooster or two as a fallback.

Depending on how they all act-- it might be easier to keep them all in one pen, instead of keeping some as bachelors. Obviously, it's one of those things where you have to decide based on watching what your own chickens do.

 

[six_chooks_for_now]

Depending on how they all act-- it might be easier to keep them all in one pen, instead of keeping some as bachelors. Obviously, it's one of those things where you have to decide based on watching what your own chickens do.

I'm okay with having them all together if there isn't mayhem. I thought it was a no to have two or more roosters with such a small number of hens? But we can certainly see how they act!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes! We certainly are set up to overwinter a few and it was our intention to keep one or two as boss Bachelor (tell me if that's a bad idea..) when we bring in new cockerel growers.

I personally wouldn't keep any cockerel long term if you intent to add more to the bachelor pen the next year. I would clean it out of any potential birds before adding new ones.

Integrating new cockerel in with older roosters sometimes is more of a pain than it's worth.

I have always kept multiple pens just in case.

I haven't kept a bachelor flock, only individuals or groups that were raised together penned together, both short term, and long term. Those not raised together will fight. Sometimes even those raised together will begin fighting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm okay with having them all together if there isn't mayhem. I thought it was a no to have two or more roosters with such a small number of hens? But we can certainly see how they act!

The main way I do it is I leave those cockerel out until I start seeing poor behaviors. Grabbing pullets, mating excessively, and just generally causing havoc. I than start pulling and removing the worse offenders. Those go right away.

I than start pulling troublemakers that aren't as bad, but enough that I'm noticing screaming pullets, and I pen those. Some of those I may hang onto longer, and I take my time deciding.

After that process I'm often left with a couple who may occasionally make troubles, but they generally seem to fit in, and they aren't causing stress in the flock.

The following spring I make more decisions if necessary. It takes me most of a year to weed them all down to what I like the best, before I start it all over again.

 

[Folly's place]

Here we raise chicks with the flock, so the cockerels are integrated as babies, and it works out well. I'd never try to introduce adult cock birds to each other, way more likely to be a disaster.
Mary

 

[NatJ]

I'm okay with having them all together if there isn't mayhem. I thought it was a no to have two or more roosters with such a small number of hens? But we can certainly see how they act!

Some roosters will overmate the hens (problems: bald patches on the hens' backs, hens may not be able to eat or dustbathe in peace.)

Some roosters will overmate their favorite hens even if there are lots of other hens.

Some roosters can be kept with just one or two hens and not cause any problems at all. (People breeding birds for shows often do this, so they know exactly which birds are the parents of each chick.)

More roosters may lead to more overmating, but may not--depends on the roosters and the hens.

Some roosters bully each other so one doesn't get enough food, others don't. Some roosters fight to the point of seriously injuring each other; most don't. Those things can happen in a bachelor coop or when they are with hens.

But all the problems are things you can see happening, and you can change things before it gets too bad.

 

[six_chooks_for_now]

@NatJ Okay that makes me feel better! We have the means to separate and dispatch immediately if there are problems. We've definitely had bullying in the bachelor pen so I am looking forward to having less of them, and selectively breeding towards a less disruptive flock (my hope!).

 

[six_chooks_for_now]

Just for fun - here were our first contenders (that I named just now for the sake of this haha).

Wiley will move on to the second round and Goose will move on into the soup

 

[six_chooks_for_now]

Here we raise chicks with the flock, so the cockerels are integrated as babies, and it works out well. I'd never try to introduce adult cock birds to each other, way more likely to be a disaster.
Mary

Good to know! This is the first time we have had males.

 

[six_chooks_for_now]

So from a lot of people's responses, it sounds like we should raise all of our chickens together rather than raising the boys separately. Does anyone also keep a bachelor pad? Is there any reason to do this if we plan on eating the ones that don't work out?