Help!! I have 3 roosters and 11 hens

[candace94]

Hey all!

So i hatched 14 chicks and I ended up with 3 roosters (they are now 12 weeks old). Since they all grew up together and I have about 3 acers or land and they all free range, do you think i would be able to keep all my roosters? or will this cause a problem. Has any raised more than 1 rooster?? I want to keep all my roosters.

I need any and all advice i can get!

thank you!!!

 

[nuthatched]

I doesn't matter if they were raised together, unfortunately. It can go two ways, best case scenario: one rooster will take charge and the other two will be submissive and not crow or breed and just chill. or much more likely: they'll fight for blood and over breed the hens, you need about 20 more hens to keep all of the roosters happy and the hens from being bred raw. Hormones are just about to hit your cockerels, you might need to seperate them away from your pullets so they don't get rubbed out.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

It will work until it doesn't. I had the same ratio for a year. Less than a week ago the 2 younger ones cast the flock master out of the flock for three days before finally letting him sleep in the run again. But the older male no longer has any hens, they have been redivided amongst the two victorious males instead.

 

[candace94]

It will work until it doesn't. I had the same ratio for a year. Less than a week ago the 2 younger ones cast the flock master out of the flock for three days before finally letting him sleep in the run again. But the older male no longer has any hens, they have been redivided amongst the two victorious males instead.

Do you still keep them all together or have you separated them out?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Do you still keep them all together or have you separated them out?

They're together again, for now since he's been accepted back an omega male now instead of the flockmaster. Once I get rid of the extras, I may take my old male out and give him a retirement flock since he's getting old.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Soup. I suggest soup.

 

[high5]

Soup. I suggest soup.

I thought I was being polite by keeping quiet!

 

[LateBirdFarms]

I thought I was being polite by keeping quiet!

Not trying to be impolite, just realistic

I only kept two roos, and I felt soooooo very bad for my girls once hormones kicked in!

 

[MeanCheek]

I may be killed for this, but at almost all times I have at least two roosters. I've never had cocks fight to the death or really hurt each other beyond a bloody comb.
If I were you, I would keep them and when (or if) one gets aggressive rehome it.