Help! My banty roosters are fighting!

[ColbyJack]

We're pretty new to this chicken thing. We've got two Japanese bantam roosters that have started fighting. They're about 8mths old. They've been fine all summer long and have only recently started fighting. One of them may lose an eye. It looked pretty bad this evening. We've got 18 hens. They free range all day. I'm just not sure what, if anything, to do about them fighting. They're such beautiful birds and it just kills me to think of the one that's injured. Any advice???

 

[chickenbuddy]

Separate them before any more damage is done. Check for and tend to any injuries. You'll just have to keep one as a non-free ranger in a separate coop or just get rid of one of them.

 

[ColbyJack]

That's the only option? I've separated the injured one for now, but we don't have another coop. He's in the brooder box in the garage. Will they not work it out?

 

[Tripp16]

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x2

 

[Chickenaddict]

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Once they start fighting they will not stop! Trust me I got 2 roos in cages in the house right now because of fighting until I can find them a new home.

I bought a trio of mottled cochin bantams this summer, 2 of them turned out to be roos... They got along great for a long time until just a few weeks ago. I found them both 1 ft in the grave and the other on a banana peel covered in each others blood when I got home from work. I seperated both so they could heal and placed them both back in the coop a few days later to see what would happen and they went at it again. I stood there breaking it up for awhile in hopes that one would back down and accept his lower position in the pecking order but that never happened. Another instance was a hatch I had shortly after the mottled cochins. There were 2 roos and a pullet in that hatch, all grew up together raised by the same hen. The 2 boys started fighting at just 1 month old, never stopped but never drew blood or caused any damage until they reach that age around 6-9 months. You will either have to permanently keep them seperated or part with one of them.

 

[ColbyJack]

Shoot! My kids are not going to be happy!

 

[fowlsessed]

They arn't a game breed so they will work it out once they figure out who is boss. but for now they feel equally matched so it's going to go on untill somebody backs down. And this will never happen if they are seperated.

 

[ColbyJack]

Now I'm confused?? The hurt one has an eye injury. One of his eyes is closed shut (maybe gone?) Should I put them back together?

 

[elmo]

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No! The injured bird should be kept separate until he's fully healed, at least.

 

[BlazeJester]

They might work it out, or one might kill the other.

It's up to you to decide whether you want your children to deal with giving away a rooster or seeing the reality of natural order. When it comes down to it, animals are not sweet and cuddly and often kill each other mercilessly - even when they've been raised together or living peacefully side by side.