Help! My roosters are fighting!

[cindyslazycluckers]

I have 3 roosters (1 by accident) and 12 hens. 2 of the roosters....my Rhode Island Red - Big Red - and my smaller Ameraucana - Chamberlain are approx 9 months old and were raised together. Yesterday they started fighting and chamberlain came away bloody but not seriously hurt. They are now separated because they will not stay away from each other. We have a small outside coop we call “chicken jail” we use for our broody hen this summer and chamberlain is in there now. I hate to keep him in there all day though.
We have a large coop - inside section is 8x8 connected by a lockable chicken door to an enclosed 8x8 outside section called the “aviary”.
All of them free range in a 100 plus feet fenced in area and additionally we let them out of the fenced area to roam during the day for a few supervised hours. (Our youngest roo is Boo who is not causing any problems (yet) is 5 months old. )
Will they ever stop fighting? I don’t want to get rid of one them but will have to if they don’t stop. We plan on getting at least 4 more hens this spring to help with the hens per rooster ratio but I don’t think that’s really the problem right now.
Please help! Any advise is appreciate.

 

[nuthatched]

You have to get rid of 2 roosters for 12 hens, even for 16 hens. roosters don't share.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Either have them totally separate from now on, or see if they can settle this and not kill each other. Having a spat, and establishing their new order in the flock, can work, unless it doesn't. Three cockerels is a big number for your number of pullets anyway, and removing one of them, at least, would be best.
Sorting out who stays can be difficult, but here you are, right now, having to get on with it.
Any human aggression at all? that's an easy decision to eliminate that individual. Too rough with the pullets? Another easy choice. Physical defects, like a crooked (wry) tail? Another cull point.
You might end up with one 'keeper', or none. That's how it goes when deciding which cockerels to keep. And if this is your first year having chickens, 'none' might be best.
Mary

 

[cindyslazycluckers]

Welcome!
Either have them totally separate from now on, or see if they can settle this and not kill each other. Having a spat, and establishing their new order in the flock, can work, unless it doesn't. Three cockerels is a big number for your number of pullets anyway, and removing one of them, at least, would be best.
Sorting out who stays can be difficult, but here you are, right now, having to get on with it.
Any human aggression at all? that's an easy decision to eliminate that individual. Too rough with the pullets? Another easy choice. Physical defects, like a crooked (wry) tail? Another cull point.
You might end up with one 'keeper', or none. That's how it goes when deciding which cockerels to keep. And if this is your first year having chickens, 'none' might be best.
Mary

None of the rooster are aggressive towards humans or our dogs which is good, only each other. Chamberlain is pretty aggressive with the hens and is very possessive. If Big Red tries to mate with any of the hens Chamberlain will go after him even though Big Red is twice his size. I’m thinking even though Chamberlain is smaller he is the most “violent”. He is also the most beautiful so it’s a hard decision.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Beauty aint worth a peaceful coop. Don't fall for a useless boy with a pretty face.

It sounds like you know already they gotta go, and who is the keeper too... It's just hard to follow through. Good luck!

 

[mommiesrcool]

Roosters don't stop fighting until one is at the top and the best ratio for hens to roosters is 1 Rooster to 10 Hens or 1 Rooster to 12 Hens. as much as you don't want to I would suggest getting rid of 2 of your roosters because I also had 3 roosters and they constantly would be fighting so I had to give 2 away.

Hope this helps!

 

[deidreg]

Beauty aint worth a peaceful coop. Don't fall for a useless boy with a pretty face.

It sounds like you know already they gotta go, and who is the keeper too... It's just hard to follow through. Good luck!

Wish I learned this lesson earlier in life!!

 

[Folly's place]

Too many cockerels makes life interesting out there, and is stressful for the pullets. There's no magic number that's 'correct', it just depends. What's hard is deciding who's going to be polite, and who's not. As they mature, and perhaps even next year, one may turn into a human aggressive jerk. It's happened here, and then action must be taken. Meanwhile, make the best decisions you can...
Mary

 

[bobbi-j]

Adding more hens to "help with the hens to rooster ratio" won't necessarily help. As Folly's Place said, there is no magic number. As long as you have roosters of breeding age, there is a chance that they will fight. One time I had two separate flocks, each with a rooster. For a while I was letting each flock out on alternate days, and then one day I just let them all out. The boys fought a bit, then each went their separate ways with their hens. From then on, they each had their own territory. But we live on a farm, and they had plenty of room to roam and keep out of each other's way. I don't think it would have worked out as well as it did if they would have had to share a coop or enclosed area. I would definitely get rid of the 3rd cockerel. Once his hormones kick in, he's just going to add to the commotion.