Help my sibling roosters are fighting.

[wvchics]

For a breeding program you will probably want to pick your hens and rotate roosters. To keep one rooster for each flock will result in inbreeding unless you don't keep any offspring. It is better to pick your best hens to breed with and keep one male in at a time rotating the males through

 

[centrarchid]

Hello today my roosters who grew up together, are about 4 moths ald. These few days i have noticed they have been fighting alot more offten and even make one scream. I have yet to find blood but fear i will soon. Will they fight to the death or not? They grew up together from the same mother and have never seperated them. Also their "dad" is with them but doesnt hurt them just kinda scares them away when he is eating. He even has broken up a few fights. I am afraid of the outcome. Can anyone explain what is actually happening and any precautions?
Thanks.

What breed is involved? How are they housed? Give description the area they have and what is in it. What and how are you feeding them? It is difficult to provide sound ideas without knowing what your poultry keeping setup it like.

 

[Mrs. K]

Centrachid, has hit it on the head, a bit more information is needed. Are you a true backyard set up, less than 12 head? Or do you have a lot more birds? 3 roosters, to me would need about 30-45 head of chickens... give or take.

I have had a father/son in a a flock of less than 12, but the son was quite laid back, never pushed for dominance. Your two roosters are already saying they are not like that. As Ridge-runner says, sometimes you can get away with it, sometimes you can't. As Centra-chid says, different breeds can stand different set ups. As Art says roosters are when romance meets reality.

If you are going to keep roosters, I think you need multiple coops, so you can set up a bachelor pad if needed, and a sharp knife. A lot of roosters do not stay here.

Mrs K

 

[Folly's place]

Very very few cockerels are needed, or wanted, in a home flock. You've gotten a lot of good advice, and I'll add mine. At most, keep the best male of the two boys, only if he's a bit better than his sire. I try to keep a good cock bird and a cockerel for each of my three breeding groups, as long as they all get along. This gives me a 'spare' if something happens to one of them. By spring, I sort down to one male for each breeding group, the best one. My Belgian d'Uccles, a small flock I've had since 1993, will get an added pullet or three every few years, to manage inbreeding. Think about your goals and plans for your flock, and manage them to move toward those goals. Over time, plans change, but try to have a plan anyway. Mary

 

[Folly's place]

And if you have a game breed, the boys won't get along, and each male will need separate digs. Mary