Help, please.

[Dona Worry]

You have a really nice coop setup for the chickens. Adding more females isn't always the case especially if Rory is a lot younger. Keep in mind though that Rory will retaliate Nardole in the long run when he hits maturity and might want to develop a harem with the hens. Good management such as places to get away roosting poles, etc.. Will come in use when the dominant rooster of the flock starts picking on the lower roo. It seems like you have that in your coop run. Adding more is even better. This will prevent feather picking and will let the younger one somewhere to go if being picked on. Sometimes it's even good for the hens if being overbred etc. Goodluck!

I'll see about adding another room onto the coop, and maybe another roosting area. If they are kept together from a young age are they more or less likely to get along as adults?

 

[Carolrich]

I am concerned about predators, mostly foxes. They are locked in at night, but I let them out by first light. So far, they stick close to the house, which encourage by calling them over to me and sprinkling out feed. I am not sure of the exact coop dimensions, but it is small.
View attachment 1457363 View attachment 1457365 View attachment 1457367
ETA: The walls and floor are insulated, as is the winter door, and there is ventilation up high that can be blocked up in case of REALLY bad weather. It should be a very warm coop in the winter.

What a cute little coop!

 

[Dona Worry]

What a cute little coop!

Thanks! I love it!

 

[itspebbl]

Before getting more hens, I would wait to see how Rory behaves toward you and your family as he hits maturity. If he is human-aggressive, I would get rid of him, not only because he is a danger to you and your family, but also because human-aggressive traits can be passed on to his future progeny.

 

[Carolrich]

I'll see about adding another room onto the coop, and maybe another roosting area. If they are kept together from a young age are they more or less likely to get along as adults?

The hens will likely get along fine because they will establish a pecking order. The roosters are the wild cards. I have been told that they are unpredictable and you won't really know them until they come into adulthood. For certain, the roosters will compete.

 

[Bobet50]

well, I have 2 roosters and only two hens and they all get along except one of my hens get a little over mated then the other because she is also in the bottom of the pecking order, but i would suggest getting more hens instead of kills an innocent life.

 

[Dona Worry]

Before getting more hens, I would wait to see how Rory behaves toward you and your family as he hits maturity. If he is human-aggressive, I would get rid of him, not only because he is a danger to you and your family, but also because human-aggressive traits can be passed on to his future progeny.

I may get another hen or two anyways. I really want some colorful egg layers, and one of my chicks passed away the day after I brought her home, and now another is a roo so I only have one colorful egg layer when I was wanting 3!
I have some small neices and cats, so if either roo turns out to be nasty towards animals or people they will be culled regardless of my feelings. I won't keep an aggressive pet.

 

[Dona Worry]

So far the poll is 100% on favor of more hens.
Y'all are a bunch of enablers!

 

[BlackHackle]

I would just leave them assuming your one rooster looks like a Sultan

 

[Mrs. K]

Well I am going to be the bad news (haha, not and enabler) A lot depends on where you are, and how lucky you are. What you need is a couple of plans, at least A and B.

If you live away from the equator, in the northern hemisphere, the advantages of free ranging will not compensate for too small of a coop. In the north, the dark hours of night will artificially confine your birds somewhere between 14 -16 hours a night. Mine in SD are roosted by 4:15 in December, and not coming off the roost until 7:30 ... in good weather. Bad weather can really compound it.

The thing is, roosters can get along just wonderfully... until they don't, and then they can fight terrible. Sometimes they fight once, and get over it, and sometimes they will fight continuously, even to death.

They can be darling pets... until they turn into demons attacking children first, then women, then men as they get braver and meaner.

The plan B is how to separate them, and where to put the fighting birds, and plan B needs to be previously set up, so you can do it immediately. A dog crate and a 5 foot fish net can work well.

Maybe I will be an enabler, if you get rid of two roosters, you can get more hens! and still have everything thing fit in your set up. The thing with chicken math, is it has to work both ways, additions and subtractions. I work at enjoying keeping a flock, the individual birds come and go!

Mrs K