Hens are Roosters

[lildarlinshine]

Of course! It would probably be good to rehome the dominant rooster as well because he could be aggressive with your hens too. The rooster who got picked on could be the nicer one so he got bullied for it.

Is the bully rooster nice to you?

yes, they both are so sweet with me, and I would carry them around the yard together in my arms every day. They slept in a huddle in the pen in the house until yesterday everything was so perfect. The Dom roo was my favorite, he is sweeter than the other one really, but both are sweet I just favored the one because it had been hurt when I found it and I gave it a bit more attention than the other, because of its injuries, but I tried to always show both of them the same attention.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We were not planning on putting them all together, just in the same run with a split in the run to keep them apart but to get to know one another for awhile. That would be ok, right ?

After a period of quarantine of a couple of weeks to a month*, that would definitely be the way to go for a few weeks while they get acquainted. We call this the "see-no-touch" method of integration. The birds can see, hear, smell and talk to each other without actual physical contact. Then one fine day you open a gate or panel between them and they're mingling physically without even realizing anything different is going on. We've always integrated our chicks with our older hens this way, and never had any problems.

*Just to be sure there is nothing contagious from the outsiders like sickness or any kind of mites, scaly leg mites, etc.

 

[GlicksChicks]

yes, they both are so sweet with me, and I would carry them around the yard together in my arms every day. They slept in a huddle in the pen in the house until yesterday everything was so perfect. The Dom roo was my favorite, he is sweeter than the other one really, but both are sweet I just favored the one because it had been hurt when I found it and I gave it a bit more attention than the other, because of its injuries, but I tried to always show both of them the same attention.

Maybe keep them where they can see eachother but not touch eachother for a while and then introduce them back together under observation to see how it goes. I am thinking that the reason the dom rooster suddenly attacked was because the new surroundings made hormones and the pecking order kick into overdrive. If you plan on keeping the two roosters in the same flock you will need twice the amount of hens to keep chances of rooster fighting down.

How big is the coop/run area?

 

[Es_In_Miami]

Keep in mind that these roos are essentially teenager. They don't know how to act. They do level off as they get older. Keeping separate, but in sight of each other is a great first step.

 

[lildarlinshine]

Still disappointed today. I tried to let them near one another without a cage between them, as soon as I sat them down from our walk around the house together, the aggression started. Both were pecking at one another, I didn't let them make contact though to one another. I will get this worked out though, if I have to make separate pens for them, for forever.

 

[McChooky]

My # 2 rooster stays in the divided portion of my run so he can see and hear the other chickens . When you have to keep 2 roosters apart its the easiest way

 

[Es_In_Miami]

Still disappointed today. I tried to let them near one another without a cage between them, as soon as I sat them down from our walk around the house together, the aggression started. Both were pecking at one another, I didn't let them make contact though to one another. I will get this worked out though, if I have to make separate pens for them, for forever.

Give them time. The term pecking order is not a joke. Let them fight a bit. Obviously not to an extreme point, but let nature take its course. They're establishing dominance. One will have to back down.

I have 3 large dominant rooster together. Sometimes they fight a bit. It never lasts long and seldom do I have to intervene. As soon as one backs down, the fighting stops. They are quite stunning when they try to show off their prowess. Just remind them you're the real boss. Now that they're just over a year old, the fighting is seldom.

You know about holding one down to set your dominance? Don't hurt them, obviously, just them until they stop fussing. After a few times they learn not to mess with you. I say this because it seems they already defer to you as the boss.

Patience.

 

[McChooky]

If they fight and draw blood without any hens to motivate them what will they do when you add some? I'd keep the least aggressive one and re-home the meanie and get a couple hens.

 

[Es_In_Miami]

If they fight and draw blood without any hens to motivate them what will they do when you add some? I'd keep the least aggressive one and re-home the meanie and get a couple hens.

This is not uncommon with young roosters. They do relax as they age and OP indicated a desire to keep both roos. Patience. Pecking order needs to be established. They're flexing their wings. There will be plenty of time to refine one IF they don't settle down.