I adopted that other family of chickens-A funny thing for a change

[RedheadErin]

I had meant ot have them in look-dont-touch range until Saturday, at least, either my son let the roosters out together or they managed it on their own. Either way there was a fight (big surprise) and my original rooster, Connor, got his butt kicked. Right now he is convalescing in the spare bathroom with Brigid the Wonder Chicken, who is preening and fussing over him like--you guessed it.


Connor's owies should be mostly better by tomorrow. He cannot stay all winter in the bathroom. Now what?

How soon can I re-introduce him? And how should I do it?

How carefully do I have to monitor the fighting?

How long will this go on?

If he stays with Brigid for a few days, will these two become "friends"? They get along just fine now. Connor seems to love the attention. Will they stay friends once they go back in the yard?

The hens all seem to be fine together. and they all seem to like the new roo. I have had my son go out and check on them every half hour or so to make sure they have not wandered into the neighbors yard, and they all seem to be all right. No fighting, no blood, just a good ol' time searching for bugs in the yard. I find them wandering in various combinations of old and new hens, with and without Seamus, the new roo.

 

[RNAOGEA]

We just introduced a rooster and five hens. The hens weren't a problem but we were leery of the rooster. We put him in a cage by himself in the run with all the others for a day and haven't had any problems since we let him out. From my experience it seems its up to the birds on how long they will fight but haven't seen it last more than a couple days but we always keep a close eye for a week or so to make sure. I guess we have been lucky and haven't had fights. Just a little pecking here and there but that is normal.

 

[RedheadErin]

We didn't see the fight, but when my son went out to put them in for the night, Connor was bloody. He had a good gash at the base of the comb, not to serious but messy. I used to work in an ER, so I know how cuts to a human scalp can look SO MUCH worse than they are. Seems its the same with rooster combs. Lots of blood from a relatively small nick. The new rooster, Seamus, came from a shelter where there are lots of roos running around, so I'm sure he already knows how to fight. He is also bigger than Connor, and hopefully has more sense.

So now that Connor has been locked up in the bathroom for 2 days with Brigid, these two will be the "newbies" in what was originally their home. Should I cage those two together in the shed today, then let them out with the crowd tomorrow?

 

[stormylady]

What exactly was going on when your son went out there to check and found Connor? were they still fighting Or were they seperated and doing there own thing? Chances are that if they were doing there own thing, they worked out the worst of it.
Its going to take them awhile to work out who the top roo is, I would have taken your little Roo out cleaned him up so no blood showing and then put him right back in the coop and watched what happened.
A comb injury is pretty standard for a Rooster fight.
The reason that I personally would have done that is because everytime you seperate them, they are not getting to solve the issues between them, and continue to fight to until it is worked out.
NOW had he had a Deep Slash on is neck or back, something that was potentially life threating then of course I would take him out til he was healed.
If they don't have a chance or can't work it out without someone killing the other, I would either set up a seperate coop for your Connor and some of his girls, Or get rid of one of the boys.

This is just my opinion, you'll likely be getting alot of different ones.

Sandy

 

[RedheadErin]

We brought him in because it was late and getting cold, and we didn't want to wash him and put him out in the shed with wet feathers. He is still here because we didnt know what else to do with him. They were done fighting when he found them, and Connor went and hid behind the shed.

 

[RedheadErin]

I made a better cage in my shed and put Connor and Brigid the Wonder chicken into it. The others are out in the yard and wandering around. I will put them together tomorrow when I have time to watch them and pay attention.

Is that right?

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Well thats what I would do If you intend to keep both of them their either going to have to work it out or you'll have to make other arrangements.
You did do the right thing by bringing him in and cleaning him up, I didn't understand that it was that late and that he was really wet, sorry.
I wouldn't have put him back outside wet either.

 

[RedheadErin]

My husband gave him a shower while I was at work! You can just imagine.

Now tonight we went out to lock up, and Connor had blood all over him again--and on the feeder. (I stuck his old chick feeder and waterer into the temporary pen. The feeder is one of those metal ones that you stick a mason jar onto. ) It looks like he re-opened his owie comb, but I didnt find any other hurts on him. I held him while my kid drenced him (and me) WITH blue-coat. Yuck.

 

[RedheadErin]

Somebody please help me! I dont know what to do now!

W just went out and the leghorn in the cage is a bloody mess. Apparently the new roo gets up by his cage and messes with him. The wounds on his comb are all torn open and even worse than they were before.

I have to go grocery shopping now. I work full time and I really cannot keep devoting several hours a day to these two stupid roosters. I am about to send the whole lot back to the shelter from whence they came.

How do I manage this? Should I just de-blood the rooster and let him get his butt kicked? Because that is exactly what is going to happen if I let him out in the yard.

PLEASE! Somebody give me some good advice! Do I need to wait until his comb heals or should I jsut put him out today? HELP!

 

[sourland]

O K - the best advice that I can give is get rid of one of the roosters. Whenever adult roosters are introduced into a flock with another adult rooster there will be fighting. It's what roosters do. Yes, if you would allow them to 'go at it' they might eventually resolve the situation, but there is also the possibility of death or serious injury. My gut tells me that you are not prepared for that. Cut your losses and downsize to one rooster.