Integrating Roosters Together with Minimal Fighting Possible?

[A.M. Eggs]

Hi there! I have a friend of mine who has been having a problem integrating her new White Cochin rooster with her Rhode Island Red rooster. The first time she tried introducing the WC the RIR attacked him and hurt him pretty bad. Now she is switching them out everyday to give them a shot with the girls. This is beginning to annoy her.

I know that RIRs are aggressive to other chickens and are often the bullies of the flock. I would love to find a way to help her with her problem, and with the least amount of fighting and blood.

If there are any suggests as to what she should do to fully integrate them, I would love to know! Thank you!

 

[Mrs. K]

I do not see this working out. To have two roosters IMO, you need to have around 25 - 30 head of chickens, and a HUGE amount of space with little to no confinement.

The best pairs of roosters in my set up, is a father/son, where a cockerel chick is raised up under the rooster. This too can go south when the youngster comes into his own, but I have had it work. Brother roosters sometimes make a go of it, but sometimes, often times they don't.

Two strange roosters will often fight, but often will settle it and be done, if there are no ladies. However, you take an established flock with a rooster, he is going to fight pretty hard to keep that position and all the girls.

If you are with less hens, and confined to a coop/run, probably just going to get worse. Roosters really seldom understand the concept of sharing. They want all the hens to themselves.

If she wants the white rooster, cull the other. No point in getting mad at the Red one, that is a normal reaction to a new rooster. All the tension between the two roosters, and the flipping them in and out, is hard on the hens.

Mrs K

 

[A.M. Eggs]

I will let her know

 

[ColtHandorf]

Agreed. In the future a young cockerel growing up with the flock integrates much better with an established rooster than two strange adult males.