So my flock has dwindled and I don't have a lot of hens to go around. I have 3 roos (two Blue English Orps and some kind of sex-link). They all got along rather well until yesterday when something clicked and the top roo and the sex-link started fighting a lot. I let them be and today of course blood has been drawn from combs and the sex-link is now the dominant roo - the previously dominant roo is now outcast and gets chased to the front yard where he is all alone.
So I figure I will separate them. I also have two hens who live in a separate coop by themselves. All of these birds are within a month or two of the same age - around 1 year old. I was figuring I might just make it easier on myself by introducing one of the roos to the two hens or keeping him completely alone. I just can't decide which option is optimal.
1) Which one should I move? The sex-link isn't mean, and he gets along with the other beta-rooster. The previously dominant roo also gets along with that beta-rooster. I'm leaning towards moving the Orp outcast.
2) My gut tells me it would be best to keep him in a bachelor coop and to introduce the two hens into the main flock - it could really use the females. Will the bachelor roo care if he's alone? I think of poultry as social creatures.
I have over 30 heavy pullets coming soon for my 6'x35' coop, but of course I wont be able to introduce a roo to them until probably August, I'm thinking. Making one of these guys into soup is an option but I'd like to avoid it - they are all very sturdy, healthy birds and I'd like to keep them around since I figure 3 roos for 40+ hens is fine. I'm just frustrated with the few months I need to deal with the small flock sausage-fest politics. The coop they are all in is 6'x6' with a 6'x6' dirt floor extension, so technically 6'x12' I guess. Neither coop currently has a run but they will soon all be pent up in a 750 sq. ft. run when the pullets are mature, and perhaps let out in shifts to begin with.
Edit: the two orps seem to have no interest in the hens and don't pick at them or harass them, whereas the sex-link does the wing-down dance to a few of them and seems hyper-active around them. None of my hens have been abused by him... yet.
So I figure I will separate them. I also have two hens who live in a separate coop by themselves. All of these birds are within a month or two of the same age - around 1 year old. I was figuring I might just make it easier on myself by introducing one of the roos to the two hens or keeping him completely alone. I just can't decide which option is optimal.
1) Which one should I move? The sex-link isn't mean, and he gets along with the other beta-rooster. The previously dominant roo also gets along with that beta-rooster. I'm leaning towards moving the Orp outcast.
2) My gut tells me it would be best to keep him in a bachelor coop and to introduce the two hens into the main flock - it could really use the females. Will the bachelor roo care if he's alone? I think of poultry as social creatures.
I have over 30 heavy pullets coming soon for my 6'x35' coop, but of course I wont be able to introduce a roo to them until probably August, I'm thinking. Making one of these guys into soup is an option but I'd like to avoid it - they are all very sturdy, healthy birds and I'd like to keep them around since I figure 3 roos for 40+ hens is fine. I'm just frustrated with the few months I need to deal with the small flock sausage-fest politics. The coop they are all in is 6'x6' with a 6'x6' dirt floor extension, so technically 6'x12' I guess. Neither coop currently has a run but they will soon all be pent up in a 750 sq. ft. run when the pullets are mature, and perhaps let out in shifts to begin with.
Edit: the two orps seem to have no interest in the hens and don't pick at them or harass them, whereas the sex-link does the wing-down dance to a few of them and seems hyper-active around them. None of my hens have been abused by him... yet.
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