So I have this rooster flock of five mixed breed boys, all about nine months old (just getting in their feathers and hanky-panky attitudes). All of them were very sweet until recently, when my most recent chicks hit about two months old. The boys free range, and up until a month ago, the younger chicks are kept in coops/runs. My adult hens died to a predator problem about two months ago... the boys got along fine free ranging with all my adult hens cooped up, and they were allowed to run around. But now things have changed, and I'm trying to figure out if there is a solution besides freezer-camp.
I have five two month old cockerels. For the last month, I have kept these five young boys in a very small fenced area (basically a tiny 3x3 coop and dog cage surrounded by netting). They are highly visible to the adult roosters, and the fenced space is in the back, where the big guys roam. All of the pullets are in actual coop-run setups in the front, on the other side of the house, not visible unless the roosters walk over to visit.
In the past I have integrated new chicks to my flocks at about 1.5 months old, giving them plenty of area to hide and roost away from the adults. This was an adult flock of 9 hens and two roosters, back then.
I was thinking that integrating cockerels into this rooster flock would be the same. Not so much. Mistakes have clearly been made. I opened the gates to the cockerels tiny coop, they came out, it was no big deal until sundown. My fiance and I like to call this time of day "crazy time" because the boys always start chasing the girls right before bedtime. I've witnessed the adult boys cornering each other before, never resulting in injury, and everybody gets along after.
Tonight, I went to check that everyone was tucked in bed, right as it was getting dark, and I find one of the cockerels sitting on the ground, in the middle of the "rooster area". Not even trying to hide, just sitting. Then I realize, he's injured. It looks like the big boys cornered him, pinned him down, and attempted to mate with him until his skin was rubbed completely raw, he had no feathers left on his saddle or the back of his head, I could smell the blood on him. So now, he's inside getting first aide, I don't need predators returning for the smell of blood. All of the other young boys are in their tiny coop sleeping, no injuries.
I was really, really hoping that after a month of "cage-visiting" with the older roosters, the younger boys could also free-range. Has anybody else ever integrated cockerels into an established rooster flock, and at what age? I don't know if waiting until they are three months old, caging them for another whole month, will make a difference? I'm also wondering if having access to "visits" with the maturing pullets is making the adult boys lose their minds... Does anybody know, if I fence off an area in the back so that they cannot visit or see the girls, will they calm down? Or will they just act this nutty regardless of being able to see/visit girls, is it just an age thing?
I have freezer-camped a couple of mean, jerk-faced roosters in the past, so I'm not against it. It just feels like this might be fixable, all five boys are very nice to me, just complete horny losers around the younger chicks.
Thanks ahead for any/all advice, I know roosters are a tricky topic. I'm also wondering if separating the head-rooster will change the behaviors of the lower-ranking roosters, maybe I could cage him for a month? Anyways, just wondering if anybody has experienced something similar
I have five two month old cockerels. For the last month, I have kept these five young boys in a very small fenced area (basically a tiny 3x3 coop and dog cage surrounded by netting). They are highly visible to the adult roosters, and the fenced space is in the back, where the big guys roam. All of the pullets are in actual coop-run setups in the front, on the other side of the house, not visible unless the roosters walk over to visit.
In the past I have integrated new chicks to my flocks at about 1.5 months old, giving them plenty of area to hide and roost away from the adults. This was an adult flock of 9 hens and two roosters, back then.
I was thinking that integrating cockerels into this rooster flock would be the same. Not so much. Mistakes have clearly been made. I opened the gates to the cockerels tiny coop, they came out, it was no big deal until sundown. My fiance and I like to call this time of day "crazy time" because the boys always start chasing the girls right before bedtime. I've witnessed the adult boys cornering each other before, never resulting in injury, and everybody gets along after.
Tonight, I went to check that everyone was tucked in bed, right as it was getting dark, and I find one of the cockerels sitting on the ground, in the middle of the "rooster area". Not even trying to hide, just sitting. Then I realize, he's injured. It looks like the big boys cornered him, pinned him down, and attempted to mate with him until his skin was rubbed completely raw, he had no feathers left on his saddle or the back of his head, I could smell the blood on him. So now, he's inside getting first aide, I don't need predators returning for the smell of blood. All of the other young boys are in their tiny coop sleeping, no injuries.
I was really, really hoping that after a month of "cage-visiting" with the older roosters, the younger boys could also free-range. Has anybody else ever integrated cockerels into an established rooster flock, and at what age? I don't know if waiting until they are three months old, caging them for another whole month, will make a difference? I'm also wondering if having access to "visits" with the maturing pullets is making the adult boys lose their minds... Does anybody know, if I fence off an area in the back so that they cannot visit or see the girls, will they calm down? Or will they just act this nutty regardless of being able to see/visit girls, is it just an age thing?
I have freezer-camped a couple of mean, jerk-faced roosters in the past, so I'm not against it. It just feels like this might be fixable, all five boys are very nice to me, just complete horny losers around the younger chicks.
Thanks ahead for any/all advice, I know roosters are a tricky topic. I'm also wondering if separating the head-rooster will change the behaviors of the lower-ranking roosters, maybe I could cage him for a month? Anyways, just wondering if anybody has experienced something similar
