Is it inhumane to just turn 8 wk old roosters loose?

[FrostRanger]

Thank you. I’m just overwhelmed. I don’t have the heart to cull them, or turn them loose. No one wants them, so I guess it’s time to build a seperate coop and try the whole rooster coop thing. That was a stupid question. Sorry like I said I’m just overwhelmed. And I can’t believe they are fighting already. Is that normal?

It's not unheard of for them to start that early. You can certainly try a bachelor coop but know it may not work out. In the meantime I'd post an ad saying you're giving them away for free. But if they won't get along and no one will take them, you're going to have to put your emotions aside and cull them as hard as that may be

 

[Chickenshannanigans]

It would be inhumane to let them loose then do nothing else with them. If you live out in the country, you can let them loose as free-rangers and still provide food and water. In my opinion, that would be fine to do while you try to find someone to take them.

I do live in the country and I was definitely going to continue to feed and water them. But the husband is going to build a makeshift 8x8 coop and we’ve decided to just segregate them from the others for now. Thanks. I’m really not that heartless although it seems that way. Just the fighting is not good and they are all homes together so he is on the way to the lumber yard.

 

[Chickenshannanigans]

It's not unheard of for them to start that early. You can certainly try a bachelor coop but know it may not work out. In the meantime I'd post an ad saying you're giving them away for free. But if they won't get along and no one will take them, you're going to have to put your emotions aside and cull them as hard as that may be

Going to try bachelor coop, maybe if they’re away from the females they will do better with one another?

 

[FrostRanger]

Going to try bachelor coop, maybe if they’re away from the females they will do better with one another?

It's possible. People have had mixed results with bachelor coops. Sometime they work out, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they work out great until they don't. To increase the odds of it working make sure they can't see the hens at all and they have plenty of room and clutter (stuff that a bird being chased can hide behind to get out of the line of sight of another)

 

[Chickenshannanigans]

It's possible. People have had mixed results with bachelor coops. Sometime they work out, sometimes they don't, and sometimes they work out great until they don't. To increase the odds of it working make sure they can't see the hens at all and they have plenty of room and clutter (stuff that a bird being chased can hide behind to get out of the line of sight of another)

Wait, if I have 38 hens total, wouldn’t I’d be okay to have 4 roosters? I mean all hens are not grown, 10 are teens but maybe I should just wait it out? Or do the bachelor coop? They are beautiful roosters I’m about to snap some pics! I got a white Brahma mix with my RIR and he is pretty! Then 2 RIR s and one leghorn RIR mix(he’s the one really getting beat up) he is small.

 

[FrostRanger]

Wait, if I have 38 hens total, wouldn’t I’d be okay to have 4 roosters? I mean all hens are not grown, 10 are teens but maybe I should just wait it out? Or do the bachelor coop? They are beautiful roosters I’m about to snap some pics! I got a white Brahma mix with my RIR and he is pretty! Then 2 RIR s and one leghorn RIR mix(he’s the one really getting beat up) he is small.

Depends. They might get along, or they might still fight each other or overbreed the hens. It's best to have the least amount of males you can and still meet your goals. At the very least the older hens might thump some manners into them, but still be aware they may not work out for various reasons

 

[wrathsfarm]

I've got 2 brothers that are 16 weeks I separated last week for being too aggressive with the pullets into their own coop and run about 80 ft from the main coop. They can still see both my other flocks when they're free ranging but they've been good together so far with minimal fighting. Sometimes in works, others times you need a plan B and C.

 

[FrostRanger]

I would still at least separate the boys since they're causing problems

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

So I have a flock of 8 week old chickens and Roos (they were all hatched together and raised together and our currently housed together in a seperate coop and run from my adult chickens and single adult rooster.) I’ve noticed that the young roosters are already fighting! Also they are attacking one small chicken of the group. I’m about to literally just open their run and let the roosters go about their way. What would you do? I have no intentions of keeping them and I hate to sound mean but no one wants roosters and I can’t have them beating my chickens up and fighting each other already! The space is limited nowhere near as big as my dominant coop and run. I don’t know what to do. 4 of 14 are male I’m almost positive. Their even shaking their neck feathers and flaring their wings out and then starting each other down and then fighting!!! I’m in a holy mess! I will never incubate eggs again! TIA

If you don’t have any other roosters, keep the nicest one. As for the other 3, some people (like me) would try to sell or give them away. Other people (less hobby farm, more breeders) would just eat the things.

TLDR: soup time

 

[Chickenshannanigans]

I would still at least separate the boys since they're causing problems

Yea we’ve separated for now and about to build a semi generic coop and run for the meantime. When the hens incorporate to the main coop we may incorporate the roosters also just to see what happens and if it turns into a mess we will just put them back into their own coop, if they still continue to fight then idk I will try to rehome…. Waiting game for now. Thanks all. They’re very pretty roosters so my wish is that it would work out!