Keeping 2 Roos together?

[HuskerChickMom]

I usually get fertilized eggs for my broody hens to hatch, but this year I am considering getting some chicks and hoping my mamas adopt them (fingers crossed). I am down to my last buff Orpington and want more plus some silver laced Wynodottes. I'd like to get a male chick of each breed so that my hens can hatch their own chicks without me trying to find fertilized eggs every year. My question is, would I be able to keep just the two roos together separate from the hens? I don't want them to stay with my hens all year because I don't want them to cross breed. I have the space to have two coops (One for hens and one for roos), but I've never kept a rooster before little lone 2! I could also keep each roo with about 10 hens each if that would be a better idea! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, any help on getting my broody hens to adopt chicks would be great too.

 

[Cyprus]

Generally, it is better to keep multiple roosters with enough hens than keep multiple roosters together.

Though I have no experience myself, I have read that putting full grown roosters together, without hens, who have not been raised together since chicks doesn't usually work out.

However, it does also depend on the individual. BO's are pretty docile, and often so are Wyandottes so it may work.

Sorry that I do not have a concrete answer for you.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

@RoostersAreAwesome will have some good advice

 

[HuskerChickMom]

Thank you! I'm trying to figure out how to not have my chickens cross breed so maybe keeping each roo with about 10 hens would be better than having the roos together? The groups of chickens would have to trade off free roaming days then. The roos would be reaised from chicks together. Maybe I'm making this too hard and should just get one rooster I don't want to stress out my ladies or the roos!

 

[Cyprus]

If you raise them from chicks together without hens, you should be fine.
Actually, as I recall, I did that with two light Brahma roosters and I never had a single issue with them. They were the best of friends.

 

[HuskerChickMom]

Did you ever put them with hens and then put them back together? I'm wondering if this would cause them to be unfriendly after mating. Mine would be with separate hens in separate pens to eliminate cross breeding.

 

[Cyprus]

Did you ever put them with hens and then put them back together? I'm wondering if this would cause them to be unfriendly after mating. Mine would be with separate hens in separate pens to eliminate cross breeding.

I put them in together with hens many times, and then back together, even after sexual maturity. They never got aggressive to each other, not even a little.
However, mine always shared the same flock of hens and always went in with them at the same time. They were removed to their own coop without hens a few times and never fought.

 

[HuskerChickMom]

That's definitely encouraging! They will be with the hens at the same time for sure, they will just be with different hens in different pens

 

[Cyprus]

Sounds great! I don't think you'll have any issues. Have the best of times with your plan!

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO, your bigger issue will be that the hens will be over bred. How big is your total flock? I've kept multiple roos. Both in with the hens, and separately. If you are wanting to breed BO and SLW, I'd keep the roos and hens together until about a month before you are ready to start collecting eggs.

Then, separate the 2 breeds into separate coops, wait a month for the hens to get the old sperm cleaned out of their systems, and then start collecting your eggs.