Keeping roosters together

[bobbi-j]

What is breeding age?

It starts around 5-6 months old or so. They're all different and mature at different rates.

 

[Stacylynnlac]

What breed are your roosters? Some breeds are more easy-going than others. Right now, I have 2 Orpington cockerels around 9 months old with a free range flock of around 14 hens, plus 3 "teenage" Orpington cockerels (maybe 3 months old?) that I'm growing out with the free range to decide which ones to keep as back-ups. All the boys get along fine. The older cockerels decided a while ago which one was the head of the flock but they both breed the hens and crow and have a generally chicken-y good time.

Conversely, we have an all-rooster flock in our sheep pasture, including "charity case" bantams, breeding stock grow-outs, and ones we intend for butchering. Even though it's an all male flock and the free range hens don't go up there, we had a LOT of problems with several of the roosters, mostly Olive Eggers, who spent their entire day attacking and "mating" the smaller or subordinate roosters. The mean roosters recently got sent to "freezer camp" and the remaining seven roosters get along perfectly politely with each other.

So I think it depends on breed, roaming space, and individual personalities.

One is a barred rock and the other is an Easter Egger

 

[bobbi-j]

All you can do is watch and see how they do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Delaneygraces]

One is a barred rock and the other is an Easter Egger

Hallo! A friend of mine had a barred rock and a Rhode Island Red mix grow up together as cockerels, but didn’t want them and gave them to us. They free ranged, and were very friendly to each other. Of course, the first few days there was some pecking, and and occasion fight, but they were very brief. They quickly found out the pecking order, and lived with it. I think it just depends on the birds, and how easily they are willing to give up dominance.

 

[h2oratt]

It depends on the breed. I have a pen with 15 plus roosters. They don’t fight.

 

[1cock2hens]

I have 3 roosters with 7 hens right now, it works. yeah i have little dust ups but pecking order does need to be establishes and occasionally reestablishes so its to be expected, nothing serious, once they are done they are best friends again. // and no my hens don't get overbred, there is no visable sign of overbreeding and I actually have three hens that don't even have fertile eggs so obviously they aren't getting mated by any of the roosters

 

[meetthebubus]

This is the time I would start teaching those young cockerels that you are the boss. I would stop hand feeding them and holding them and start distancing myself from them. When they are old enough to go outside, I would not let them into my space. I would walk through them if they happened to be between where I am and where I want to be. I'd move them away from the feed and not let them eat unless I decide they can. It all sounds pretty cold and callous, but you need to read all the "Help! My sweet rooster attacked me!" threads. Almost all of them start out saying how he was handled, hand fed, and the friendliest as a chick.

It seems that the more they are handled, the more they think they are dominant over you. It seems that in the chicken world, respect is shown by giving ground. Staying out of a dominant bird's space. You can do as you like, of course, but I have been raising my cockerels this way for several years and have not had one turn on me yet.

I still hand feed my roosters they are both 2 yrs old I can appreciate the opinion that hand feeding was the problem, i highly doubt this bc of my experiences

I also had sweet baby roos that when they reached adult hormones they changed personalities and I could no longer hand feed them, yet when I went to the pen they knew I was boss they didn't get along with each other they were always fighting yet they grew up as babies together

So unfortunately I think it will all depend on the personalities of your birds and remember they can change so if you do have to give one up it may be for the best

I'd also like to add my two big roos fight daily but are separated through a fence so they only get scratches but one is a special case and not really a roo only gets roo hormones so,she thinks she is

I also have a little roo now with 18 broader pullet mates that will be integrated with my hens and one roo so i dont know how 2 roosters and 24 hens will work out just bc will the boys get along? We will see....

 

[Table4Six]

All you can do is watch and see how they do. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

x2
If both roos turn out with domineering personalities it definitely won't work. You just have to wait and see.
I have one silkie rooster who was raised along with 5 other silkies who all turned out to be girls. The hens have started laying, but my rooster hasn't even crowed once and never trys to breed the hens. He's extremely laid back and lets me hold him all the time. I also have other chickens(all hens) besides my silkies and they are all higher in the pecking order. My rooster just doesn't have a domineering personalty and all my hens basically treat him like he's one of them, lol. Good luck.

 

[Chullicken]

You can, like mentioned situations vary and the gene pool. If you have a large enough enclosure or they are pastured/free range that could provide an opportunity for ample 'escape' space within your flock. Thing is with two roosters, the head one will mount a hen and the underboss will hop on her as soon as the alpha is finished. This can cause all kinds of stress issues, feather loss and over breeding leaving the select hen ratty and unkept. A lot of times its the low girl on the totem pole to being with. As if flock life wasn't hard enough for her as it is. If you really want to keep them both try it out with ample space, or even try a bachelor pad since they've grown up together. Keep in mind, there will always be a status battle between them regardless of the living arrangements and flock size.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

it will probably be fine! jest watch em!