Keeping roosters together

[ChickenyChickeny]

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.

WOW. they haven't crowed ever? are you sure they are a roo?

 

[Tweetie the ameraucana]

so just found out i possibly have 2 roosters out of my 10 chickens. They are my favorite chickens and would love to keep both. Is it not a good idea to keep 2 roosters with 8 hens?

They could be fine, but keep watching. I've had to kill three roosters because they were mean...I'm very sad about my rhode island red chicken dying because my giant rooster that seemed very skittish spurred her

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I've got 3 roosters and 11 hens. But 2 of the roosters are bantams, a Serama who gets his butt kicked by everyone, and a Porcelain D'Uccles rooster who is pretty aggressive, not to his girls but to the cats, us, and anything he sees as a threat. He even attacked our German Shepherd, my hand, and runs after me as if to tell me to stay away from his girls. He used to be really skittish, but now he's so full of testosterone he's gone nuts. If he was full size it might be an issue but since he's small I think it's funny.
. Then there is a Silkie rooster, but he's pretty much worthless besides mating a couple of his favorite girls and screaming when anything goes flying through the air. I really like roosters and miss my gorgeous EE rooster Ricky. He was the best

 

[Table4Six]

WOW. they haven't crowed ever? are you sure they are a roo?

Only one is a rooster. And I'm a fairly experienced chicken keeper and 100% positive that he's a boy. He has hackle and saddle feathers and a larger comb than all the hens he was raised with. He's just supper weird, lol, and yes, he's never crowed once.

 

[keesmom]

so just found out i possibly have 2 roosters out of my 10 chickens. They are my favorite chickens and would love to keep both. Is it not a good idea to keep 2 roosters with 8 hens?

You won't know until you try. They may fight all the time. They may get along splendidly with each other but harass the pullets to the point that they can't eat, drink or dustbathe in peace without constantly being mated. Or everything could be fine.

Recently I had 2 cockerels raised in a flock with 35 free range mature hens. For a while they steered clear of the hens. Then one day they figured out that while one-on-one they couldn't match the more dominant hens, working together they could do what they wanted with any female. They'd chase down a hen, and take turns holding her down while the other did his thing. Repeatedly. They should have developed better chicken manners but did not. They didn't even change their ways after a long lockdown in jail so I eventually culled them. Point is anything can happen, just make sure you have an extra pen to lock up any problem individuals.

 

[Naser]

If they free range all day they will be fine as the less dominant will run away, otherwise it is hit and miss, you love them now as they are young, they will change and your feeling towards them will.

 

[Stacylynnlac]

Thank you all for your replys! They will eventually be free range but will be locked up at night in their coop because we have a ton of predators. I guess we will wait and see how they do! Most likely I will try to re home if they show any signs of being aggressive to each other or the hens but that’s not so easy where I live! Thanks again!

 

[wilchett]

so just found out i possibly have 2 roosters out of my 10 chickens. They are my favorite chickens and would love to keep both. Is it not a good idea to keep 2 roosters with 8 hens?

I had 7 hens and two roosters. After reaching maturity ... they began to challenge one another. We ended up giving one rooster away after the other got injured and we had the hens losing too many feathers for being loved on too much. I had read that one rooster to 8 to 12 hens is about the right ratio. I have only been raising chickens for a year though. Perhaps a more experienced person may have another idea for you.

 

[FlomatonsFlocks]

Only one is a rooster. And I'm a fairly experienced chicken keeper and 100% positive that he's a boy. He has hackle and saddle feathers and a larger comb than all the hens he was raised with. He's just supper weird, lol, and yes, he's never crowed once.

Never crowed...how old is he?

 

[Arielle2]

A lot depends on the amount of space. I have one group of 8--4 roosters. The spread out and make wonderful guards for the hens.