Males Living Together

[cchuba]

I have a flock of 7 bantam Ameraucanas, 3 of which are males, and 4 females. I incubated and hatched the eggs, and all have been together for about 2 months now. The males don't fight with each other any more than they do with the females, or any more than the females with the females. When the males mature, am I going to have a problem with them fighting with each other in the event that I don't get more hens? I've been told by the friend that I got the eggs from that I shouldn't have a problem with them since they have been raised together since hatch, but I am looking for more opinions on or experience with this. Thanks.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

I have bantam Ameraucanas also. If they are always together, they should establish amongst themselves who is in charge and who gets to mate the girls. They might share, they might not. I would get rid of at least one though, because if they do share, that's ALOT of male attention for those poor girls. They are going to be WAY overmated...

 

[sourland]

You may or may not have problems. Several factors enter into this including the temperment of the roosters, how much space they have, etc. A guaranteed problem wil be stress and possible injury to the hens. Roosters are horny little devils and 3 roosters with 4 hens is a bad scene waiting to happen.

 

[ajacskr]

I personaly suggest that you pick the best roo and remove the other 2. Weather it is selling or giving them away or sending them to freezer camp. Three roos and four hens is NOT a good mixture.

Here is an ordeal that I just had.

I has given 2 large BA roos awhile back and for the time being I stuck them in with 11 mixed black hens. Everything was cool for the first couple of weeks. Then trouble started happening. I noticed that the 2 roos were tag teaming the hens. With 11 hens I thought there would be enough for the 2 roos. But a couple of weeks ago I started fining the hens in the pen with broken necks. At first I thought it was an isolated insident. But the problem continued. When all was said and done the had broken the necks of 4 hens and injured another that died a couple of days later. I took one of the roos out and since there seems to be harmony in that pen.

Back in June and July I had about 35 EEs hatch off. Now the roos are starting to show themselfs. I have pulled the dominate roo (Killer) so the young ones will show themselfs. I have 10 pens of chickens. I have set one of these aside just for holding roos. Right now I have 17 large breed roos in my holding pen. For the last month we have hardly been above freezing, so I have not been able to take them to the flea market or process them at freezer camp.

Hope this helps.