I have 24 chickens.
7 one year old laying hens and my new flock of 17 four month olds, which includes two accidental roosters: a Black Copper Marans and a Blue Cuckoo Marans.
I have two coops and two covered runs. Each run is approximately 240sq feet and they share a hardware cloth wall.
My plan was to make little doorways through that hardware cloth, so the two flocks could mingle freely when they're put up.
My problem is that my BCM rooster is getting hormonal and is not only trying to mount my younger pullets, but is going after my laying hens when they're all out of their runs for supervised yard time.
The Black Copper Marans is clueless, he's big and neither my hens nor my pullets want anything to do with him, when he acts up. Yesterday, one of my hens jumped in my lap to get away from him. My layers are very friendly, but they never do that. The rooster is that annoying to them and they are that disinterested in him.
On a positive note, he's not at all aggressive to humans, he is very intimidating due to his size and he does watch the sky very well, which is extremely important because I'm surrounded by hawks.
So far, the two roosters haven't fought and no hens or pullets have been injured. The Blue Cuckoo Marans rooster is smaller and he tends to immediately back down.
My questions:
Should I split the two roosters up and keep the layers and pullets in separate runs with a rooster each or will that make for rooster fights when they're all out together for yard time?
If they are to be split, should the Black Copper Marans stay with the larger, younger flock to disperse his interest?
Will the Black Copper Marans settle down and learn to properly mate with the hens? He's incredibly clumsy.
Any advice would be most appreciated.
7 one year old laying hens and my new flock of 17 four month olds, which includes two accidental roosters: a Black Copper Marans and a Blue Cuckoo Marans.
I have two coops and two covered runs. Each run is approximately 240sq feet and they share a hardware cloth wall.
My plan was to make little doorways through that hardware cloth, so the two flocks could mingle freely when they're put up.
My problem is that my BCM rooster is getting hormonal and is not only trying to mount my younger pullets, but is going after my laying hens when they're all out of their runs for supervised yard time.
The Black Copper Marans is clueless, he's big and neither my hens nor my pullets want anything to do with him, when he acts up. Yesterday, one of my hens jumped in my lap to get away from him. My layers are very friendly, but they never do that. The rooster is that annoying to them and they are that disinterested in him.
On a positive note, he's not at all aggressive to humans, he is very intimidating due to his size and he does watch the sky very well, which is extremely important because I'm surrounded by hawks.
So far, the two roosters haven't fought and no hens or pullets have been injured. The Blue Cuckoo Marans rooster is smaller and he tends to immediately back down.
My questions:
Should I split the two roosters up and keep the layers and pullets in separate runs with a rooster each or will that make for rooster fights when they're all out together for yard time?
If they are to be split, should the Black Copper Marans stay with the larger, younger flock to disperse his interest?
Will the Black Copper Marans settle down and learn to properly mate with the hens? He's incredibly clumsy.
Any advice would be most appreciated.