Multiple rooster problem!

[VT_Veggie_Lover]

Introducing two mature roosters is either going to involve fighting or some serious running away, usually both. It might be a fight to the death or involve a serious injury. Or they may reach some type of accommodation in taking care of the flock. That accommodation can look different but often it involves each rooster setting up his own territory out of visual sight of the other and each having his own harem. I have seen two boys share a harem without killing each other though. (They grew up together.) With living animals you never know for certain what will happen.

For the initial fight between two mature roosters to end (and there will probably be more than one fight) one almost certainly has to be able to run way from the other and get away. Or if one immediately realizes he has no chance he may just start running. He still needs to be able to get away. I have no idea how big your coop is or how big your run is. Anytime you integrate any chickens the more room you have the better your chances of success.

Sometimes integration isn't nearly as rough as we make it sound. Sometimes you can just put them together and there is not a lot of drama. I grew up on a farm where the chickens totally free ranged, no fences at all. Some slept in trees. When Dad integrated he just took them down to the hen house and turned hem loose. He never added another mature rooster to the flock, practically always some brooder-raised chicks, but with that kind of room integration wasn't a problem.

Sometimes putting them in the coop at night so they wake up together works well. It depends on different things, the amount and quality of the room you have in the coop and, very important, the personality of the chickens involved. If the chickens have that kind of personality it would probably have worked just as well if you introduce them during the morning when they are roaming around outside.

You can try putting them in at night. As long as the coop is dark enough nothing should happen until daylight. But I would be down there at daylight to see what is going on. Open the pop door if they need more room. Have a plan on how you are going to catch one if they are violently fighting and you think you need to separate them. And have a place ready to house one separate if you need to. You may get lucky but I think the odds are really high that you will see a lot of violence. Be ready for it in case it happens.

When I introduce young hens to the existing flock I put them in a separate run so that the can see the big birds for a few weeks without them being able to get to completely get to each other. After awhile I finally put them in at night. Maybe I'll do this with the new rooster.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I have a friend with a huge fenced in yard with 2 roosters & hens that grew up together and the roos tolerate each other, but he also has large white ducks and if the roosters do spar the male Drake duck often runs in and breaks up the fight or his 2 little dogs break up fights. I've heard that turkeys or geese may act as peacekeepers as well, but I do not have experience with this. All I know is, I tried to have a bachelor Roo pad with 5 Roos that hatched together & 1 by 1 a Roo would get picked on & need to be removed due to injuries, mostly bloody combs. Once they are removed, trying to reintroduce them does not work at all, trust me on that 1. I have 2 roosters left together that grew up since they hatched out of the egg, and now they are squabbling. I can't speak for anyone else, and my roosters are so sweet with me I can pick them up hold them and hug them and they will sit on my lap, but at least in my case here, I have come to the conclusion that roosters are better off separated With their own space, for their own safety and well being. I have found that even then having them right next door to each other with wire mesh separating them they will continue to try to spar through the wire and injure their own toes and spurs. So now I've had to attach shade cloth Between the sections. I also have to build more Predator proof pens so everybody has their own space.