My 5wk old roosters Are fighting!!

[Shayzin8]

So about 5 weeks ago my hen hatched 8 Wyandotte chicks. I went away on holiday for two weeks, so I had to keep all our normally free ranged hens and the chicks in the coupe together, and arranged for a few different people to come and check on them. A few days before I got back from my trip my friend was over and saw that one chick’s neck and chest had bloody wounds and scratches all over it (this really puzzled us). She took the chick home to clean it up and gave it back to me when I got home. Today I decided to put him back with the others. To my surprise neither my hen or the other chicks attacked him, but he attacked them. The problem is I have one chick (who is also definitely a rooster) that doesn’t back down and they keep getting into massive fights, which I found out are the cause for the chicks wounds (I found an old wound on the other chick too but not as bad.). I am new to owning chickens so I don’t know what to do with this chick, It is really aggressive and won’t stop fighting even though it is getting badly hurt in the process. Is it possible to somehow stop them fighting, or do I have to always keep them separate, or should I sell him? I need some suggestions.

 

[kesrchicky16]

So about 5 weeks ago my hen hatched 8 Wyandotte chicks. I went away on holiday for two weeks, so I had to keep all our normally free ranged hens and the chicks in the coupe together, and arranged for a few different people to come and check on them. A few days before I got back from my trip my friend was over and saw that one chick’s neck and chest had bloody wounds and scratches all over it (this really puzzled us). She took the chick home to clean it up and gave it back to me when I got home. Today I decided to put him back with the others. To my surprise neither my hen or the other chicks attacked him, but he attacked them. The problem is I have one chick (who is also definitely a rooster) that doesn’t back down and they keep getting into massive fights, which I found out are the cause for the chicks wounds (I found an old wound on the other chick too but not as bad.). I am new to owning chickens so I don’t know what to do with this chick, It is really aggressive and won’t stop fighting even though it is getting badly hurt in the process. Is it possible to somehow stop them fighting, or do I have to always keep them separate, or should I sell him? I need some suggestions.

Does he fight if there is a fence or something between them? Could it have been a preditor attack and now he is defensive and scare because of being pulled away after being hurt?

I wonder if there are some cockerels that just have higher testosterone and are more prone to fighting. Personally I had a human aggressive 8 month old cockerel I put down for safety reasons. He was of Wyandotte heritage but his brother jumps when I say move so I doubt it is a breed thing. Hopefully someone has better info for you and less questions, sounds like you have plenty of those.

 

[Shayzin8]

He was in a cage when I brought him back to the other chickens, he was very anxious to get to them. I don’t think any predators could have got to him while I was away as the coup is very secure and I made sure rats couldn’t get in. Also only the other rooster had a wound in the same spot. Thanks anyway for trying to help.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Normal 5 week old cockerel behavior.

 

[chuckachucka]

I wouldn't say it was normal in the sense that cockerels usually start seriously scrapping later than five weeks, but it can happen. I had two little cockerels who decided to fight to the death at four weeks once. They couldn't be kept together after that and after separating one for a couple of days, the mother hen would not accept it back. I ended up selling them both. My advice would be to rehome.

 

[chuckachucka]

If the hen still accepts the chick that was separated to heal then returned, it will only upset him more to be away from her on the other side of a segregated fence, for example. There is no way to stop them fighting, unfortunately. If the chick is fully feathered I would sell it.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Some cockerels are like that! Move one or both of them on to separate homes, especially this very aggressive little guy! He sounds like a disaster in your flock, and he's asking to be invited to dinner somewhere.
Hatching eggs means having a plan for all the cockerels, and that doesn't include keeping every one of them.
Mary

 

[Tiana's chickens]

Hi!!!