My roos were fighting!

[RockyToggRanch]

I know roosters fight, but mine have always been friends. The sumatra chases the big brahma away from the girls, but that's it. Until last night.

I went to put everyone to bed and when I opened the barn door those two were in an all out rooster war! It was worse than watching pro wrestling! I watched for a minute, thinking they'd resolve it, but I had to break them up when Banyan the sumatra came up with a beak full of white feathers. I carried Porkchop around with me for awhile. His comb has black spots on it. I assume dried blood form earlier tiffs that day. He was bleeding a little but it stopped in minutes.

I think I may have to choose....one may have to go....I'm sad

 

[bluie]

I am feeling your pain. I was in the same situation just last week. We just put them back together and nobody has been bloodied since. I hope they have worked things out. It was very traumatic.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

I feel your pain too. My 2 are now approaching 8 months of age and I am afraid it's about time for me to choose who stays and who goes.

 

[glassparman]

I have kept my Dominique segregated just because of this.

He has his own cage about 4x4 with a nice nesting box on the side and inside a building to protect from the elements.

I have thought about rotating my two roosters through to give them each time with the girls and see what types of cross chicks I get.


Anybody try that idea or is it a bad one?

Michael

 

[sandypaws]

boys will be boys,,
i have always had either a very large area (1/2acer+) or several pens.. i have had a few rooster fights, not usually too bad.... rotate might be fun (if you dont mind mixed breeds)
all my xtreamly aggressive roos, i have put in the pot/gave away..
my bad fights are usually with other types of birds..
rooster VS turkey
rooster VS guienea
guienea VS guienea
goose VS goose

if you have a smaller yard or only a few hens, you will have to choose.. you could split the run/area in half and divide the hens..??? or make a small area for one rooster and one hen...???
goodluck

 

[greyfields]

There is no reason to get rid of one. As long as you have at least two chickens, you'll have fights.

Eventually the two roosters will figure out which one is boss. The non-dominant one will steer clear of the larger one. This is no big deal.

 

[sandypaws]

grey.. that is true,, but ONLY if the area is large enough the roosters can get away from eachother.. if the dom. roosters "space" is invaded he will attack if there is no room for the submissive roster to get away.. he will get picked on to DEATH..
i have seen this more than once (not in my flock, but friends).
if the area is big enough, you will get a few bloody combs and lost feathers. no big deal...
but one rooster CAN get bullied to death if the area is too small.. and the dominant rooster decides what size area he needs,, not us..

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I freerange them all the time,5 acres yard, 100's of acres wooded. They have the run of the barn in bad weather. The barn is new and there is no coop in it yet. So they have a 10x10 corner tarped off with a nest box and roosts that they can go in whenever they wan't. My 2 little d'uccles are in a pen so they don't get picked on. I think the problem is that the brahma is finally starting to defend himself. But he's not very tough. The sumatra was body slamming him. They went at it again this morning and I had to put the brahma on the other side of the barn with the horses. His wattle? was bleeding and he was terrified. The sumatra is a perfect gentleman with people and his hens. He's not bad. At least he hasn't been in the past.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Well I put them to bed last night and positioned the two far enough apart on the roosts so there would be no trouble. I expected to be out there before they awoke, as usual. When I went to the barn, they were going at it like pro fighters. Neither was backing down. I quickly seperated them and put the sumatra into a cage so I could do chores. He escaped of course and chased the brahma outside where I grabbed him up and put him with the horses again. He was very bloody, but still wanted to fight.
I think I may bring him inside and bath him after my DH goes to work. I'll have to get the pen in my feed room ready and put him in there for his own safety. I'll put his buff girlfriend in with him. Niether one will be happy.

How do you bath a chicken? Should I put anything on his wounds?

I've decided that I'll try to rehome him and his girl since I don't have any plans to raise brahmas. (He was supposed to be a pullet).
He'll never win against a sumatra. They were originally bred for fighting. They're very quick and haven't much to grab onto, unlike the brahma. Too bad, I really like him.