New member-rooster questions

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

Hello all-I am new to raising chickens and have a rooster question. I have three americauna hens (2 years old) 1 red sexlink hen (3 years old) and 5-4 month old Orpingtons. Of the 5 young ones three are roosters and two are hens. Total 6 hens and 3 roosters.

the young ones were all raised together from 2 days old and are doing fine. My question is do I keep all the roosters? Will they fight if I only keep 2 roosters? (I have someone who wants one of them), or do I keep them all to keep the peace?

their pen is 40 feet x 80 feet (they are in the pen at dawn and dusk before going into their coop at night) then they have free range of 4 acres to explore all day long.

I would like to breed my Chocolate and Lavender laced roosters/hens in the future but my main goal is happy peeps so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thank you so much

 

[Ridgerunner]

My question is do I keep all the roosters? Will they fight if I only keep 2 roosters? (I have someone who wants one of them), or do I keep them all to keep the peace?

My general suggestion is to keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed more problems with more boys but that problem are more likely. It sounds like with your goals that means two boys minimum, one Chocolate and one Lavender.

Now the trick is to determine how to keep them all. I try to go by what I see happening instead of what people (or even my experience) tells me might possibly happen. My experience tells me that many different outcomes are possible so I need to be ready for about anything.

Some people manage to keep two or more roosters with the flock without much drama. Sometimes that just does not work. One type of drama is that they determine which one is boss, which is dominant flock master. In a flock like yours with older hens and cockerels that's likely the dominant hen right now. As the boys mature that will change. It could involve a fight to the death between the boys or maybe with that dominant hen. Or they could settle that with basically no drama for you to see. Each situation is unique because each chicken has its own personality and we house and manage them differently.

One kind of drama, especially with immature cockerels, is that they probably will want to mate with the girls, either the pullets their age or the older hens. Eventually both. When they go through puberty the hormones take over, they have little if any self-control. It can get pretty violent but sometimes it's not really that bad. But usually it can be hard to watch. As someone on here once said watching them go through puberty is not for the faint of heart. Immature cockerels and pullets usually don't act like mature roosters and hens.

This excess desire to mate can stress the girls. They might avoid the boys by staying in the coop or even up on the roosts in the coop. They may have trouble eating and drinking enough from avoiding the boys. Since mating can sometimes be violent injury or even death is a possibility. Or the girls may lose enough feathers that they can be injured. Usually that's on their backs where the boys feet stand or the back of the head where the boys grab hole during mating. That head grab is part of mating, it's the signal for the girls to raise the tail out of the way so the boys can hit the target. It's instinctive for both boys and girls but if it is violent feathers can be pulled, which leaves that bare skin open for injury. In my flock this stuff usually does not happen, but it can. Usually the more room you have the less likely you are to have serious issues but they can possibly happen even with unlimited room. None of this is certain.

Once the immature boys and girls become mature roosters and hens things tend to settle down a lot. They don't always but they tend to. The trick is often getting to that point.

You said you want to breed different hens and roosters. That lines up pretty well with being ready for anything. After a mating the hen stores the sperm in a special "container" near where the eg starts its journey through the hen's internal egg making factory so that egg can be fertilized. That sperm can remain viable for over three weeks. That means you need to separate the hens from any rooster you do not want to be the father for over three weeks. That means separate breeding pens. If you build those breeding opens now (including coops) then you can separate them when you need to, if you need to.

You'll read a lot on here about hen to rooster ratios. I don't believe in those, I believe in going by what I see. You can have the same issues with 1 to 30 as you can with 1 to 3. You may have no issues whatsoever. Breeders often keep breeding pairs or trios with no problems. That may be one rooster with one or two hens. But there is an open secret that often makes it work. Those breeding pairs or trios are mature chickens, not immature cockerels or pullets. You can still have issues but with adults it is much less likely. With immature chickens the odds of problems go way up.

In your situation I'd get rid of that third boy. You don't need him and he is not going to help. I'd build those breeding pens so they are ready if you need them. During breeding season and if you have to separate them for other reasons that means they don't all free range together or share all of that run so be generous with room when you build them. Then see what happens and base your actions on what yo see.

Good luck!

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

Well I rehomed my third rooster and all was well with my two boys. Unfortunately my chocolate Rooster was starting to show signs of aggression toward my husband, nothing major just stomping his feet. He is the one I wanted to keep the most. He then attacked my husband out of nowhere so off he went. Now I have the one lavender rooster and they all seem quite happy and he is so sweet and friendly- no signs of aggression at all. I am learning that my plans don’t always coincide with the chickens/roosters plans

thank you for all the help and suggestions.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
It's very likely that your pullets and hens will be miserable! Too many cockerels, all trying to mate everyone, not going to be good. It's time to add more pullets and reduce your cockerel numbers, or have a separate bachelor coop.
Here we start with many cockerels, and sift them down over the months as they grow.
Any starting to be human aggressive? It takes some experience to understand early signs that indicate difficulties down the road, but it's a cull point here, every time.
Any with conformation faults, like beak or toe deformities, crooked tails or backs, anything not good to breed on? Another cull point.
Size? Size matters too,
Then if you still have possible 'keepers', maybe one, unless you are greatly increasing your flock. If you have someone interested in buying one or two of them, do it!
Some sparing is normal, but fighting tells you that someone needs to leave, and have a Plan B that can happen instantly if that happens.
Mary

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can monitor them and seperate if they do seem to be drawing blood. Mine all squabble ocassonally (Usually when someone tries to woo a girl that isn't theirs). Or you can have seperate flocks or congical visits (males stay in cages and hens are brought to him for breeding and the hens are all housed together). The main things to watch for, especially with only 6 hens for all those boys are bare backs and fights that last longer than a quick squabble.

Jist because they squabble doesn't mean they'll kill each other

 

[Sally PB]

Three is too many. If you have someone to take one, give one away.

Two may be too many. If you find someone to take another, give him away too.

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

My general suggestion is to keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed more problems with more boys but that problem are more likely. It sounds like with your goals that means two boys minimum, one Chocolate and one Lavender.

Now the trick is to determine how to keep them all. I try to go by what I see happening instead of what people (or even my experience) tells me might possibly happen. My experience tells me that many different outcomes are possible so I need to be ready for about anything.

Some people manage to keep two or more roosters with the flock without much drama. Sometimes that just does not work. One type of drama is that they determine which one is boss, which is dominant flock master. In a flock like yours with older hens and cockerels that's likely the dominant hen right now. As the boys mature that will change. It could involve a fight to the death between the boys or maybe with that dominant hen. Or they could settle that with basically no drama for you to see. Each situation is unique because each chicken has its own personality and we house and manage them differently.

One kind of drama, especially with immature cockerels, is that they probably will want to mate with the girls, either the pullets their age or the older hens. Eventually both. When they go through puberty the hormones take over, they have little if any self-control. It can get pretty violent but sometimes it's not really that bad. But usually it can be hard to watch. As someone on here once said watching them go through puberty is not for the faint of heart. Immature cockerels and pullets usually don't act like mature roosters and hens.

This excess desire to mate can stress the girls. They might avoid the boys by staying in the coop or even up on the roosts in the coop. They may have trouble eating and drinking enough from avoiding the boys. Since mating can sometimes be violent injury or even death is a possibility. Or the girls may lose enough feathers that they can be injured. Usually that's on their backs where the boys feet stand or the back of the head where the boys grab hole during mating. That head grab is part of mating, it's the signal for the girls to raise the tail out of the way so the boys can hit the target. It's instinctive for both boys and girls but if it is violent feathers can be pulled, which leaves that bare skin open for injury. In my flock this stuff usually does not happen, but it can. Usually the more room you have the less likely you are to have serious issues but they can possibly happen even with unlimited room. None of this is certain.

Once the immature boys and girls become mature roosters and hens things tend to settle down a lot. They don't always but they tend to. The trick is often getting to that point.

You said you want to breed different hens and roosters. That lines up pretty well with being ready for anything. After a mating the hen stores the sperm in a special "container" near where the eg starts its journey through the hen's internal egg making factory so that egg can be fertilized. That sperm can remain viable for over three weeks. That means you need to separate the hens from any rooster you do not want to be the father for over three weeks. That means separate breeding pens. If you build those breeding opens now (including coops) then you can separate them when you need to, if you need to.

You'll read a lot on here about hen to rooster ratios. I don't believe in those, I believe in going by what I see. You can have the same issues with 1 to 30 as you can with 1 to 3. You may have no issues whatsoever. Breeders often keep breeding pairs or trios with no problems. That may be one rooster with one or two hens. But there is an open secret that often makes it work. Those breeding pairs or trios are mature chickens, not immature cockerels or pullets. You can still have issues but with adults it is much less likely. With immature chickens the odds of problems go way up.

In your situation I'd get rid of that third boy. You don't need him and he is not going to help. I'd build those breeding pens so they are ready if you need them. During breeding season and if you have to separate them for other reasons that means they don't all free range together or share all of that run so be generous with room when you build them. Then see what happens and base your actions on what yo see.

Good luck!

Thank you so much that is so very helpful. I will rehome my third rooster now and see how things progress. I have a second 40x 80 enclosure that is ready to go if need be- built a new coop but still have the original one we used before we moved everyone Nextdoor to the second pen. I went through a similar issue with a male duck who needed time outs from time to time. Sounds like temporary separation is a definite possibility until we get through the teenager phase- I’m okay with that. Thank you for the info about separation with breeding as well- I had no idea. Main goal is happy hens and roosters and no injuries. Thanks again fir all the great advice

 

[Petaluma Petting Zoo]

I am not looking for many more hens and I would rather not keep them separate for good. that being said I have a pen right next door that they could be moved to right away just in case. no real fighting. when the third rooster tries to get a little too friendly with one of the hens the chocolate rooster (must be the top of the pecking order) yells at him and he stops.

I figure he may be happier in a flock with no other roosters. I like the plan B option and could separate and then rehome the roosters as needed. and I definitely do not want to stress out the older original hens I have either. so far two of the roosters are the friendliest and sweetest boys, friendlier than even the girls. the third rooster is more timid, maybe because he is at the bottom of the pecking order?

 

[Mrs. K]

IMO roosters take experience. If this is your first year remove all the roosters.
Chickens can be a long term plan, work into them.

 

[Folly's place]

I'll add that when we separated the flock into breeding groups, it helps that the birds can still all see each other, they are separate but right next to each other. Then when breeding season is done, the flock can reform without a lot of drama.
Having cockerels and roosters together can work, or not, but once roosters are totally apart for any amount of time they may never get along again.
Just always have that Plan B ready!
Mary