New Rooster.....

[shannonb1]

I found a free beautiful rooster on Craigslist.....he is still very young, but handled constantly and did I say beautiful???

My current rooster is really getting up there in age and while he "services" his hens.....I don't think his swimmers are good. I don't want to get rid of him, but is it possible to have 2 roosters? I have 6 hens and one rooster.....their coup is approx. 25 x 20 and they have a very large fenced in area....some of them get out of that run (not supposed to but they do) and free range our 8 acres with the horses : ) But they always come in the coop at nighttime.

Is this a big enough area for 2 roosters (the coop I mean)???

Thanks!

Shannon

 

[cybercat]

No really with six hens. You will have fights till dominace is setteled bewteen them. Once that is past you might be ok or not.

 

[shannonb1]

So is that a no?

I just want to do the right thing.....I don't want to cause any more disruption to my little flock than I have to, but my one hen who is all by herself (rooster and others are mean to her).....would be nice to have her own bodyguard besides me : )

Is it because I do not have enough hens that another rooster is not a good idea or is it my space in the coop? Not being argumentative, I'm just wondering. Horses are so much easier than this chicken thing. lol

 

[Happy Chooks]

I've never had a rooster before, but I'm just wondering.

Since your rooster is getting up there in age, is it possible he just might submit to the other rooster without a fight? It just seems to me that he may not try to maintain his top rooster level when a younger, stronger rooster shows up. Aren't they smart enough to know they'll get a beating?

I could be wrong, just thinking aloud. Anyhow, at the very least, here's a bump for you.

 

[shannonb1]

That's a really good idea, BUT.....my current rooster is VERY large and he is by no means ready for the old age home just yet. He does not act like the senior citizen he is : ) The rooster I'm looking at is part silkie and part mille fleur d'uccle......so he is much smaller and very young....only like 34 weeks or so.

Maybe this is just a bad idea and I should wait until spring.

I do have another coop I could use but was hoping to use it to store the winter hay ......

(edited to say say "thanks" for the bump!!!)

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Alrighty then. With the old roo not ready to give up his place and the new roo so much smaller, I agree it sounds like a bad idea. (but what do I know, my rooster is only 6 weeks old)

Can you maybe put them separate, but where they can see each other? Maybe that will work?

 

[shannonb1]

new2chooks.....

I think you are right......bad idea for right now. Maybe I'll just wait until spring and see how mr roo is doing then. He's got super long spurs that is why I think he is old. Other than that he doesn't act it at all......someone once told me you can tell their age by their spurs. Maybe they were wrong and he is not that old. His spurs are about 3.5 inches long.....the person I got him from said he'd been at their farm for years - but then again he thought roo was a hen. Go figure.

 

[Sillystunt]

i have roo's together and they do fine BUT they were raised together and one does submit. Not sure if that helps at all

 

[greathorse]

There really is no way to know that fight could last seconds or go to near death or even that. Most of the times there is a scrap that looks worse than it is. Combs and or waddles get cut and torn easily and bleed profusely when it does happen.

I move roosters around a fair amount and most of the time things get settled pretty quickly and with little or no damage.


AS long as you keep you low fertility rooster you are going to have an issue with onother rooster coming in. Just cause that young fella doesnt represent a threat now doesnt mean your big fella isnt going to throw down some day when he is being threatened

 

[logansmommy7]

How do you tell how old a rooster is? I have one that was given to me-he is a barnevelder and soooo sweet, but he is big, and I just wonder how old he is. His legs looked aged, but he does a great job, taking care of the hens and all. Any advice?