No Alpha Rooster??

[benshens4561]

Hey guys,

I tried searching for this but I couldn't find anything on it. If this has already been discussed please point me in the right direction. (Maybe my keywords are off?).

I have 3 roosters, 2 the same age and breed, same father as well. I don't know if the mothers are the same or if that matters. The 2 that are the same are ayam cemani x hmong. I have read that they are not very aggressive and will not fight to harm each other. I have noticed this as they only play fight, or it doesn't seem to serious. My other roo is a whiting true blue and is much more aggressive when fighting, he is 2 weeks younger and seems to be a runt or just a small boy. I raised the whiting with 2 other hens and he is somewhat protective over them and the 3 always stay together.

All 3 roosters will mount my older red sex links, 3 of them, and they all just seem to watch each other. Only my whiting gets mad when his 2 ladies are done but only makes noises of disapproval.

Is this normal to have all my roosters do all my hens?

There doesn't seem to be an alpha male. The 2 ayams are above the whiting, but don't act as if they care when he breaks rank for most things. The 2 ayams seem to split roles but not be above one another. All roos seem to watch the flock but more like they are part of it then being roosters.

 

[azygous]

Chickens can be subtle about how they decide rank among themselves. As with humans, as long as everyone is willing to politely negotiate and then come to agreement, you will see no overt conflicts.

I have two such roosters. They are father and son, and 99% peaceful. Occasionally, the younger one steps out of line and the older one chases him around a bit, the younger one sulks for a while, and then they're pals again.

It's only when one chicken in the equation decides not to accept the rank they've been handed that things can get messy. Then you can see claws come out and feathers fly, and maybe the loser will be sporting a dinged comb. Even then, the conflict doesn't last long.

The worst scenario is when two roosters prefer to be in constant disagreement over who has the top rank that it becomes untenable and one needs to go. In my flock, some years back, the constant conflict was decided for them by marauding dogs killing one of them.

 

[aart]

2 the same age

.....and how old is that, in weeks or months?
How old are all the females?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It would be interesting to know all their ages (boys and girls). When you mention that the one is two weeks younger that implies they might be pretty young. Maturity can have an effect in how they interact with each other and the girls. If they are still pretty young you may see some changes in the future. You could see changes anyway even if they are older.

You can never tell for sure what will happen with living animals and how they will behave. Each one, boys and girls, have their own personalities. The girls have a part to play in flock dynamics too. How they are raised can have an effect. How much room they have could be important. I'll repeat, maturity level can have an effect, could be pretty important.

I don't know your full story, but you understand you are destroying some people's conceptions. The boys don't always fight viciously. The dominant one doesn't always go after any other male that dares mate in his presence. Multiple boys don't always gang rape a girl. It sounds like you have fewer than 10 girls per boy yet you don't mention the girls' feathers ripped off, them bleeding from wounds from overmating, or the girls cowering in fear like some would expect.

Bad things can happen and some may be in your future. If you keep chickens long enough you'll probably see some. I don't know how much room you have, the ages, or the numbers. I don't know that I'd call what you are seeing "normal" but I don't find it unusual.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Ages would be good to know. And pics please.