One dominant cockerel, one not. Normal?

[gritsar]

The chicks will be 7 weeks old tomorrow and no longer look like chicks, but rather minature adults. When I had five roosters everyone got along just fine. The three extras went to a new home on Saturday. Now I notice that Zeus, my light brahma roo, is picking fights with Thor, my dark brahma roo. It's always the same with the dirty looks, the chest bumping, sometimes the feet come up, and then Thor will duck his head and walk off. Is it normal for there to be one dominant and the other passive? I've even witnessed Zeus running across the pen when he sees Thor at a feeder just to chase him off. Luckily he leaves Thor alone when he moves to the other feeder. Funny thing is, Zeus is the sweetest of my chickens where humans are concerned. He seems to crave human interaction. He also gets along well with the hens. Do you think it will always be this way, with Zeus being the head roo?

 

[msrma7670]

NO. It can change I have several roos together. The proablem happens when one decides he wants a change in leadership. they will fuss a bit but it all settles down. I have had to remove them from the hens at time b/c the hens get overridden. B/c both want to show dominance and the hens pay the price. Overall it is best one male per flock, or seperate into two flocks. It is a very hard decesion of what to do. When they start flapping the wings and crowing around the same time watch your kids closley or they will be blood. Good luck and keep the nicer one if ya get ride of the other.

 

[Peeps]

I started off with 7 roos and 10 hens. I waited to see how the roos were going act. The mean loud ones went first. That left me with 4 roos that still get along great and my hens are not "overridden" at all. My roos really mellowed out after the first year. My husband jokes about how quiet my chickens are.