Question about managing my roosters

[Buster]

I have 6 roosters. My Buff Orp, d'uccle, and EE roos all free range together and live in the same coop. The Buff is the top of the food chain there. My Black Orp roo is separated with 4 girls (I plan on leaving him penned with them.) My Splash Orp roo is separated with just one girl that I'm planning on moving in with my Black orp roo. That means the Splash roo needs a place to go. Plus, my silkie roo and his two girls need to come in for the winter from their pen (which is my pig pen that I converted.)

So my question is this:

Is it possible to mix roos again after they've been separated and not have them kill each other? I would really like all these guys to free range together this winter. There are a total of about 18 hens for them. There are 5 roos that I want to coexist together- 3 already have a pecking order, two don't live together but have their own girls. Has anyone done this successfully? How did you do it?

 

[pips&peeps]

I wouldn't do it.................feathers will fly!

I have found if they are raised together early on the pecking order is established and there is not alot of fighting when they get big enough to hurt each other.

But, the minute you seperate them, it's on.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I agree with Pips&peeps. I have roos that have been raised together w/their dad and they get along well enough .... but before this batch of boys I had two roos. They got along well enough but once separated for awhile I thought they'd kill eachother once I tried putting them in together again. Ended up rehoming the more people aggressive one. There may be some on the BYC that have integrated roos with sucess. If that is the case, hopefully they will give you some pointers esp. the number of roos you're talking about.

 

[ella]

It is possible, I have done it.

It's all up to the roosters though, there's not much you can do except put them together and watch. If the fight isn't over in a few minutes it probably isn't going to work.

Fighting is worst when they're the same age, size and agression level. putting a younger with an older generally works better. I have 2 siblings that can't be together because neither will submit, they're just too evenly matched.

So give it a try and watch carefully.

 

[Chellester]

I would put the two roosters that are "moving in" into a wire enclosures side by side with their respective girls inside the main pen with the three roos that are already used to each other. This will give them the feel of hanging out together without risking a bloodbath.

After they've been this way for a few days, see if they are still trying to fight each other through the wire. If not, take them out and see how they do together. There will prolly be a little fighting at first, but if they settle down pretty quickly then you are good to go. If not, put them back in the wire enclosure and give them a few more days.

Keep in mind that there is always a pecking order and it's natural for roosters to spar with each other from time to time even when they've been together; you just want to get them to the point where they no longer feel the need to kill each other.

Good Luck!

 

[Buster]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I like your idea Chellester and I have the cages to do that. I will get that set up this weekend and see how it goes.