Rooster behavior

[Fluffychicky]

This looks like the thread I needed! I have a flock of 12 (all 3 months) two of which are roosters. One is a Dorking (Napoleon) the other a BLR wyandotte (Lafayette). Napoleon is king of the flock he crows often, chases the hens, makes warning calls and is just a general angsty teen. Lafayette he has crowed only once, is very laid back has maybe chased one or two hens but other than that he's not very productive. They have had their stare-downs now and then but it's rare, today was their first scuffle that actually lasted more than 5 seconds. They jumped at each other and Lafayette got pinned then got lose and ran and Napoleon chased him all over the yard each time he grabbed him and pinned him until poor Lafayette ran and stuck is head in a corner and laid there. Big bad Napoleon laid beside him, eventually Napoleon got up and left and then Lafayette got up after a minute or two and went into the coop with Napoleon and they are now absolutely fine being in close quarters with each other. I checked them over and there is no blood so they are ok. They have been together since day one, will they figure out their pecking order and work together in the end? We all really want to keep them both and my chicken lady friend who has multiple roos says it will be ok, but I figured it would hurt to ask BYC for stories and opinions. Has anyone here successfully owned two roosters in a small/medium flock?

 

[Jaeto]

Hi Fluffychicky,

I got my chickens from a friend, so they were straight run. I ended up with a mom hen, four girls, and three roos. The boys coexisted happily for several months until I had to rehome the most aggressive roo (paired with one of the hens) because they were starting to crow very loudly, every day. Turns out the people I gave them to didn't know how to take care of chickens, so they came back. After a few days we reintroduced them to the flock.

I'm not sure how this was actually done, as I did not personally do it. I think what happened was that whoever it was just let the regular flock out into the yard, stuck the two new/old chickens back in, and left them to their own devices. I ran out half a minute later because one of the remaining roos and the mom hen had teamed up to start beating up on the poor boy who was rehomed and was very scrawny and weak. After I rescued him, they all got along fine (the same day), which I think might have happened because they still remembered each other a bit?

A while after that, all three roos and the mom hen were eventually given away due to loudness and whatnot.

So to answer your question, I would say that yes, young roosters probably can and will get along, especially if they were raised together, as yours were. I don't think my roosters ever really chased each other or anything, but they weren't even full-grown when all three of them were together. However, I would assume that as roosters get older, they either become more laid-back around each other or more aggressive (depends on temperament, breed, conditions-- how much space do they have, hen-to-roo ratio, etc.) towards each other.

 

[Fluffychicky]

@Jaeto
Thank you for the positive story, but sorry you had to re-home your boys in the end.

 

[Plantgirl04]

Hey Fluffychicky,

Well, I had 7 hens and 2 roos. they had all been raised together and everyone was happy, until the roos got to be about 4 months old. Then i started noticing one being more dominate over the other and picking small fights. Also with the boys reaching teenager stage they would jump on the hens together in a tag team fashion. It was really bad and I couldn't stand to watch! One would jump on top while the other pecked her in the head. I gave the less friendly roo away and the other roo has been a gentleman every since. I have no doubt the roos would have been fine together in my flock, it was my girls I worried about. Hope this helps!

 

[obsessed2013]

I have 14 chickens and 2 roosters. They are all about 19 weeks. My Roos do try to mate but not as rough as some of the stories on here.
Today I was feeding them blueberries (one of their favorite treats) I threw a few to Josh ( the top Roo) he ate a couple then picked up one and took it to one of the hens. He also has a call for them to come. It was so cute watching him share blueberries with them.
Now if only I could get some eggs out of these chickens!! Hears to happy chicken raising to all!

 

[chynasparks]

My flock of 4 is 17 weeks. I was told at purchase I was getting all pullets. But one turned out to be a rooster. I've had them since 5 weeks. It didn't take long for me to suspect rooster. The last couple of weeks the sickle feathers have developed and the green shiney feathers. He's a RIR. As he grows he's gotten less receptive to my attention. I have made sure to handle them all regularly so that I could check them out when needed and just pay affection to them. He stopped eating from my hand he stands back and watches the girls eat from my hand. I feel sad because he has a personality. Today I picked him up and he put up a big big fuss. I held him anyway until he calmed down. Pet and talked to him. Then put him down gently. Never raised chickens before so I don't know if this is to be expected. I'm concerned because my flock can't free range. I haven't seen any behavior towards the girls yet. Should I keep picking him up? Will my persistence cause him to become aggressive?

 

[chynasparks]

My roo is getting prettier every day. Literally every day. Comb is growing. It's a beautiful red color. Sickle feathers are really growing. Beautiful shiny green. Neck feathers beautiful too. Hasn't crowed yet. No spurs. Not aggressive. Just standoffish. But he watches me and what goes on between me and the girls. I'm thinking he's "taking ownership" of his hens. I don't really know but I just get that feeling when he stands behind them and watches them eat mealworms from my hand. Never had a rooster before so I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[chynasparks]

My roo is getting prettier every day. Literally every day. Comb is growing. It's a beautiful red color. Sickle feathers are really growing. Beautiful shiny green. Neck feathers beautiful too. Hasn't crowed yet. No spurs. Not aggressive. Just standoffish. But he watches me and what goes on between me and the girls. I'm thinking he's "taking ownership" of his hens. I don't really know but I just get that feeling when he stands behind them and watches them eat mealworms from my hand. Never had a rooster before so I don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[spchicken]

What is a safe rooster to hen ratio? As of right now I have 3 hens and 2 roosters, not by my planning I might add.. So as the Roos grow up, what can I expect?

 

[jace2]

We are fastering a rooster for a week,his behaver is worries me,he goe s around us and hits our legs is this normal,can anyone help us,never foster a rooster