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X2 with you, TheTwoRoos.

Those boys sound completely normal to me. I've found the best teacher for my young roos is the flock master and the older hens. My Welsummer hens beat the crap out of the juvies when they try to mate them and if they don't my huge LO rooster chest butts them across the run and bounces them off the chain link fence. I love to watch him in action. He will stand over the hen that has been
'violated' by the youngster and when he is sure the boy has learned some etiquette, he'll reach down and nudge the squatting hen as if saying ''it's okay, you're fine, You can get up now, I've got this covered." and she does.

Separating him from the flock will work unless you plan to reintroduce him at a later date, then you might find that it will raise stress levels as they work out their pecking order again.
 
suchcutenails said:
Good morning! I have two 14 week old boys that were unplanned...I bought 13 sexed female chicks, and two were wrong ;)  I wasn't planning to have a rooster, but I have not been able to find homes for them, and we have some definite predator concerns, so I'd like to try to make it work! I've done a lot of reading, but I'd love some input from you experts! I'd really like to do as much as possible to help us all live happily together. I think the alternative is the crock pot :/


We only have 11 hens with the two roosters, all the same age. I know this ratio isn't great. For now, everyone is getting along. Duke, an Easter Egger, has been crowing since about 4 weeks. He is the #1 with very little challenge. He and Mr. Cogburn (Silver Laced Wyandotte) have had a couple of stare downs, but no fights that I've seen. Duke runs the girls pretty well. He keeps them together during their forage time, and lets us all know when there is something they need to hide from. They don't get to completely free range because they are actively being stalked by hawks, but they get supervised time with me ~ about an hour each morning and evening. Their covered run is about 150 sq ft.


For the last several weeks, Duke has been grabbing the girls by the back of the heads. They squawk and try to get away, and he ends up with a mouth full of feathers. Sometimes it seems really aggressive, but I assume this is early "mating" stuff? Once, he was really holding one down, and would not let her go. She was trying really hard to get away, but couldn't, and it went on for much longer than usual, so I broke it up...but I don't know if that was okay. It seemed like he was hurting her. I've never seen him attempt to climb on :gig ~ I do know he's young. Does this sound like normal behavior? Because honestly, most days I go to bed ready to be done with him, and then in the morning, he does something to redeem himself and I want to keep him for his "roostering". 


I have never seen Mr. Cogburn touch any of the girls. He has actually kind of acted like one of the hens. He did start crowing at sunrise two days ago. It seems like things are changing in the flock dynamic. Normally, when we go out for our foraging in the morning, Duke follows me, and the girls follow him ~ it's all very orderly. This morning, they were all kind of scattered. I noticed some of the ladies hovered with Duke, and some with Cogburn. Mostly, the girls seemed like they didn't know where to go. Now that Cogburn is crowing, is that going to change things? They've all been together since they were day-old chicks and we've had a fairly peaceful time of it so far. 


Any tips you have would be appreciated! I have liked having coop harmony, and I'm afraid things are about to get a little crazy. Maybe I need to pick one, and keep the other? 


Thanks SO much!!! 
Click to expand...
Not necessarily....the boys may test each other, to figure out how the pecking order is going to pan out....but as long as one takes the lead and the other decides to be the side kick....the boys should get along pretty well. When the rooster grabs the hen by the back of the head, and jumps on top of her....that's Normal Mating Behavior. Some hens will fight and put up a fuss....don't blame them. The young Roosters can be pretty pushy and rough...determined as they are to accomplish their goal. If the hen is receptive and submissive, she will crouch down and slightly spread her wings/shoulders and allow the rooster to tread her, no fuss or fight. When he's done she will usually stand up fluff her feathers out and give herself a good full body shake....(like a dog shaking water from its coat) then settle her feathers down...maybe preen a few back into place and go about her business. If she is a alpha hen and she doesn't want to submit to that particular rooster she will fight....and if he succeeds or not she may turn the tables on him and put the run on him! I've seen many times were the hen chased and gave a young rooster a good thumping. The things you've mentioned are all normal behavior....I wouldn't worry, unless they are really being abusive and ganging up on one particular hen....then I'd give the main perpetrator(s) a time out in the isolation cage for a few days. Give the girls a break if the boys get to ardent. A really good rooster will court the hen...and tidbit her....if she's not interested he will try another hen. It's usually an older confident rooster, who knows his position in the pecking order and is not stressing out on his first flush of testosterone, frantic to do what nature made him for....sometimes I ALMOST feel sorry for those youngsters, suffering from hormone fueled sexual OCD and ADHD.....I did say "I ALMOST FEEL SORRY!" for them. I will not allow things to get out of control, if I can help it. I will step in and remove the out of control miscreant. Temporarily....or permanently if necessary.
 
I just wanted to share a photo of my smallest cockerel. I have at least three more that are younger. But they are all a little bigger.



His crow sounds so different from the others. Not just the size difference - smaller lungs a higher pitch sound - but also in tone. Perhaps he will add a note or two as he gets a little older....
 
ldawntaylor said:
I just wanted to share a photo of my smallest cockerel. I have at least three more that are younger. But they are all a little bigger.



His crow sounds so different from the others. Not just the size difference - smaller lungs a higher pitch sound - but also in tone. Perhaps he will add a note or two as he gets a little older....
Click to expand...
He's cute! What kind is he?
 

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