Rooster Coup d'etat - would you intervene?

[NSawyer]

I know I could easily sell him, but I am going to give him a chance. They've lived together for three years since chickdom and have never had a single issue until this move. I do not snuggle or hug any of my chickens, but I can pick any of them up with ease for a health inspection - including both grown roosters. They've never shown any aggression to any person or animal with the exception of the one time they actually teamed together and successfully held a fox back from the flock until the dogs got out there. Although I am now thinking about Manny Pacquiao

I will think about it some more before making a final decision. I will for sure move the flock down to the horse barn and pasture in the morning.

 

[Beekissed]

So, you have 21 chickens in an 8x10 coop that they have recently been moved to, after having lots of room. This may be part of your problem. Why did you move them to the smaller coop? My chickens prefer not to go out in the winter, either, so, plenty of coop space is essential. Imagine yourself locked in one of the smallest rooms in your house with several family members ALL WINTER. I'm sure some crankiness would occur for you, too. At this point, I think you have to figure out which rooster you want to keep and find a new home for your other one. How secure is your pole barn? How attached are you to Buster? I would be concerned about a predator finding him in there one night, but at least your problem would solve itself that way.

This....important to understand stocking rates and also have some goals for your flock. Always, always helps to have a goal.

Instead of writing some rambling paragraphs, here are some of the main points about my problem:

Who:
Big ol' buff orp roo (Buster) vs slightly younger, very fast on his feet, much smaller game roo (Sir Pecksalot)
~19 hens

What: sudden upset! Sir Pecksalot gave a great and terrible chase to Buster. Found Buster cowering under cardboard in coop corner. Pecksalot has absolutely taken over as top dog.

The problem:
Buster is exiled. Won't even approach flock. Hens turn their beaks up at him. Has taken to overnighting in the pole barn alone rather than get beat up again in the coop. Was seen fraternizing with a male field pheasant

and ate breakfast with the cats

Probably contributing to the problem:
Cold IL winter weather
A recent move to a 10 x 8 coop instead of a 20 x 40 garage with attached 20 x 40 run
The coming-of-age of Buster's son, who is already bigger than Pecksalot but doesn't know how to rooster yet

I'm not going to eat anyone sooo would you....

Leave Buster in the pole barn, alone and downtrodden, until spring when you can expand the coop and add a good number of female chicks?

Force him to integrate and accept his new lowered status?

Do nothing and let him figure it out on his own?

I might add that although they have several brush-covered acres to roam, the chickens have lately been too chicken to adventure out, and even on nice days are spending their time standing in the doorway of the coop, looking out into the world like 'Nope.'

If you don't want to get rid of either male...and I'd ditch the gamecock as the wise choice....then you could also contemplate splitting your flock for the winter. Since they won't leave a coop, put some in the regular coop with the dominant rooster and the others in the horse barn with the others.

Sounds like this may be your first go round? If so, you need to keep in mind you are going to have some broodies and babies come spring...which male do you want to sire those chicks? Want dual purpose offspring or game offspring? What kind of hens will you be crossing with? What's important to you in a flock? Eggs? Meat? Both? Temperament? Sustainability?

To do it right, ya gotta have a goal. Makes everything worlds easier if you have a plan and work the plan.

If your dethroned king stays solitary too long and you won't give him mercy, you could possibly find him a home with a new flock of gals? It's a sad ol' life for a dethroned king....I usually cull mine to keep them from living that kind of existence.

 

[centrarchid]

@NSawyer,

If your rooster is in fact a game rooster as indicated in your first post then having only one rooster out and about is what you need to be looking at. Could you show a current picture of the one you think is a game rooster. If he is a game, then that greatly impacts your management approach.

 

[NSawyer]

Sir Pecksalot the Usurper

. I believe him to be a grey hatch with the wrong color legs. He came to us from some family members that ignorantly bought chicks at the county flee market - then realized they didn't enjoy caring for full grown chickens.

I've sold all of his offspring so far - they all seem to come out as white males, although I do have one pullet from this year with really gorgeous chest markings.

I would much prefer to keep the buff orpington and his full sized offspring. Buff orp crosses sell easily and if I can keep a dang hen alive for more than a season I'd like to produce more of them. I intend to sell this cockerel of his some time soon, he's a gorgeous mix of green australorp sheen with a fiery orange collar.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks all for your input, I appreciate your opinions!

Bobbi - now that I re-read my coop size issues from you, it seems exceedingly ridiculous! We actually moved this fall, but the closing took several months longer than it should have. This left me with no time to move my household while raising an infant and with a husband in a walking cast - let alone expand the coop before moving! We dismantled the enclosed run and brought the materials to the new home and will reconstruct it as soon as the ground thaws. We also plan on more than doubling the coop size. Unfortunately, the dream home did not come with the dream coop.

This evening I arrived home late and found Buster in the coop of his own volition. I did not want to risk a fight, and decided to pen Pecksalot. I will not release him until I have a solid plan and Buster seems to have recovered his position.

In the meantime - our pole barn is rather secure from large predators. I have a cat that stays in there during warmer weather. However, I don't really want chickens in there pooping up the place. It serves as our garage and Buster spent two nights sleeping on the hood of my car.

I somehow forgot that I do have a third option - the horse barn. It's much bigger than the chicken coop, more than twice the size, with a much taller roof. I guess I forgot because we're not currently using it. How could I forget?! I could move the whole flock and see if the extra space resolves the issue. If it doesn't, I could always go back and split the flock between the two buildings.

Ah, so glad we had this talk. Thanks, BYC!

I think the horse barn option is a good one. Even if it doesn't solve the problem with your two roosters, it may help prevent other behavioral problems between the other birds from starting. Sounds like you had your hands full when you moved!

 

[centrarchid]

Sir Pecksalot the Usurper

. I believe him to be a grey hatch with the wrong color legs. He came to us from some family members that ignorantly bought chicks at the county flee market - then realized they didn't enjoy caring for full grown chickens.

I've sold all of his offspring so far - they all seem to come out as white males, although I do have one pullet from this year with really gorgeous chest markings.

I would much prefer to keep the buff orpington and his full sized offspring. Buff orp crosses sell easily and if I can keep a dang hen alive for more than a season I'd like to produce more of them. I intend to sell this cockerel of his some time soon, he's a gorgeous mix of green australorp sheen with a fiery orange collar.

he looks like a proper game rooster. I keep games. Keeping multiple roosters with game(s) in the mix is asking for trouble that is easy to prevent.

If your barn is more than 150 feet from coop, then you might be able to sustainably keep game rooster free-range with other rooster so long as both have hens and you provide so flocks have discrete home ranges.

 

[NSawyer]

he looks like a proper game rooster. I keep games. Keeping multiple roosters with game(s) in the mix is asking for trouble that is easy to prevent.

If your barn is more than 150 feet from coop, then you might be able to sustainably keep game rooster free-range with other rooster so long as both have hens and you provide so flocks have discrete home ranges.

Yep, barn and coop are several acres apart. The more I think about it, the more I think I might like the chickens being there instead of near our backyard anyways. I'm heading out to move them now.

The two roosters have coexisted peacefully for three years thanks to previously having a crappy garage with a vast amount of roosting areas entirely to themselves. Being stuck in one small place is definitely the issue, and I'm thinking they can resume coexisting in separate buildings. Now to decide which hens go where...

 

[centrarchid]

Yep, barn and coop are several acres apart. The more I think about it, the more I think I might like the chickens being there instead of near our backyard anyways. I'm heading out to move them now.

The two roosters have coexisted peacefully for three years thanks to previously having a crappy garage with a vast amount of roosting areas entirely to themselves. Being stuck in one small place is definitely the issue, and I'm thinking they can resume coexisting in separate buildings. Now to decide which hens go where...

The three years business means you have been sitting on a hair trigger bomb for longer than average.


I would confine one or both groups for a few days in locations you chose. Then make certain both flocks have separate set of resources (feed / water / cover). Roosters are going to have to work out territory boundaries. Game rooster will be tough to keep from wanting to be an emperor rather than simply a king over his lands. It can be done but falls outside what is often considered typical for backyard and game fowl keepers.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I have ran into this, but case was EXTREMELY worse. My lead Roo Joe,actually exiled his son, and spurred his eye out. I attempted to force one with the other.Well in doing so Joe actually sprang his sons neck and blinded him completely which left us to shoot his son, very sad.

That being said, I wouldn't push and make it nay worse, which it could get far worse, especially if the younger boy wants nothing to do with nay roosters, and some roosters are just that way, absolutely no way in changing em'.

Also exile is even worse, this can cause the hens and any other subordinate roosters to gang up on him and finish the cockerels started job. I say find one to keep, or separate one.

 

[NSawyer]

Within half an hour I have a taker on both Sir Pecksalot and his son. I took a closer look at the cockerel from this past spring and realized he had a total rose comb. So even though he's much bigger, he's definitely half game and he's gotta go too. I'll miss Sir Pecksalot, he's a good guy.

The flock seems to be enjoying the new diggs, and it didn't stop them from laying this morning. Buster is busy reestablishing himself.

If I'm going to be down two chickens, you know what this means? ....spring chicks are now guilt free! Yeah!!

Thanks all