Rooster Coup d'etat - would you intervene?

[NSawyer]

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.'

 

[chickens really]

For one thing you have a Docile Rooster and an known aggressive Cockerel......I would lock up the Young Cockerel........You never said Coop size etc....But that is what I would do....


Cheers!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I too would pen up the younger rooster. I would try releasing him in a few months when the weather improves. Having two roosters can be trouble because they will focus only on each other.

If you aren't interested in penning the young one than stay out of it and see how it plays out in the coming months. I personally don't like young upstart roosters and manage them as they mature. I always favor the mature well behaved rooster.

 

[bostick18]

I have seen game roosters fight with Big bielfelder rooster between a wire. they were injuring their feet. point is game chickens have been bred for a long time to one thing. and they do it well. As that game rooster gets older and more self assured he will kill the other bird. lock up the game rooster or sell to highest bidder

 

[bostick18]

not only did I have to separate them I had to board the bottom of the cage so he could not see out. That's a cream legbar and game but the bielfelder was in it as well

 

[centrarchid]

I have seen game roosters fight with Big bielfelder rooster between a wire. they were injuring their feet. point is game chickens have been bred for a long time to one thing. and they do it well. As that game rooster gets older and more self assured he will kill the other bird. lock up the game rooster or sell to highest bidder

If game rooster, then do not pen and release later. Either pen game rooster permanently or get rid of one.

 

[bobbi-j]

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.'

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.

 

[NSawyer]

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!

 

[donrae]

How long has it been?

when I had an older rooster de-throned, he did eventually regain a small group of hens. It took a few weeks, but they became disenchanted with the usurper for whatever reason. They were older, mature birds who had been with him most of his life. He never really returned to his normal self, but he did breed hens and I got another season of chicks from him, which was my main goal.

 

[bostick18]

If you separate for any period of time. As soon as you reintroduce there will be a fight and there is a good chance that the game rooster will win. For the sake of your children and possibly your calves it would be wise to rid yourself of the fighting rooster. they have been bred to mean short tempered and unrelenting. not qualities I would like with my hens or my family. most times they sell easily and fetch a good profit. The longer you wait the meaner he gets. they aren't like other roosters. Even if yours is bigger. think about it like a big bouncer at a club fighting Manny pacquiao.