Rooster Flock Thread

[northerngracema]

i resntly lost the brother in this post

Oh no! I'm so sorry.

 

[That_australian_lad]

he was my best friend

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I have 11 Roosters.
6 are older with hens..
5 are 7 & 8 mos old.
2 chunky Wyandottes,
1 Buff Orpington,
1 RIR & 1 Ameraucana.

The Wyandottes really got an attitude with other Roos & eachother at 6 mos so they were split up & each of them has 1 hen they grew up with.

The 3 Bachelors are together & not doing too badly getting along. The Ameraucana is especially sweet, I can hug & carry him around. The Buff tolerates my hugs & the RIR is a high strung dude but once I get ahold of him he will pretend to tolerate me. I'm trying to show them 5 min of affection daily so they won't turn mean.

I really didn't know how long I could keep them this way, it is temporary & a small section. I didn't foresee covid19 bringing work, income & plans for the 2nd coop build to a screeching halt.
Anyway, it's good to see that a Rooster flock is possible.

It would be even better if I could move all 11 Roos here into 1 section at some point...but I don't know about that.
Keeping chicks that grew up together is working, but what about Roos that didn't grow up together?

Here's a question...if there are no hens nearby to fight over, (move hens elsewhere) would that make it easier to integrate other adult Roos that previously tried to spur eachother through the fence when they were with their hens?

With bad weather approaching, meaning more days spent cooped up in the coops, I know it is not a good time to try it now, but I thought I'd ask.

Here are pics of my 5 young dudes, aren't they handsome?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I have 11 Roosters.
6 are older with hens..
5 are 7 & 8 mos old.
2 chunky Wyandottes,
1 Buff Orpington,
1 RIR & 1 Ameraucana.

The Wyandottes really got an attitude with other Roos & eachother at 6 mos so they were split up & each of them has 1 hen they grew up with.

The 3 Bachelors are together & not doing too badly getting along. The Ameraucana is especially sweet, I can hug & carry him around. The Buff tolerates my hugs & the RIR is a high strung dude but once I get ahold of him he will pretend to tolerate me. I'm trying to show them 5 min of affection daily so they won't turn mean.

I really didn't know how long I could keep them this way, it is temporary & a small section. I didn't foresee covid19 bringing work, income & plans for the 2nd coop build to a screeching halt.
Anyway, it's good to see that a Rooster flock is possible.

It would be even better if I could move all 11 Roos here into 1 section at some point...but I don't know about that.
Keeping chicks that grew up together is working, but what about Roos that didn't grow up together?

Here's a question...if there are no hens nearby to fight over, (move hens elsewhere) would that make it easier to integrate other adult Roos that previously tried to spur eachother through the fence when they were with their hens?

With bad weather approaching, meaning more days spent cooped up in the coops, I know it is not a good time to try it now, but I thought I'd ask.

Here are pics of my 5 young dudes, aren't they handsome?

As I said in the other thread, they’re definitely handsome!

My last bachelor pad was one with roos from all different places (they were rescues). It’s a bit more of a challenge. A big pen is helpful (I had to split that flock into two smaller ones because the pen I had wasn’t big enough for them). If you’re able, free ranging them helps keep conflict to a minimum. If you have hens that are free ranged, doing it on alternating days is how I would do it.

Some people on this thread have had no luck with flocks of roosters that haven’t grown up together. Some have had no problems with it. A lot of it depends on the individual personalities of your roosters, as well as other factors.

Keeping the hens far away will definitely increase your chance of success, but having them nearby won’t mean certain failure. Oh, and roosters are sometimes a bit more brutal when fighting through the fence. Here’s what I mean-

This is an old picture of Chester fence-fighting with Ares, a rooster who lived with my hens. Notice, however, that Chester is completely ignoring Cheeto (front roo), who also lived with the hens and who Chester had never interacted with before...

Chester, still fighting with Ares, ignoring the hen, Popcorn. That might’ve just been personal preference, though.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Your Roos are handsome too! Is Chester a Barred Rock or Dominique? His tail is awesome.

I have my older Roos set up with their hens, I set the coop up with sections that have a half wall so they don't see their neighbors indoors, but the outside pen sections are just divided by the wire. When I first set up groups, I had a few Roos spar at eachother through the wire so bad, they knocked off their own spurs! So now have a few Roos missing spurs, not sure if they will grow back, and one has a messed up toe.
I moved groups around so it's not as bad but I still should try something else, fabric cloth, or plant some shrubs.

So to introduce a Roo to the 3 that are together now...should I 1st take that Roo from his hens, put him alone for a few days, then try to introduce them?

I can't free range here at all anymore. My jackass neighbor has been putting food out for 3 foxes, so they're in my yard constantly day & night, they're practically tame, have walked right up to me & my chicken pens. I cannot afford to fence my property in. So the Roos have to be in the safety of the pens.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Your Roos are handsome too! Is Chester a Barred Rock or Dominique? His tail is awesome.

I have my older Roos set up with their hens, I set the coop up with sections that have a half wall so they don't see their neighbors indoors, but the outside pen sections are just divided by the wire. When I first set up groups, I had a few Roos spar at eachother through the wire so bad, they knocked off their own spurs! So now have a few Roos missing spurs, not sure if they will grow back, and one has a messed up toe.
I moved groups around so it's not as bad but I still should try something else, fabric cloth, or plant some shrubs.

So to introduce a Roo to the 3 that are together now...should I 1st take that Roo from his hens, put him alone for a few days, then try to introduce them?

I can't free range here at all anymore. My jackass neighbor has been putting food out for 3 foxes, so they're in my yard constantly day & night, they're practically tame, have walked right up to me & my chicken pens. I cannot afford to fence my property in. So the Roos have to be in the safety of the pens.

Chester was a game mix. I rescued him from a parking lot, he was a great roo. I lost him to a predator attack along with most of my roosters about a year ago.

Oh, wow, I’m glad they’re ok. A couple of my roos (including Chester) lost spurs in a fight. They weren’t injured otherwise, though.

Sounds like a good plan. Integration is tricky, even with a flock of all hens.

That sucks about the neighbor. :/

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Figured I'd let you know...the 3 Roos together now are ok for now, but they did not want any more boys joining their bachelor pad!

 

[MickWithChicks]

Sounds like you you'll be able to keep those 3 together, to keep the 6 older ones in with the hens as they've been getting along no worries, and then put the 2 wyandottes in with the fox-feeding jackass neighbour so he can get a good flogging for encouraging predators to become relaxed around humans!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Chester was a game mix. I rescued him from a parking lot, he was a great roo. I lost him to a predator attack along with most of my roosters about a year ago.

Oh, wow, I’m glad they’re ok. A couple of my roos (including Chester) lost spurs in a fight. They weren’t injured otherwise, though.

Sounds like a good plan. Integration is tricky, even with a flock of all hens.

That sucks about the neighbor. :/

Yes, that neighbor has created 3 monsters...3 foxes around constantly. Tonight I tried chasing off, even with my dog, didn't work, as I walk back home the 1 male trots with me! The horse barn people across the street were talking about shooting the fox, I overheard them as they're a bit loud. Foxes in the horse areas can be very bad, they carry a parasite, so I know they'll do something about them. Personally, I would rather try to catch & relocate. I know that's easier said than done. Hunting season has started here so now every time I hear gunfire I wonder what just got killed...deer or fox? Ugh, that stupid neighbor, I told her what she's doing isn't helping, compromising survival instincts, making them tame, endangering them as they are walking right up to people, too friendly. They're a PITA yet at the same time I feel bad about the whole scenario. They can't get to my chickens or pigeons. They do hunt mice which is great, I see the 1 male catching mice & voles all the time. They crap all over though, gotta watch where I step.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Hello! I am planning on starting a rooster flock soon because I have over 5 7 1/2 week old chicks that are all roos but with them I have one female chick. When do I separate the female from the males?