Rooster inside after fight

[Whitechicks2020]

Hello all! I have a small flock that was hatched in July of mixed bantams that consists of three roosters and four hens and before I get you should only have one rooster to however many hens I am not asking about that I need help with a solution for my boy! So there was a fight and my littlest guy got his comb pecked pretty good and I’m sure it was a fight with one of the other boys. I have him all cleaned up and inside and he’s doing fine but what can I do with him. The other two boys are doing fine and have had no other incidents as of yet. I don’t want him to be alone but also don’t want him to get seriously injured where he can’t come back from it. Any suggestions on housing for this guy?

 

[hysop]

Do you let them free range or are they penned up?

Maybe pen him up separately and give him a girl for company. You can have 1:1 ratio as long as they are separated I think

 

[Whitechicks2020]

Do you let them free range or are they penned up?

Maybe pen him up separately and give him a girl for company. You can have 1:1 ratio as long as they are separated I think

They are locked down right now because of the bird flu so that may be weighing on them. That’s a good idea I may have to get him a new enclosure. Thank you

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot depends on your space. People often think that if they let them out, for a couple of hours, that will help, or that being raised up together will help. It doesn't. When they are darling and all getting along, it is hard to imagine that they won't.

Personally, I think you are looking at round one. Some roosters will fight through a fence, so you might need a place away from the current set up. A large piece of cardboard attached to the fence sometimes will work so they can't see each other. Some people do keep rooster on a tether, with a big can for shelter.

People can keep multiple roosters, but you need a LOT of space and a lot of hide outs. Generally, people that have multiple roosters, have multiple generations. Flock-mate roosters tend to fight a lot.

Look at your run, is it just an open rectangle where every bird can see every other bird 100% of the time? If so, adding clutter, totes, mini walls, platforms, pallets leaned up against walls, ladders, saw horses, garden chairs will make it look more cluttered to you, but much more interesting to your birds.

Some of these solutions might work, but very often they won't. I know you want to keep them all, but do be very aware of the tension on the girls and in the flock. Chickens very often will not be nice, and can be VERY UGLY behavior. Wishing they would all be nice won't work. Their behavior today is no indicator how they will act next week or even tomorrow. So set up a plan B for the pair of roosters that you think will get along. As you have seen, when it goes bad, it does so very quickly.

Mrs. K