Rooster killed other rooster, then my chickens ate it

[Ohar1115]

I have four roosters and one hen, and I found the dead body of one of my roosters in my coop, partially eaten. I beleive it was killed by our biggest rooster and was eaten by the other four. Is this okay since it was roosters fighting, or since they ate a chicken they are more likely to do it again and I should put them down?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Wait back up a minute…you were keeping 1 hen in the same pen with 4 roosters? Am I reading this correctly?

 

[Ohar1115]

we are getting rid of the other roosters we bought chicks unsexed and instead of getting four hens and a rooster like we hoped it turned out inverted.

 

[Ohar1115]

The largest of the rooster protects the hen the others usually stay away on the other sid of the coop, they are also all free range.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

The largest of the rooster protects the hen the others usually stay away on the other sid of the coop, they are also all free range.

No no no no. I am sorry to be so blunt, but it doesn’t matter if he protects her you are seeing the results of keeping four roosters with a single hen. It will continue to be a bloody and deadly disaster until she is removed. Even a single hen with a single rooster is one rooster too many. Please for the safety of the rest of your flock separate her immediately.

 

[Ohar1115]

So even with multiple hens and a single rooster it is inappropriate to coop them together? Right now we are working to get rid of the extra roosters and replace them with a couple of hens, we would not want a rooster other than the fact we want the group to be able to free range our property without the risk of being killed by hawks.

 

[Yellow321]

Are they young that haven't started mating yet? If not, that poor hen. She's got to be overmated so badly as the only hen to FOUR roosters! Even with 1 rooster she will be overmated. Get her out of there immediately!

If they're young then know that roos mature faster than pullets so even a 3-4 month old roo will start rudely trying to hop on the females all day long, especially in the morning, pulling feathers out as they try to force mount when the females aren't even about that yet! The females will keep trying to run away.

You need like 10 hens for ONE of your roosters. The other roos need to either find new homes or be penned up somewhere else together (bachelor pad) with no view of the female immediately. Like, yesterday lol.

Until you've got this set up, get that poor single hen out of there! They'll even kill her on accident trying to get at her. (And then likely eat her as well. Chickens see meat - they eat it. They'll eat YOU if you laid down in there long enough!)

 

[GodLovesU]

You can keep hens with roosters but you need a good ratio.I’d keep at least 6 hens for every rooster.I would seperate the hen,like everyone else recommended.Are you positive it wasn’t a predator?If you can will you please post a picture of the body?If you haven’t already,get rid of the dead roo.I would either get a lot more hens,try to start a bachelor flock with the males, or rehome two males and get him some more hens (along with your original hen).I feel your pain,I got straight run one time and also got 4 males and one hen.Good luck! Also…

 

[saysfaa]

...since they ate a chicken they are more likely to do it again

No, they aren't more likely to eat each other. Chickens do that when another chicken is dead. Or injured, for that matter.

and I should put them down?

Not for eating him in and of itself. But yes if you need to in order to get the hen/rooster ratio workable.