Rooster Only Flock

[Chikenshiken]

Enslavement is a fate worse than death in my opinion

What??? We keep chickens as pets… and so do you? Please do not compare keeping an all rooster flock as enslavement? That is not even remotely comparable and also incredibly insensitive…

 

[azygous]

It's okay to have your own beliefs. It's stops being okay when you think everyone else must also have those beliefs. Just something to keep in mind when we are sharing our ideas about chicken keeping with one another.

 

[Akgmrw62]

I appreciate your alternative viewpoint. Thank you for sharing.

I would like to suggest that while those “outcasts” are growing and developing in their own group (away from hens) they form brotherhoods and bonds with each other in the same way that any other flock creature does. They establish their own “top rooster” and it is that male that challenges the head of the brood. The rest of the males are surviving in the company of other males that they bond with.

It isn’t unusual for animals of other flock varieties to form social groups outside of the main group and remain quite content not being “on top”. Understandably, they would compete for an opportunity to have their own flock, but if any awareness of the availability of hens is out of their perception, there would be nothing to compete over except flock position (which has been clearly established now). I believe my error was not having a visual barrier to the pasture where the females were. Which instantly added “something to fight for” on the first sunny afternoon of the year when the girls wandered too far. I have temporarily remedied that problem and have a permanent solution on order.

We do have to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of this situation, based on my observation of the two boys in question (even after this fight), they seem happier together than they do apart and enjoy one another’s company. I’m a registered veterinary technician and have worked in the veterinary world for over 11 years. I’ve personally humanely euthanized thousands of all kinds of creatures. Certainly there is a time and a place for that. But we also owe it to them to read their own body language and determine the individual quality of life. When I see the boys snuggled up together at bed time or feeding each other treats back and forth or dust bathing together or simply enjoying each others company, I find it hard to base my end of life decisions on “ancestors” habits. They have some of their ancestors traits, we can’t argue that. But they are individuals as well. Much in the way that I am similar to my mother, and my grandmother, but I am neither of them and what makes me happy is very different from what makes my mother or grandmother happy.

I feel I owe it to these boys to try to rectify the environmental influences and restore them to their level of harmony in their own way. Even if it is “unnatural”. If the fights continue and there is no hope for peace, then I would build more space and put them into individual flocks. But keep in mind, adding addition flock members increases the risk involved: more lives to care for, more vet bills, more chance of getting yet another rooster complicating things, more eggs to process and deal with, increased risk of disease. I believe it is more responsible for me to make things work with the flock I have first.

Again, I really do appreciate your insights. This is how we all learn from each other and why we ask for each other’s view points. Different perspectives can help us grow to appreciate the species and the unique needs they have.

If there was a "Love" button this post would have tons! Awesome attitude/outlook!!

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

I’ve had experience with rooster-only flocks of many different sizes, and what I’ve seen a lot is that rooster flocks of only two roosters can result in more fights than larger flocks. This is because, if they both have a dominant personality, they’re just going to keep testing each other and will never fully settle into a hierarchy. With more roosters, who is the “top dog” doesn’t seem to matter as much, and the other roosters will often break up a fight if it goes on too long.

Fascinating! I was thinking the same thing that it would be easier with more of them.

 

[Chikenshiken]

I’ve had experience with rooster-only flocks of many different sizes, and what I’ve seen a lot is that rooster flocks of only two roosters can result in more fights than larger flocks. This is because, if they both have a dominant personality, they’re just going to keep testing each other and will never fully settle into a hierarchy. With more roosters, who is the “top dog” doesn’t seem to matter as much, and the other roosters will often break up a fight if it goes on too long.

That’s so strange because I actually do keep a two rooster bachelor pad! It has gone wonderfully but it also may have to do with the fact they grew up together since chicks. They’re inseparable and will not even follow the hens when I let them all free roam, they rather follow each other. They never fight and the only “fighting” I’d say happens is one trying to mount the other but that only happens for maybe 5 seconds and they give up. I guess it’s different for everyone and every rooster. These are two silkie roos as well so temperament may play a part

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

That’s so strange because I actually do keep a two rooster bachelor pad! It has gone wonderfully but it also may have to do with the fact they grew up together since chicks. They’re inseparable and will not even follow the hens when I let them all free roam, they rather follow each other. They never fight and the only “fighting” I’d say happens is one trying to mount the other but that only happens for maybe 5 seconds and they give up. I guess it’s different for everyone and every rooster. These are two silkie roos as well so temperament may play a part

Yeah, I’ve had rooster flocks of two that worked out fine, it just seems that it’s a bit more likely for problems to happen with smaller flocks if you have two roosters with dominant personalities.

 

[Chikenshiken]

Yeah, I’ve had rooster flocks of two that worked out fine, it just seems that it’s a bit more likely for problems to happen with smaller flocks if you have two roosters with dominant personalities.

Both my roosters are wimps

 

[DonyaQuick]

The only thing I can rationalize is the change of season and maybe the girls wondered farther than usual making it so they felt frustrated and turned on each other. But I have no evidence of that.

That kind of thing is more plausible than you might imagine and can happen even when the roos in question have hens. Just takes one bird paying a brief visit and starting trouble. My main flock has 2 brother roosters overseeing it. When the brothers were still pretty young, I had a silly little few-months-old cockerel who would sometimes sneak over to their pen and jump up and down or try to nip at them through the bars. He was being more playful than anything else like very young cockerels do with each other, but it started several really big fights between the brothers that way. One of the brothers would get honked on the nose when all three faces were close to each other and the one who got nipped would just start flailing...and you can see how it goes from there when two are in a pen together and one isn't. That sneaky cockerel is now all grown up and in charge of his own bachelor flock of several other cockerels (which he actually demonstrated an interesting preference for over staying with a hen he was raised with). Just this afternoon, a hen from my main flock wandered over to their bachlor pen and started flaring her hackles at them from the other side of the bars - she was really trying to start something. My bachelor flock are about the most chilled out boys possible, so nothing happened then, but if any of them had more spunk it almost certainly would have set something off.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think roosters are a crap shoot. And really there is not 'a way' or 'a way not' to produce peaceful roosters living together, with or without hens.

What I think people need to beware of is not getting stuck in a theory. Or a belief that every bird will work in your set up (hen or rooster). If I do this, they can be together, or living a violent life is better than no life at all.

What is really important is to solve for peace in the flock. Sometimes space will do that, sometimes it won't. Sometimes these birds will work together, but that bird won't. Sometimes you can afford to build and separate birds, but it takes time. Birds don't wait well. What your real responsibility is (IMO) to not keep birds happy, but rather safe, fed and secure. Sometimes that means removing and culling a bird that does not work out in the set up that you currently have.

Just because you accidentally got a bird, or intentionally got a bird that is now not working out, there is no obligation to keep them forever. The obligation is to keep them well, or dispatch them quickly and painlessly.

Do remember fighting cockerels are fighting cockerels whether or not you sell tickets for people to watch and bet on. It is not a great life. Sometimes animal husbandry is about culling birds so that the flock can have a good life.

Always solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

Thank you all so much for your valuable feedback! I can see there are so many ways to handle these situations.

I did end up separating the boys via a wall since they continued to have minor squabbles that I was afraid would escalate. My main goal in this was simply to buy me time to figure out how to best proceed. Neither of them have attempted fights through the wire and they are getting alternating privileges to the outdoor run until a final resolution can be found. I would love to be able to find a home for one of them and then add females to the remaining one and simply keep a total of two separate flocks. But I’ve had no luck with a home yet. I wanted them both to be able to heal in safety until they are recovered and if I continue the rooster only method at least they will both be healthy for reintroduction. Interestingly enough they still seem to enjoy each other and try to sleep next to each other through the wire. I am leaning strongly towards building a visual barrier on the wall and giving them each their own flock of females. This would complicate my management of three flocks but it seems like the most likely to give peace for the long term solution. If they cannot see each other through the wall then I can only hope that the fighting will cease.

My privacy screens were delivered and I plan to put them up right away.

Agreed! Fighting is unacceptable as a life arrangement no matter how we look at it. I built the wall to establish safety while they heal and while a long term solution can be found. While I understand the viewpoint that sometimes a bird needs to be culled, I do feel I owe it to them to give every last chance before that occurs. If they can cohabitate peacefully as a “duplex” if they get their own females then life can continue happily. If not, was thinking I could add the females to my main flock and try rooster only again after the initial “spring hormone surge” passes (after all this is only their first spring feeling their oats) and while I don’t have a ton of experience with roosters I have enough to know that they often mellow with age. All the while I will be continuing my search for a good home for one of them to simplify the problem. Then if all else fails, I might have to consider removing one of them. But that would really go against my beliefs so I’m going to try everything else first.

P.S. my oldest rooster in the main flock is 7 years old. While I hope he lives for a long while more, he hasn’t always been healthy and I am aware that he’s getting older. He gets regular veterinary care as he has joint problems and I suspect that one day (as much as I don’t want it to happen) he will need to leave us because his pain will no longer be able to be managed. He does quite well on his medicine right now, but I do think in the back of my mind that whatever situation we have coming in the future, and no matter who ends up going first, I can safely say I won’t be in a three rooster environment forever. So while some people may suggest that keeping the two boys in the barn would be less than ideal, I am aware that this could change in an instant. I hope it doesn’t. Because I love my old man and he’s doing well and he’s happy. But it was very recently that we had a health scare with him that even the vet thought he wouldn’t bounce back from. All this to say: I just wanted you all to have an idea of all the different moving parts that are bouncing around in my head.

I hope you all understand and I really appreciate the help I’ve received here.