Rooster Only Flock

[triciayoung]

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.

I appreciate and respect your approach.

I looked for a home for one of my roosters because of rooster fighting before starting a male only coop and run. No luck and the one who was interested...I told to go - you know, because I suspected cock fighting. While this was all happening, guess what happened? They got older and now are best buds.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

I appreciate and respect your approach.

I looked for a home for one of my roosters because of rooster fighting before starting a male only coop and run. No luck and the one who was interested...I told to go - you know, because I suspected cock fighting. While this was all happening, guess what happened? They got older and now are best buds.

This is so encouraging!

Fingers are crossed!

Now I’m searching for some females old enough to put in and test my theory… of course, no one wants to give up any females.

 

[Wrkber]

Thank you for your thoughts.

Too bad we can’t castrate roosters at a vet!

If it’s hormonal, will they continue to fight through the spring? How can I help abate the increased hormonal aggression towards each other? Do all rooster only flocks start fighting again in the spring?

Roosters can be castrated.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

Roosters can be castrated.

I couldn’t find any vet willing to do it or I would!

And I wouldn’t do it without proper anesthesia.

 

[Chikenshiken]

Roosters can be castrated.

I think it needs to be done during a certain age? Correct me if I’m wrong though

 

[Chikenshiken]

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.

Do your Roos only seem to be fighting at bedtime or also out during the day? If it was just at nighttime or the early morning when they first wake up in the coop I would just suggest separate sleeping crates however I’m not sure if this problem also extends to the entire day

 

[Mrs. K]

It has to be done right away. Would you need anesthesia for a little cut? Anesthetic is very hard on birds, sometimes in an effort to do the right thing, we actually cause more problems.

If the animal gets up and immediately returns to a healthy lifestyle, he has not been damaged in any way.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

Do your Roos only seem to be fighting at bedtime or also out during the day? If it was just at nighttime or the early morning when they first wake up in the coop I would just suggest separate sleeping crates however I’m not sure if this problem also extends to the entire day

It seems to be mostly during the day when they were together. At night they would cuddle up close to each other sometimes even snuggling their heads on each other. Now that they are separated they have not been fighting through the fence so it is hard for me to judge.

 

[EdnaAndEdith]

It has to be done right away. Would you need anesthesia for a little cut? Anesthetic is very hard on birds, sometimes in an effort to do the right thing, we actually cause more problems.

If the animal gets up and immediately returns to a healthy lifestyle, he has not been damaged in any way.

The skin incision would likely be minor. But incising the abdomen is painful. And removing the testicles themselves more so.

If an organ has a major blood supply going to it (as reproductive organs do) then you have to cut through a nerve or two in order to remove it. Just because a creature does not show the pain, doesnt mean that it isn’t there. We see this in all kinds of creatures: reptiles and birds often endure the most suffering of all without a word to say about it. The cry of a tortoise, for example, is all but unknown except to those who have seen them suffering tremendous pain.

Anesthesia is a fancy way of saying “rendering painless”. General anesthesia can be risky but I’ve had years of avian anesthesia experience working in an exotic veterinary clinic and even that vet didn’t think the risk of castrating an adult rooster was worth the benefit. I’m certain it can be done if done properly (as I’ve personally participated in many successful general anesthesia events on poultry) but you’re correct that it comes with risks and those must be considered carefully.

What I’m not aware of are potential other ways that anesthesia could be provided (such as nerve blocks or regional blocks). But surgery without appropriate pain relief is simply not an option for me no matter the topic or species.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

It has to be done right away. Would you need anesthesia for a little cut? Anesthetic is very hard on birds, sometimes in an effort to do the right thing, we actually cause more problems.

If the animal gets up and immediately returns to a healthy lifestyle, he has not been damaged in any way.

I wouldn’t call getting the testicles removed from inside the body a little cut. Just because birds are very good at hiding pain (they are prey animals, after all), doesn’t mean they don’t feel it.