Rooster Problem Please Help

[shawkins]

OK so here is the situation. I have a total of 18 chickens (9 EE and 7 RIR Hens and 1 EE Roo and one RIR Roo) the RIR roo has evicted the other roo. Wont even let him in the pen or the coop. He just kind of hangs out in the yard around the coop (and services the hens that leave the pen now and then). But here is my question; Is the one Roo capable of servicing 16 hens? Should I be concerned at all, or just let them work it out on their own?

I have put the EE roo back in the pen and the RIR roo immediately chases him out of the pen. BTW the girls have just started laying. (21 weeks) and i'm tickled pink.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I found I could not trust my roosters. After months of just chasing one another around...I went out one day into the coop where one rooster was caged (2 x 4 inch welded wire) and one wasn't. Different breeds, but that makes no difference. Through the cage wire they had just torn each other's heads and combs apart. There was blood everywhere. Recently I moved those two into outside cages with hens of the breed they are, and I put a double wall of wire between the two pens. There is about an 8 or 10 inch gap between the two walls and all they can do is stick their heads through part way which is not far enough to hurt each other.

I think you may need to separate the two breeds or you will end up with half-breed chicks...and roosters that will fight. If I only had two breeds to deal with I'd let each breed out to free range every other day and if they were confined to the run, I'd separate the two. If you are keeping roosters then you must want chicks. If you are going to have chicks, you might as well have purebred ones.

Terry in TN

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Oh, and tarps work. If they can't see each other, they won't try to fight.
Terry in TN

 

[chickletranch]

do your birds also free range? kind of confused about your set-up. how old are your roosters?

we have several roosters and a large flock of hens (who free range). the "cliques" are constantly evolving, and some of the hens migrate from one rooster to another. with a flock of 16 hens, chances are good that some of the hens will eventually start hanging out with roo #2, as long as he isn't a tyrant! each of our roos has a following of hens, though they often try to steal each other's girls.

best, lynn

 

[shawkins]

thanks for the advice. Terry I'm in TN too, west TN. I had originally intended to separate the chickens by breed as you suggested. however, as they got old enough to be outside i had only finished one coop and run. the run was to be divided into two by a fence down the middle, but with just one coop, I leaft them all together. In the mean time I discovered that i didn't really want them to be confined to the run and since they let themselves out (fly over the top since I have not cliped their wings or put a top on the pen) this seemed quite convienent, and I just left them together as the run and coop seems quite adiquate for all of them.

lynn, yes they do free range, partly by design and partly by accident. the roos and hens are all 22 weeks old now. I may set them up to free range on alternate days as you suggested and just separate the breeds as was the original intent. Just gotta build another coop. I also just went out to the coop tonight and both roos are in the coop tonight. I don't know.

thanks again y'all!

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Hi Neighbor...

My roos were good boys together until they were a bit older than 22 weeks. I figured it was about the time of official end of puberty that they got too aggressive, and I had to lock up the big boy. They were so intent on fighting that they really got to one another right through the cage. I'm not kidding, blood was slung all over the place. One of them has cream colored feathers all over his head and shoulders and they were soaked with blood. A week before everyone free ranged in the yard, and looked for bugs together like best friends. Temporarily I took clothespins and wrapped the cage with one of those disposable plastic party table cloths and that was enough to keep them from fighting.

Are they all grown? Are the hens laying, and the roosters...ah, well...acting like roosters? Mine were born last year June 17th, and it was the first week in February this year they decided they were deadly enemies. One of them was locked up at the time only because he was too aggressive with my young little hens who were born on August 5th and had just started laying, and are a smaller breed than he. He was too rough with them, he was put in rooster jail. I don't mean to be an alarmist but this bloody war happened out of the clear blue.

I want purebred chicks this summer and have to get a wife for my D'uccle rooster, and my black and white Japanese rooster. I have a pair that I can't remember what they are right now, and I've got two roosters and five hens that are Old English. Got to do something with one of those roos. I don't eat them, so no one suggest that. I want to get some Silkies too. I heat my coop in the winter so next winter I'll be caging the roosters, and letting all the hens be loose in the coop, and run.

But life certainly is interesting with five roos, and only six hens as I have now. It will be an interesting summer playing rooster roulette.

Terry in Rickman, TN...just north of Cookeville halfway between N'ville and K'ville.

 

[shawkins]

gees louise! Mine are not tearing each other up like that, terry. Probably because the EE roo is a chicken (pun intended). I mean he runs from the hens, so when the RIR roo gets after him he just leaves the yard and as soon as he's out of the fence the RIR is happy as a clam. I think I will separate the breeds to solve the problem. I am not sure if I want to hatch any eggs yet but I'm thinking about it and if I do I'd like to know they are purebreds. Probably going to the local Co-Op tomorrow to get about 20 Barred Rocks.

scott from TN (just N of Memphis.)

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

Ah Ha, so did mine. All the roos did was chase each other, and not very far...ten or fifteen feet while they were free ranging. And they chased one another in a real half-hearted manner. At night, the four loose roos all peacefully roosted together with the six hens. The big roo had been caged for ten days or more before the fight happened and only because he was too rough with the little girls...he was the biggest roo but not the head guy.

The fight happened suddenly one day out of the clear blue. The head roo was outside the cage, and the big guy was inside. To avoid injury all either one had to do was step back six inches or so. What shocked me so much was that neither one had any sense of self-preservation. Each was willing to get mauled just to have a go at the other one. And it had to be the head roo who was loose with all the hens...who were outside not in the coop...who came in the coop where the big boy was and start the fight.

I'm holding off till the local show (april 3rd) to add to my flock...except for my sitting hen due on 3/18 or 3/19. I think I have another hen going broody too...different breed. She is the same breed as the big rooster. They are now outside in private quarters. I'm looking for D'uccle and black and white Japanese hens. Or chicks. I want Silkies too as my fifth breed. I'll probably have to buy pairs but I can sell extra roos on any Tuesday.

Terry in TN

 

[meghan713]

RIR roos can be aggressive towards humans and other roos, we have had to kill two of ours.... Maybe keep the more docile rooster with a banty roo as his deputy? i don't know. But if the EE roo isn't getting any love, it might be best to rehome one of them.