Rooster problem

[elisabeth44]

So we have 6 hens and a rooster and one of our hens had chicks about a month ago we think one of them is a rooster the breed is brahma, but not pure breed ( he's kinda a mutt) once the baby rooster gets old enough will they fight? How should I approach the situation? I also have one more question, when dose a hen lose interest in her chicks and if she dose so what do you do if she's not accepted back into the flock?

 

[Folly's place]

You have a small flock for more than one rooster, so it might be best to rehome the younger, if you are happy with the senior boy. Mary

 

[elisabeth44]

Well with the new chicks we would have 12 hens

 

[azygous]

If you end up with a baby roo, the big one will teach him that he's the head honcho and to keep in his place. Unless the young cockerel is very headstrong, he's probably going to fall right into line behind his daddy and you shouldn't have any problems, especially with that many hens.

If you end up with more than one cockerel, there could be problems between the male juveniles as hormones kick in.

 

[aart]

Is the broody raising her chicks with the flock or separately?

Had my broody behind a wire wall splitting the coop until chicks were 2 weeks then took wall down.
Broody got into a few fights because she used to be a low hen and would no longer 'submit' to her 'superiors'.
3 pretty bad fights in the first 2 days that I had to break up because the rooster couldn't, but after that things were fine...chicks were never threatened.

When the cockerels hit about 13 weeks, there was some trouble,
mostly the main roo being to harder on his hens(competition) but also the cockerels gong after the pullets and the hens beating the cockerels up,
so I removed the cockerels, they were delicious.

Only time will tell what your birds will do if your possible a cockerel hits his hormones, your cock might keep thing in line or he may not.
Always best to have a wire dog crate or two around to isolate problem birds.

 

[Folly's place]

x2! Mary

 

[elisabeth44]

Thank you all for your help