Rooster Problems

[my sunwolf]

So I tried to introduce my two adult roosters today through the fence. It was all going well, they were sort of challenging each other (false tidbitting) and puffing up their hackles but not really doing much. I went inside for about a half an hour. When I came back outside, both roosters were bloody. They had been fighting each other through the fence and had cut their legs and feet on the wire, not to mention the older rooster had taken a small chunk out of the younger one's comb. Yikes. I separated them, obviously. They are not too concerned about their injuries, but are definitely hot and panting as it is a warm day.

Anyone had any success introducing two adult roosters who won't back down?

 

[farmer boy]

the roosters i introduced to each other were fine they did fight a bit but the older one stepped down and the younger one took his place as alpha roo and there were still a little scraps here and there not to much

 

[my sunwolf]

the roosters i introduced to each other were fine they did fight a bit but the older one stepped down and the younger one took his place as alpha roo and there were still a little scraps here and there not to much

My older one is only older by about 6 months, so maybe that's the problem, he's not ready to step down yet! And my younger one definitely thinks he should be the boss. I may just try to keep them separate.

 

[farmer boy]

well my older one only stepped down because he is a little baby lol he was not use to other roosters and he did not know what to do about it so he fought a little then he just stepped down ..... if they are drawing blood then that is not good ... is there a place where u can put them together where they both have not been out in a big space because when adding new birds to a flock its better to be in the open and in a new area where they both have not been before so they are not so territorial ... how many hens do you have ??

 

[my sunwolf]

well my older one only stepped down because he is a little baby lol he was not use to other roosters and he did not know what to do about it so he fought a little then he just stepped down ..... if they are drawing blood then that is not good ... is there a place where u can put them together where they both have not been out in a big space because when adding new birds to a flock its better to be in the open and in a new area where they both have not been before so they are not so territorial ... how many hens do you have ??

Probably 20 older and 20 younger hens out there that the older rooster looks after. The roosters each consider the different sides of the fence to be their own territories. I may just run them separately as I don't have enough space right now to set them up in a large, new space with each other

 

[farmer boy]

you only have one rooster right ??? if so then thats bad because over breeding is bad for the rooster i heard .. 1 big rooster needs 12 hens each and if you have 40 and 1 rooster thats bad for him mating so much .. i don't see why he would be so aggressive because there are so many hens he should be fine

 

[my sunwolf]

Um, that's why I'm trying to introduce another rooster! Lol. I'm actually introducing 2 but one of them is completely submissive and runs instead of fighting, so I'm not worried about him. I have a few cockerels in with the hens who should be fine with my adult roosters as they grew up together.

 

[farmer boy]

well once the cockerels get to the age (6 months ) they will be raging with hormones and the older roosters will start fighting with the young ones because the younger ones will start getting aggressive with the hens since they will have a lot of hormones pumping through them .... so you should have around 4 roosters then with your flock