Rooster Soap Opera

[BackAcre]

Out of my little flock of 7, 2 for sure MAYBE 3 are roosters. In my way of thinking, 3 roosters to 4 hens is just asking for trouble. I never intended to keep roosters anyhow, I really just wanted hens. However, my 2 roosters seem to get along totally fine at 4 months old, and the one that maybe-is-maybe-isn't a rooster just stays out of the way. The 2 roosters have actually already had a power shift between them where the first 'boss' rooster has stopped crowing and relinquished his boss title to the other fella who has grown to be the larger of the 2. I have homes that will take three roosters, but the 2 four month old ones were part of a family group with a single hen chick, and since they are all still getting along and finding their own order, am I headed for a fall by not sending them away before too long? And if I do send them to new flocks of their own, when is a good time to do it so they are successful at becoming the bosses and not the henpecked new youngster in the group? Any tips?

 

[BYCforlife]

It's really hard to tell with chickens, sometimes the alpha male can become the omega when they are moved, it really depends on what rooster (or absence or one) the new owners have.

When chickens leave your flock, there will always be a fight to see who is now at the top and bottom, unless you have a very special case, it's just how they live.

My special case was my 3 hens that I hatched myself. There was no pecking order between them, they got along extremely well.

 

[lomine]

In my opinion, cockerels raised with hens that aren't afraid to put them in their place are better behaved when mature. Of course that's not the case with all of them but, in general, hens teach the boys "manners." So being a "henpecked youngster" is a good thing in my book.

Your boys are coming into maturity a little late in the year so that may be why they aren't as hormonal. Or they may just be more docile. Either way, I think if you know you aren't keeping them you should remove them as soon as possible and, if you can, all at the same time (or as close as you can). Younger birds usually have an easier time integrating into new flocks so it's better for the boys. Your remaining birds will also go through a shift as they create a new pecking order. It's better for them if you don't draw it out.

 

[annaBsChick]

Why dont you create a separate pen and keep a bachelor flock of roosters? Without hens they tend to get along well most of the time. Here is an infographic with tips about it - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-keeping-bachelor-flocks

 

[BackAcre]

I'm very lucky- my husband says I can actually keep them all if I want, or I have homes that want them if I let them go. I just don't want to get myself into a situation from lack of planning down the road. I also think I might be too soft for chicken keeping - I don't know if I have the heart to break up their little family groups and disturb their order

 

[aart]

At 4 months it's only just begun.
Are they trying to mate the pullets yet?
Be ready to separate those boys at a moments notice,
cause when it goes sideways it can happen fast.
Don't worry about the pullets, they will likely be very glad to have those boys gone.

 

[BackAcre]

Thank you @aart for posting this. It was somewhat exactly what I needed to hear. I contacted one of the people who were hoping to take my roosters and sent the first guy to his new home over the weekend. He was a bit of a favorite, but I feel fortunate that he had a place to go with his own harem. The other rooster is not very alpha, so maybe he can stay, pending the genders of my 2 youngest babies.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Out of my little flock of 7, 2 for sure MAYBE 3 are roosters.... Any tips?

Yes, the first tip is that you as yet do not have a single rooster but instead some snotty nosed cockerels. Cockerels are just roosters in waiting. Don't expect to see much improvement in your cockerels before they reach 8 months but at 12 months they will become full fledged roosters but they will likely start acting up or acting out within the next 2 months.
Oh to be a cockerel and young again!

 

[Mrs. K]

personally, if I had someone to take my roosters, I would let them go right now. Often times you can't give them away.

If this is your first foray into chickens, I would let all the roosters go, rooster take some experience. There is a learning curve to chickens, just start with an all hen flock.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals with chickens? How do males fit in with those goals? The only reason you need a rooster is for fertile eggs. Everything else is just personal preference. Personal preference can be strong, some people would not have a flock without a rooster even if they don't want fertile eggs. Others do not want a rooster anywhere near their hens. It doesn't matter what my preferences are, what are yours? I generally suggest you keep as few males as you can and still meet your goals. That's not because you are guaranteed problems with more roosters, just that problems are more likely. For a lot of people, the correct number is zero.

Those are my standard comments to people in your situation trying to make up their mind. I see you got rid of one. I consider that a great decision but you may still have one or two more decisions to make. At four months you don't have a clue how they will act as they go through puberty and later as roosters when they finally mature. There can be a world of difference in how cockerels behave and how mature roosters behave. Pullets go through maturity also but usually not as violently. I've had cockerels start puberty at 3 months, others not start until after 5 months. I've had some 5 month old's act like a mature rooster, I've had some not make that change until they are about a year old. People like to give hard and fast numbers as to what age these changes take place but in my experience real life does not work that way. My numbers are skewed too as I raise mine to eat and most of the slower maturing ones don't live that long.

You still have one or two to go. Watching cockerels and pullets go through puberty can go pretty smoothly, especially when they have a lot of extra room. But usually, even with room, it can be hard for the faint-of-heart to watch. It can get pretty violent. If you decide to try to keep a cockerel, I suggest you have a pen ready where you can isolate one pretty quickly if you need to. (Having a place like that ready anyway is a good idea in case you need to isolate an injured chicken.) I also advocate making these decisions based of the good of the flock as a whole as opposed to one individual flock member.

If you decide to get rid of one I think the sooner the better. That way you are doing it on your terms, not due to an emergency. When you let one go you no longer are in control but you sound like you might put some effort into that. I also think your remaining flock goes through less disruption when they are younger. They are probably in flux anyway determining dominance and pecking order.

Good luck however you decide. There are people that keep them, some that don't. To me neither one is the wrong decision, just the one you chose.