Rooster woes

[TJAnonymous]

This is more of a rant than anything else.

I have two EE roosters who were raised together as chicks. They sleep in the same 8x10 coop and share the 35' x 130' chicken yard & 35+ hens between each other. However, Fabio is the dominant rooster over Casanova. Fabio has certainly enforced his dominance on a regular basis but after a brief squabble, Casanova will usually run away and Fabio lets him. Only a couple of times has Fabio forced Casanova's face in the ground.

Well, today I was walking by the window and saw Fabio chasing Casanova. I watched for a few minutes and it became clear that this was more than the average squabble. Fabio would not let up or let Casanova walk/run away. He was relentless. Poor Cas was panting so hard I was worried he would have a heart attack. I ran out there and turned on the hose, hoping it would make Fabio chill out. No bones...he didn't care about the hose. That's how focused he was. I finally went into the chicken yard with a stick and swatted at him to get him to leave Cas alone. He had Cas pinned against the fence but ran off to the other end of the chicken yard when I came out there to stop the terrorism. I opened the gate and let Cas out into the pasture so he could have some separation between the two of them. (Not to say that Fabio couldn't just jump the fence and resume the fight, but he hasn't so far....)

If I had to choose between the two roosters, I'd definitely choose Fabio to stay. Fabio has never tried to attack me. Cas has only once. I nearly flattened him and he's never done it again. Fabio is also a prettier bird and, being mostly black, can turn out blue chicks. I was HOPING that both birds could live side by side in general peace since they have room to spread out and there's plenty of girls to go around.

Sadly, after today, I'm not sure if that is possible....

 

[neo71665]

Sorry for ya but ive never had any luck with 2 roos in the same flock even when i used to free range. They had 90 acres to keep apart and wouldnt quit fighting.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

In my experience, it's a rare rooster than can/will share running a flock. You may want to consider - for your peace of mind and Casanova's health - rehoming your beta rooster. Best wishes.

 

[TropicalBabies]

How about splitting the flock? Means another coop and run or a fence down the middle.

I had a choice like that once. Made my choice, rehomed the other, then chosen roo mysteriously died a month later. Totally heartbroken. So, I am personally a little leery especially when you have two you adore.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I have honestly thought about making a bachelor pen. I mean, I have another juvenile rooster who is 12 weeks old AND I hatched out at least 1, maybe 2, CCLB males a little over a week ago. There's also two other EE chicks that could possibly be males. However, my DH is in the process of building me a 3rd coop right now. If I asked for another one, I think he'd serve me divorce papers instead.... Funny, but not, ya know?

I do know what you mean though.... That's part of the reason why I have hesitated culling him before now. We've had problems with hawks and foxes. I have many chickens, including these two roos, who jump the fence to free range without permission. I liked having both roos around because it was double the lookout.

Oh my gosh you sound like me lol. (yet no lol at all)
I have XL dog cages (that I got used on craigslist for $20-$40ea) I cut a roost, stuck a few screws in it and put my extra roo in when he takes too many liberties with my main guys girls, I mean, that is what starts the trouble and my main guy has every right to discipline him, he is jr. I just don't like my girls paying the price with being fought over. It is also Spring and things will settle in a few months, so their intense ruckus may pass with it. They are young right?
I actually housed the boys in the cages until I was able to build a small bachelor pad. I alternated evenings out for them, the boys would hop back in when it was time. Works pretty well for me and they did not seem to mind.
Not to steal your thunder but I had to make the choice to put one of my boys on craigslist today. Did not want to but I have to be practical. He is too nice to cull and I have had some decent luck on craigslist, mater of fact, many if not all of my boys have landed VERY well from the answered adds. Just make sure you take great photos, charge something, mention their strong points and do some vetting.
My roos end up in places I'd love to be. I mean really droll worthy places with big flocks of hens on lots of land with good people. It can be awesome.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I have honestly thought about making a bachelor pen. I mean, I have another juvenile rooster who is 12 weeks old AND I hatched out at least 1, maybe 2, CCLB males a little over a week ago. There's also two other EE chicks that could possibly be males. However, my DH is in the process of building me a 3rd coop right now. If I asked for another one, I think he'd serve me divorce papers instead.... Funny, but not, ya know?

I do know what you mean though.... That's part of the reason why I have hesitated culling him before now. We've had problems with hawks and foxes. I have many chickens, including these two roos, who jump the fence to free range without permission. I liked having both roos around because it was double the lookout.

I also loved having 2 boys watch the flock. They got along great for 8 months. In our case, beta turned on alpha at the end of January. Alpha, a Brahma, wasn't going to back down but also clearly wasn't out to kill beta unless he had to. He'd put him down, chase him off, then go back to the flock. Can't say the same for beta, an EE. He was in it to win it, no matter how many times the Brahma put him down.

When it was obvious they weren't going to stop, I separated them, cleaned each boy up, and put them in different coops to rest.

I was looking for supplies for a cone and mentally preparing for the EE cockerel to leave the world, but the more I thought about it, the more I wasn't sure. Both boys have good & bad qualities. DH said to sleep on it for 2 weeks.

It's been, ohhh, 10. Still thinking it over. Things are copacetic in the meantime. The flock was 2 different ages anyway and fine being split. Sometimes all the ladies still get together, but there's no love lost. The 2 groups currently take shifts in the yard, but we're about to expand so will split the yard for future situations like this.

As far as the future, we recently decided to add straight run Marans in May, so there will be more boys in the mix, and now I'm reserving decisions on all males until those chicks grow out. It may be a bachelor or a freezer situation. Either way, all birds will have happy lives until the moment they leave them. Solving for the flock looks different for everyone. Good luck in your decisions!

 

[TJAnonymous]

Would it be doable to leave Cass in free range mode all the time?

That's not likely an option...mostly because Cas is used to going in the coop at night. I think he would be terribly confused if I suddenly stopped letting him go in with the others at night. It would be kinder to simply cull him. I don't know anyone who would take him for rehoming.

I also have a 3rd rooster who is about 5 months younger than Fabio & Cas. He took up with a flock of adopted game hens. They free range all the time and do not go in the coop with my main flock of chickens. They roost in my barn instead. I need to cull that rooster because he has tried to spur me and DH too many times. We've certainly put him in his place so there's a tense "peace" between us now when we are in and around the barn. I've wondered if Cas might try to adopt that flock if I culled that rooster but I doubt it would be a good option. Cas is far too big to mate with those game hens. Also, he has never shown any interest in them whatsoever so I doubt he would now.

I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and cull him.

 

[Folly's place]

He we have several roosters at once, but I'm ready to go to an alternate plan any time it's necessary. Cass and Fabio are done living together, and if you have cockerels or roosters who have attacked you, they should be the ones leaving.
I wouldn't turn Cass outside, he needs to be in a coop, or gone another way. Too many miserable night time predator experiences, at least here, to have any birds not in a safe place overnight. Daytime predators are bad enough!
Maybe one of your younger cockerels will get along better with Fabio, or maybe not. Worth trying?
Mary

 

[Aschuchert]

Its Fabio that is the issue in my opinion, I've faced similar issues and had to re-home the beta Roo. Sometimes you can raise another roo from a chick with an alpha but it depends on the personality of both. Its your choice and if you want the breeding results from Fabio then rehoming your beta and trying again with another with his offspring may be your best bet.

 

[Aschuchert]

oh, and i tried the bachelor coop, look into how far apart they really need to be. We had no luck and kept having to separate fights, 1 death, and endless crowing that irritated the neighbors.......