Roosters fighting - advice please!

[Jojo1979]

I have 2 accidental roosters that I got in my first lot of 6 chickens. I quickly followed them up with a further 4 hens and due to them reaching sexual maturity I have recently got another 5 hens. One roo is the main protector of the flock whilst the other (light Sussex) is aggressive sexually and has now started attacking the other roo. Is this just them figuring out who is boss or will it get more serious? Yesterday the Sussex pinned the other one in the run (they free range) but he cornered him and the other only managed to get away because we kind of intervened!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi!

We have rooster spats now and then and for the mostpart, they work it out without shedding blood. In your case, it sounds like it might come to that. What I'd do is pen the agressive one up away from them for a couple of weeks. Then, give him a couple of hens you think liked him or just guess and let them live together for another week or two. Then put them all back and see how it goes. He will then have "his" two hens to worry about and won't be so concerned of the other rooster.

If it starts again, I'd then let them fight it out as they'll probably have to establish whose hens are whose hens again. As long as it doesn't get too violent, we just let them be.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is no doubt at all, that the more roosters you have, the greater the chance of it going wrong. Being raised together has no influence in how they behave toward each other, and the idea, that if you have enough hens, they will share is also false. Multiple roosters in a backyard set up generally do not work over the long term. Each rooster wants all of the hens and will fight for them.

They don't call it cock fighting for nothing. These things are the options:

• They never fight (this does not happen often, but it can)
• They fight, settle it, never fight again
• They fight, cause damage - separate to fight another day
• They fight until one of them is dead.

There is no way of knowing how it is going to go. Personally, I would not keep 2 roosters unless I had 25 hens and enough space for them to range a wide area. Not in a typical backyard.

The other thing, that you may not be aware of, as it is less dramatic, but two fighting roosters cause a lot of stress and tension in the hen part of the flock. They are constantly on alert.

I would keep one, and remove the other from your flock. I don't like cock fighting, whether or not, people are paying to watch. Fighting is fighting, and I don't keep them in my flock.

Mrs K

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

It'll probably be easier and less stressful to rehome or eat the problematic Sussex.
It could give it a chance to see if the other one is good for the flock, or you can do the same with him.

Hen-only flocks do just fine, if you prefer.

Sometimes you just end up with a bad bird, or one that you can't provide enough space/resources for.

I myself have a cockerel who'll be going soon.
The rooster is good, though. He gets to stay.