Roosters fighting suggestion????

[darbella]

OK, I know that roosters fight. Here is my delima, I have a ginormous fenced in chicken yard and all the birds get along great. I have an awesome bantam cochin roo that is so friendly and gets along with all the other roos and hens. I added 2 weeks ago a trio of modern games, with the roo being an old man. Everyone was getting along fine till yesterday when I looked out and saw a tumbleweed of feathers and beaks rolling across the pen! I ran out and they each had a beak full of the other and I had to open each ones beak to make them let go. I watched them for a while and after stepping in between them several times, they moved to opposite ends of the yard as if everything was fine. I thought it was the game roo that was the trouble maker, but this morning, when I let everyone out of the coop, the cochin made a bee-line after the MG and would not let up. So I gave him a time out in a cage for the day. I really would like to keep both of theys boys and let them have the freedom to roam in the large pen area, but does anyone have any tips on how to break the cochins want for going after the MG? He was not aggressive till yesterday and it is only towards this one roo. I DO realize that I may either have to give up one, or make another pen and seperate them, but thought that someone may have a suggestion where it is only a new behavior for this roo.

 

[ReiMiraa]

i havent a clue. i have 70+ chickens and 10ish are roosters.

i have roos of all sizes.
2 milli (you know how small they are, big personalitys though, big bird little body)
1 jerzy giant (13 pounds, still growing)
1buff columbian brahma (11 pounds)
1andulsian
1ee (beautiful)
1turken
1light brahma
(used to have an acona, was killed by skunk, got along fine too)
and possibly a few more still in the closet.

they all get along. the buff columbian brahma roo is the oldest one, and my first. then i added the milli's. they got along fine. the 2 milli's are hilarious. the double team the hens. i feel bad. one will pin the head while the other does the deed.

my chickens are all in a large fenced yard and i let them free range. but even when confined they get alog great. my flock is female ran, the males are for decoration. lol.

none of my roosters fight.
my buff orphingon, and australorp hen fight, (they go broody alot too)
i have fighting hens not roosters.
i figure they will figure things out, pecking order and all that.

 

[darbella]

Quote:
I am hoping that they are trying to establish a pecking order, but at what point do I let it go to? I dont want either one to hurt the other. Maybe tomorrow I will just let them duke it out till one gives up, it is hard because I have to go to work. MAybe I would be better waiting till I am home to supervise. I even gave them all kinds of different food and scattered it around to keep them busy, but as soon as the cochin would see the MG he bolted after him. It is funny but at the same time not something to laugh about.

 

[bobbi-j]

I would guess that they're just trying to establish a pecking order. Give them a few days to sort it out.

 

[ReiMiraa]

i think cochins have big egos. i remember when we had a hen of that breed and she was the boss. honestly i would of though the game roo would be more inclined to fight than a lazy cochin.

if they do not have much for developed spurs i would say let them figure things out. but if the old game roo has nice spurs i might want them removed.
i have seen what game roos or actual fighting roos can do with those.
but sometimes the smaller birds have the advantage, they are faster. learned that when a new silki bantm hen was introduced to my flock and fought with the hens. my 11lb roo (the oldest) stepped in to ref. then she started attacking him.

i saw give them a week. then it should calm down, if not. then maybe some measures should be taken. like isolating the cochin roo for a week. reintroduce him and the flock will gang up on him and take his ego down a few levels.... course i would always do that with broody hens... but they would still be a bit pissy when i reintroduce them.... -sigh-

 

[Bizzybirdy]

Well, if you are wanting to let them duke it out, best you are around to referee. I have at least 5 of my nicest roos that fought and lost when I was not around...one died, one is blind in BOTH eyes and the other three only have one eye. :-(

The four still alive are all in separate pens and I tend to them that way because I feel so bad for them. Most roosters will fight to the death...of one and always go for the heads of their opponents.

 

[Tiss]

My SLW cockerels started going at it. When they started to draw blood, one of them got a new home. Good luck with yours, hope they work it out.

 

[centrarchid]

darbella,

Something I used to shorten duration of fight and presumably minimize damage was to employ water. One of the tricks used was spraying combatents with water from hose. Use shower setting. Birds will be stressed by this. As they fight get them wet. It will reduce their ability to pound each other with wings but they will still be able to peck. It is wings that cause much bruising / swelling of head and neck. For short term it will make them look different therefore more motivated to fight but fatigue will set in quickly, possibly even mild hypothermia. Hopefully neither is too game and one will break off attack and submit quicker than it would otherwise. Do not separate them afterwards, let pecking order be re-enforced. They may need help getting to roost and added protection from cold.

Otherwise let them fight it out. Most of time damage will be relatively light and repaired with exception of feathers that need to be restored through molting. Spurs and beak both pose risk of damage to eyes but permanent damage is far from guaranteed.

 

[darbella]

Well, the boys must have ralized that I was the biggest rooster and would alway win! LOL They are not at each other anymore and ralized there is pleanty of space for them each to get along. Now I hae to worry about another modern game roo I got and have been keeping seperate because he was dubbed and had some healing to do. He seem a little gamey so if he does not want to get along with everyone, then he will have to be kept seperat. I amthinking I may have to build a seperat pen within the large enclosre for these fresher roos!

 

[grambysfarm]

Quote:
Woody is doing great in his new home His girls laid 4 eggs today.

I worry more when the roosters try to fight me. I still have scars on my leg left from the spurs of one of my White Leghorns.