Roosters fighting this morning

[serendipityfarm]

My two bantam Cochin roos have been best buddies for about 5 months now. This morning when I let them out, they when after each other. I watched for a litle while because at first I thought they were playing or it would pass, but it didn't so I threw a plastic bowl in their direction and it startled them enough to make them stop. I walked over & the one roo was all puffed up & didn't move away, so I scooped him up right away. He's fine, had a couple good pecks so his comb ws bleeding a bit. I carried him around for a while as a reprimand for trying to stand up to me, then put him back out. They seemed to go about their business as usual after that.
One peck was very close to his eye which worries me. Is this normal? I loved the fact that they got along so well. Sometimes the girls split up out free ranging and it was nice to have the 2 boys to keep an eye on them.
So, advice please? Is it likely to be a phase? They are both about 6 months old and have been together for most of that time. There is one I was thinking about breeding and one I definitely wasn't so maybe it's time to make the change to a one roo flock?
I just don't want things to get worse, and I certainly don't want them to turn that agressive behavior on me.

 

[Judy]

I guessed about how old they were before I read that far, because this is typical hormonal behavior for roos. They will continue to compete for who gets to be #1 roo, and it is a definite possibility (or probability) that you will be considered a competitor, so you would get the aggression, too. A one roo flock would be a very good idea. This will change the behavior of the one roo, and your hens will thank you.

We knocked off a roo the other day and the hens thanked me by doubling their egg production; I knew he was overstressing them....

 

[serendipityfarm]

Yup. That's pretty much what I thought. Just looking for confirmation that it's the age. I'm sure they will probably sort it out if left on their own, but at what cost?
My only thought this morning was "It's all fun & games until somebody loses an eye"... literally. That one peck was too close for my comfort.

 

[PamB]

I went through the same thing recently...cockerals got along great until suddenly one day, they went at eachother and didn't want to stop. I couldn't bear watching them hurt eachother because blood was drawn and they were just going at it constantly because neither would back down. I chose to rehome one. It was a personal decision, but my flock is peaceful again.

 

[Lbrad7]

You might want to keep in mind that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! A trip to freezer camp for one of them would make a great solution...just my two cents.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

This is why I choose my breeder before they are even 20 weeks. Actually by the time they are 16 weeks, I have just 1 or 2 and then there is only one. The older roo is dispatched and the hens get a break before the young cockeral takes full charge in the Spring breeding season. I just make sure I have hatched all the eggs I want before the last culling.

If you wait to long, they usually fight and injure each other, but they can and do kill one another also. Don't wait.

 

[Caseman]

Rooster will fight and do hurt 1 another. Funny thing about them you can take top rooster out for a day or so and wet him down and more than likely he will get whipped when you put him back.. I raised games roosters long time ago. I never keep rooster together. I keep 1 rooster to 2 hens in a coop and run to them selves.. 1 rooster is enough for 20 hens and you should cull down to 1 rooster by 6 months of age..

 

[serendipityfarm]

Thanks everybody. I was just hopeful since they were getting along so well up until now...

I am going to rehome him as soon as I can. In the meantime I have them separated. Even if I could stomach the idea of sending something I've thought of as a pet til now to "freezer camp", he's just a bantam, so not much of a Thanksgiving dinner. Guess that's lucky for him.