I have a flock that has 3 main roosters (Buff Orp, Black Cochin, New Hampshire), and a Dark Cornish breeding rooster who is in a pen with his 2 ladies but inside the run. There are 10 young cockerels who aren't challanging the roosters yet (Black/Blue Cochins) that I need to rehome or send to freezer camp (they are just shy of 5 months). I have about 30-40 ladies for them (I can't remember the exact number at the moment), with 8 more Cochin pullets coming up to breeding age.
The Buff and the Black Cochin rooster are almost 1.5 years old. The New Hampshire and the Dark Cornish are 1 year 3 months. Since about 9 months ago, the Buff and the Cochin have been with the main flock. The Buff was dominant and the Cochin was subordinate and never crowed and only cautiously mated. I added the New Hampshire about a month ago when I whittled my Bachelor flock down to just him. There was a little adjustment tussles, but nothing major. Yesterday, I was outside and I heard a crow I didn't recognize. My Black Cochin was crowing. A little while later I saw him fighting with the Buff and the New Hampshire. Later that day I saw him trying to fight the Dark Cornish through the wire of his pen.
Thankfully, no roosters have been hurt. I select for temperament and one of the things I check for is that the roosters I keep don't persistently chase down another rooster and harm him. I'm fine with pecking order squabbles where no one gets hurt, that's only normal. These fights I saw only lasted1-2 min with most of that time being spent staring at each other with hackles raised and only a few flying kicks being delivered. I'm wondering why my Cochin is challenging the status quo now. Is it that he is reaching full maturity now? Or could all the up-and-coming cockerels be pushing him to secure his place?
The Buff and the Black Cochin rooster are almost 1.5 years old. The New Hampshire and the Dark Cornish are 1 year 3 months. Since about 9 months ago, the Buff and the Cochin have been with the main flock. The Buff was dominant and the Cochin was subordinate and never crowed and only cautiously mated. I added the New Hampshire about a month ago when I whittled my Bachelor flock down to just him. There was a little adjustment tussles, but nothing major. Yesterday, I was outside and I heard a crow I didn't recognize. My Black Cochin was crowing. A little while later I saw him fighting with the Buff and the New Hampshire. Later that day I saw him trying to fight the Dark Cornish through the wire of his pen.
Thankfully, no roosters have been hurt. I select for temperament and one of the things I check for is that the roosters I keep don't persistently chase down another rooster and harm him. I'm fine with pecking order squabbles where no one gets hurt, that's only normal. These fights I saw only lasted1-2 min with most of that time being spent staring at each other with hackles raised and only a few flying kicks being delivered. I'm wondering why my Cochin is challenging the status quo now. Is it that he is reaching full maturity now? Or could all the up-and-coming cockerels be pushing him to secure his place?
