Tale of Two Roosters...

[carolinasculpture]

Hello! Question for you all! How long will it take for "normalcy" to return?
We have two roosters. One, Mr. Cletus, is quite old and has been a prefect rooster. Last summer, we finally hatched out another rooster from him (after 5 years of only hens...). So father and son had been getting along pretty well, but we knew it was only a matter of time. The other day I went down to the chickens and no Mr. Cletus. I found him cowering in the coop with a bloody comb and head. I can not say for sure that it was a result from a fight with the young rooster, but kind of assume so. Brought him up to the house and got him cleaned up, kept him here for a few days and decided to bring him back down to the flock today...but NOT in with the young rooster. We have a "grow-out" pen inside of the run that is currently housing a hen who is recovering from an injury, so I put him in with her. The two roos immediately started at it thought the fence...of course. So I set up a perimeter where the young roo can't get to the fence and a few sections of plywood where they can't even see each other. They are pacing, crowing, scratching and trying to get together to fight. Even in the short time I was observing them, they would pipe down and then almost like remember the other and go at it again. I am sure they will calm down over time...anyone have a reference as to about how long? I will keep them separated forever. Mr. Cletus is just too old. We have had him for 7 years and the folks we got him from said they had him for at least 5 years. Thank you in advance!

 

[Squishychicken]

I'd let them fight it out with you observing. That way they can establish dominance and quite fighting.

How many hens do you have for them two

 

[SueT]

You are saying Cletus may be 12 years old? Can we see pics?

 

[50-45-1]

Will they calm down and get along with each other? No.
They will calm down when one is dead or gone from the premises.
So i think you have to make a decision. Keep one and rehome, cull, or eat the other.
I once had 2 roosters. One a standard and the other a jap bantam. They each had there own harem of girls and lots of space during the day. They roosted in separate sections of my coop and the bantam was very concisous of the whereabouts of the standard at all times. Not sue how much fun this was for the bantam, but they made it work. These two are the only 2 rooster i have had who cohabitated together.

 

[Mrs. K]

Multiple roosters will work until it doesn't. Sometimes it is a one and done, and they are fine, but often times it is ongoing. I think you are in the last scenario. Either keep them separate, or remove one permanently.

MRs K