The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[hellbender]

Very Improtant Notice: Don't use any of the treatments for any poultry malady that I have suggested or recommended.

There is a very strong prospect that they might work and that could weaken the thread. Folks won't be able to moan and

groan on about their situations and eventual cures, causing folks to be let down or even dejected.

......I relly do love people and recognize their needs!


Ron aka Hellbender.......................

 

[COChix]

So I was curious out of all of you,how many keep multiple roo's? I am curious how it has gone with two roo's and if they fought? We have two BO roo's raised together with the flock and they have never fought, maybe puffed up at each other, but not fought. Well today, I went out to get the gang in from free range and I found the boys both bloody and fighting. I was a little surprised by this as they hadn't really fought before, so we will need to decide what to do tomorrow. I was hoping we might be able to have two roos but not so sure this will fly. We have multiple feeding and watering stations and a good hen to roo ratio, 23 hens with two roos.

 

[Mrs. K]

what is the age? Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won't, sometimes they fight it out once, and sometimes they fight till one is dead.

 

[COChix]

what is the age? Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won't, sometimes they fight it out once, and sometimes they fight till one is dead.

both are 9 months, seems like the second in command got the worse of it. Just threw me for a loop as it is not like this has been building up to a fight.

 

[Mrs. K]

Are your hens the same age or older?

I am a big advocate of raising roosters in a flock of older birds. They learn better chicken manners in a society of larger than them birds. Roosters raised just with flock mates get bigger faster, and can be bullies.

If it is older hens, well the roosters might be finally suiting the older girls and getting a little loving, and bitterly resenting any other rooster from getting any.

I have had a father / son duo that worked well, but even the best relationships can go sour. The older bird, becomes a little slower, and the younger one puts it to the test.

It can work, lots of people have it work, but just cause it works to day, is no real promise about tomorrow. They will have worked it out, or not, and you will know soon if you didn't separate them. If you did separate them, they will generally fight it out again, when you put them back together.

 

[potagergirl]

So I was curious out of all of you,how many keep multiple roo's? I am curious how it has gone with two roo's and if they fought? We have two BO roo's raised together with the flock and they have never fought, maybe puffed up at each other, but not fought. Well today, I went out to get the gang in from free range and I found the boys both bloody and fighting. I was a little surprised by this as they hadn't really fought before, so we will need to decide what to do tomorrow. I was hoping we might be able to have two roos but not so sure this will fly. We have multiple feeding and watering stations and a good hen to roo ratio, 23 hens with two roos.

Remember when I say this that I am going into my second year of having chickens.

Our rooster to hen ratio is very high for our WCBP being 3 to 5. Our LF Cochin is 2 to 5.
Even before I got chickens I knew I never wanted to be without 2 roosters for each breed because chances of loosing a rooster when free ranging is very high.
This summer one of the WCBP will be sold or placed in another pen. Just a few weeks ago I lost my blue Cochin rooster and I was down to having my splash Cochin roo. I was lucky to find a black Cochin over the age of one year and of excellent quality to use as a breeder and that is strong enough to be a leader for my Cochins. My splash rooster is almost a year he just isn't mature enough for the job of leading.

Having said that, our chickens are more like pets. When the 2 smaller WCBP begin to fight which isn't often it doesn't last long, if it is disturbing the hens I pick one of them up and tuck him under my arm till both calm down. I had to do this the other day and with spring coming I'm sure it will be more times then not until they get it into their heads it is not acceptable. I've already figured out this is their nature you can't take it away from them but I can change their frame of mind in the moment. We enjoy multiple roos and have had very little problems even with all the free ranging with the chickens together. Again I say we have pets and easily change their perspective.
Our numbers will not always be like this our chicken family is already growing.

I wish you luck with your roosters.

 

[jtn42248]

I had a Blue Andalusian rooster and a Dominique rooster that were raised together with 22 hens. Everything was fine for a while. The Blue Andalusian established himself and the Dom abided by the rules. Then one day we saw, through the dining room window, the Andalusian stalk, attack and try to kill the Dom. The Dom was all the way on the other side of the field and did nothing to provoke the attack. We had no choice but to cull the Andalusian and still have the Dom today. The Dom is (and will always be) traumatized by the attack and has a serious limp as a result but he is the sweetest rooster I have ever seen. I now have 4 mating pairs of Sebright Bantams (two golden, one silver and one mixed silver/golden) we are building pens and runs to keep them apart so that we can have the multiple roos. Sebrights are prone to very agressive rooster behavior resulting in the death of one or both of the fighting birds.

I will never keep multiple roosters together in the future unless I can keep them isolated from each other.

 

[jime]

I have 6 roosters and about 7 cockerels and about 30 hens and pullets all are together and never have issues. Some days one of the rooster will try to start a fight but the girls have figure that if they just walk by the boys will stop the fighting.I do have them lock in pens at night and during the day free range or are in the big run. I only separate for breeding 4 months the rest of the year they are all together, maybe that is why too they are just use to been in a big group.

 

[nj2wv]

I have a high rooster ratio. Mine get along. They stay in a coop at night and free range all day. They don't fight. If the top rooster sees another rooster mating a hen then he will chase him and the offender runs off. They rarely challenge him. When they do challenge him it doesn't last long and they avoid him afterwards.

 

[delisha]

So I was curious out of all of you,how many keep multiple roo's? I am curious how it has gone with two roo's and if they fought? We have two BO roo's raised together with the flock and they have never fought, maybe puffed up at each other, but not fought. Well today, I went out to get the gang in from free range and I found the boys both bloody and fighting. I was a little surprised by this as they hadn't really fought before, so we will need to decide what to do tomorrow. I was hoping we might be able to have two roos but not so sure this will fly. We have multiple feeding and watering stations and a good hen to roo ratio, 23 hens with two roos.

I have about 6 mature males. The top male keeps all the other males in line. They free range during good weather. We do have some bloody heads once and a while, but it is usually juviniles being filled with hormones. All normal behavior.

Quote: In 35 years I have never had males kill each other, but I am sure depending on the breed of bird it does happen. Orpingtons are docile and they will fight, but at that age it is all normal and nothing to worry about. Just clean them up and let them do what chickens do. It is all natural and it is necessary to determine who is the top breeder. The best male should be the breeder. You need a smart male to protect the flock and the other male will be second in command, and don't worry he will breed the hens too. Just not as much as the top male.