Chickerbockers
In the Brooder
So, I have read so many threads about roosters here that I am afraid the advice I get will be to cull, cull, and cull again. But, being hopeful, I thought I would ask again...just in case.
Our flock was two Silkey roosters, one cuchin lady, two Americuna ladies, two buff Orpington ladies, all almost three years old, one three year old RIR/Silkey lady, and three 9 month old barred rocks.
Six eggs hatched in Jan/Feb. Three are pullets; three are cockerels. They were hatched with their mommas who have since ditched them. So far, the youngsters have all had small battles to establish turf, but have gotten on well (there were three with one mom and three with another) otherwise. The youngsters mostly stay outside of their coop and hang out in the outside run I constructed for them when they were too small to wander. The door is open in the past few days so they can wander at will now that things are warmer. They are all sleeping in the coop with the rest of the flock, and have two places they can run away from the biggies if needed.
The older chickens mostly ignore the littlest unless they get too close to scratch that the ladies want. The older roosters have not bothered the younger chickens at all. Both older roosters each have one lady who is theirs. The rest of the flock will not let the Roos near them. (Though the barred rocks are considering it.).
If there are any signs of aggression, roosters will have to go. Barring that, if they are not hurting the flock or each other, they can stay, right? Five months old is where things start to get bad with cockerels...yes? Since two of the cockerels are related to two of the pullets, is that an issue I need to worry about too?
Our flock was two Silkey roosters, one cuchin lady, two Americuna ladies, two buff Orpington ladies, all almost three years old, one three year old RIR/Silkey lady, and three 9 month old barred rocks.
Six eggs hatched in Jan/Feb. Three are pullets; three are cockerels. They were hatched with their mommas who have since ditched them. So far, the youngsters have all had small battles to establish turf, but have gotten on well (there were three with one mom and three with another) otherwise. The youngsters mostly stay outside of their coop and hang out in the outside run I constructed for them when they were too small to wander. The door is open in the past few days so they can wander at will now that things are warmer. They are all sleeping in the coop with the rest of the flock, and have two places they can run away from the biggies if needed.
The older chickens mostly ignore the littlest unless they get too close to scratch that the ladies want. The older roosters have not bothered the younger chickens at all. Both older roosters each have one lady who is theirs. The rest of the flock will not let the Roos near them. (Though the barred rocks are considering it.).
If there are any signs of aggression, roosters will have to go. Barring that, if they are not hurting the flock or each other, they can stay, right? Five months old is where things start to get bad with cockerels...yes? Since two of the cockerels are related to two of the pullets, is that an issue I need to worry about too?