Three roosters, two are fighting each other. What would you do?

humblehillsfarm

Crazy chicken lady
Mar 27, 2020
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I have a going-on two year old rooster who has been a great rooster. Last spring I hatched out seven males and decided to keep two. So now I have three roosters, 20 hens, and three guineas. The two new males are a barred rock and a blue copper Marans. The guineas are about 9 months old and were raised until six months old nearly completely isolated from the chickens, but took to the barred rock instantly. So the Marans and the barred rock fight CONSTANTLY. Bloody combs and waddles all the time. Coop constantly looks like a blood bath. I've had to cut dangling shreds of comb and wattle off of them and the guineas are like the body guard side-kicks to the barred rock, always backing him up. I am not a stranger to dispatching a rooster, and I'd probably dispatch the Marans for sentimental reasons, but I was wondering if time could sort of help things calm down or is waiting for them to figure things out too risky? The original rooster is never involved, and none of the roosters bother people or overly bother the ladies either. So what would you do?
 
We had a bully cockerel and he was the first to go. We now keep a bachelor pad because we haven’t had luck raising multiple roosters with the hens. Yours have obviously been raised together, but now that their hormones are flowing and there’s ladies around, I don’t think they’ll go back to peaceful living. Someone else may have a rooster trick though!
 
I had a similair problem. Seperated the aggresive one and the side-kicks till they calmed down. It helped but he’s still being chased by the other roosters (almost all of them hold a grudge against him) but he’s slowly "recovering" and started mating hens, eating by himself and going into the coop at night by himself.. Good luck!
 
I had a similair problem. Seperated the aggresive one and the side-kicks till they calmed down. It helped but he’s still being chased by the other roosters (almost all of them hold a grudge against him) but he’s slowly "recovering" and started mating hens, eating by himself and going into the coop at night by himself.. Good luck!
Last time I separated roosters the fighting got worse and ended in dispatching one (the Marans sire. In this case though, both seem to equally partake in being the aggressor. While inside of the coop though they never fight. All fighting happens outside. The blood in the coop is from them slinging their wounded and bleeding waddles around when roosting and eating.

We had a bully cockerel and he was the first to go. We now keep a bachelor pad because we haven’t had luck raising multiple roosters with the hens. Yours have obviously been raised together, but now that their hormones are flowing and there’s ladies around, I don’t think they’ll go back to peaceful living. Someone else may have a rooster trick though!
Both seem to be equally guilty of being the aggressor. I am afraid though that you may be right in that they won't go back to being at peace. The other rooster has always been the established Alpha which is why I think he's not having any issues. The other two were hatch mates.
 
Personally I always solve for peace in the flock and would cull one of the roosters ASAP. Wait a few days and see. If things settle good, if not, I would cull the second rooster. One rooster can manage 20 hens most of the time.

They don't call it cock fighting for nothing, and while there are birds that fight once and settle it, when they continue to fight, it generally gets worse and worse. Eventually there one of them will be dead. Personally, I do not see the difference between setting cocks to fight for money, or keeping them so they fight. The birds are still fighting and still being damaged.

Tension is hard on a flock, and you may not be aware of the tension, until it is gone.

nearly completely isolated from the chickens,
Or you could separate them?

I don't think waiting this out is working out.

Mrs K
 
Last time I separated roosters the fighting got worse and ended in dispatching one (the Marans sire. In this case though, both seem to equally partake in being the aggressor. While inside of the coop though they never fight. All fighting happens outside. The blood in the coop is from them slinging their wounded and bleeding waddles around when roosting and eating.


Both seem to be equally guilty of being the aggressor. I am afraid though that you may be right in that they won't go back to being at peace. The other rooster has always been the established Alpha which is why I think he's not having any issues. The other two were hatch mates.
If it was me then, I think I would choose between the two (if there’s one I like more for breeding purposes or one who is more people friendly, etc.) and let one of them and your OG rooster be and see if a balance can be held between them. Sounds like your alpha doesn’t have time for these young bucks, so hopefully just getting rid of one of them will restore order in your flock! 😊
 
Personally I always solve for peace in the flock and would cull one of the roosters ASAP. Wait a few days and see. If things settle good, if not, I would cull the second rooster. One rooster can manage 20 hens most of the time.

They don't call it cock fighting for nothing, and while there are birds that fight once and settle it, when they continue to fight, it generally gets worse and worse. Eventually there one of them will be dead. Personally, I do not see the difference between setting cocks to fight for money, or keeping them so they fight. The birds are still fighting and still being damaged.

Tension is hard on a flock, and you may not be aware of the tension, until it is gone.


Or you could separate them?

I don't think waiting this out is working out.

Mrs K
It was the guineas that had been separated. Some say guineas will get aggressive. The guineas haven't fought the other rooster they just seem to cheer on the barred rock. It's weird.
If it was me then, I think I would choose between the two (if there’s one I like more for breeding purposes or one who is more people friendly, etc.) and let one of them and your OG rooster be and see if a balance can be held between them. Sounds like your alpha doesn’t have time for these young bucks, so hopefully just getting rid of one of them will restore order in your flock! 😊
So in response to @mccmeadows and @Mrs. K I was already feeling like getting rid of one of them was the solution, I just hated to hear that and hoped for better news. I have some pure bred Marans hens and I already know from experience that separating a rooster out for breeding doesn't allow for reintroduction. So I think I'll separate out the hens and my Marans roosters for a few weeks or months to hatch sellable offspring and then cull my rooster. I really hate it because I kept him for breeding then decide I didn't' have the energy to deal with that anymore and was just going to let things go. Clearly I can't.

It's funny when I raise roosters for meat my heart isn't emotionally invested, but when they've been in my flock and I had it in my mind to keep them, it is very sad deciding to get rid of them in this way :( Thank you all for the support. The other thing is I don't really have any emotional support myself in making these decisions, but I dug this hole myself lol.
 
It was the guineas that had been separated. Some say guineas will get aggressive. The guineas haven't fought the other rooster they just seem to cheer on the barred rock. It's weird.
It is not weird. The Barred Rocks is the one looking more similar to a guinea pattern, so that is why they might see him more as part of their flock.

But don't be fooled, coming mating season this similarity might be the reason for the male guineas to fight the Barred Rock perceiving him as a rival.
 
It was the guineas that had been separated. Some say guineas will get aggressive. The guineas haven't fought the other rooster they just seem to cheer on the barred rock. It's weird.

So in response to @mccmeadows and @Mrs. K I was already feeling like getting rid of one of them was the solution, I just hated to hear that and hoped for better news. I have some pure bred Marans hens and I already know from experience that separating a rooster out for breeding doesn't allow for reintroduction. So I think I'll separate out the hens and my Marans roosters for a few weeks or months to hatch sellable offspring and then cull my rooster. I really hate it because I kept him for breeding then decide I didn't' have the energy to deal with that anymore and was just going to let things go. Clearly I can't.

It's funny when I raise roosters for meat my heart isn't emotionally invested, but when they've been in my flock and I had it in my mind to keep them, it is very sad deciding to get rid of them in this way :( Thank you all for the support. The other thing is I don't really have any emotional support myself in making these decisions, but I dug this hole myself lol.
If you have the space to separate out a temporary breeding pen, couldn’t you keep it long term?

You’re not alone here as I’m struggling with having to get rid of a rooster right now too (long story short is we were swindled by a bad breeder and ended up with terrible quality birds). All his hens are gone, but I’ve held on to him and one hen because of their personalities. I never plan to breed with Frankie the hen, but we don’t really have the space to keep a rooster I’m not going to be breeding with either as he won’t be able to integrate into the bachelor pad and we don’t keep a rooster in our hen house. I’ve had no problem culling any male previous to this, but Mike is just such a good boy so it makes me sad. He may have a couple more months until I need the coop space for our new hatches.
 
It is not weird. The Barred Rocks is the one looking more similar to a guinea pattern, so that is why they might see him more as part of their flock.

But don't be fooled, coming mating season this similarity might be the reason for the male guineas to fight the Barred Rock perceiving him as a rival.
Yes i am very nervous I’d dispatch the Marans only to have the barred rock have issues with the guineas and have to dispatch him too. I have one male guinea and two females. I didn’t even want the guineas lol. Everyone constantly tries to dump their animals on me.


If you have the space to separate out a temporary breeding pen, couldn’t you keep it long term?

You’re not alone here as I’m struggling with having to get rid of a rooster right now too (long story short is we were swindled by a bad breeder and ended up with terrible quality birds). All his hens are gone, but I’ve held on to him and one hen because of their personalities. I never plan to breed with Frankie the hen, but we don’t really have the space to keep a rooster I’m not going to be breeding with either as he won’t be able to integrate into the bachelor pad and we don’t keep a rooster in our hen house. I’ve had no problem culling any male previous to this, but Mike is just such a good boy so it makes me sad. He may have a couple more months until I need the coop space for our new hatches.
All three have been such good roosters and the barred rock especially was the offspring of my sweetest hen who passed away while i was incubating three of her eggs. He was the only the only one to hatch.

I don’t want to separate them permanently because my second coop isn’t as secure, isn’t as human-user friendly, I prefer to free range my flock, and I usually use that extra coop for growing out Cornish cross. I actually have a third coop that is much more secure but I don’t have a run for it nor do I feel like building one.

On a more personal rant my boyfriend of six years decided to take a job where is literally never home. I’ve been functioning totally alone for months now and at my wits end. I can’t take on anymore work than what i already have and my greenhouse needs major work and I need it basically now so that’s my primary priority. Oh, and he decided to pile two heavy furnaces in the meat bird coop that I can’t even move myself at all so actually I can’t even use that coop. I’m about to throw them out in the yard and leave them there but I need help just to do that. Okay end rant. Sorry.
 

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