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

[humblehillsfarm]

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?

 

[Mrs. K]

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

 

[LaFleche]

I never considered this as a possibility! Because I have barred rock hens too and once humored the idea of keeping OG rooster with my main flock, barred rock with my two BR hens, and then my Marans hens and roo with a couple of my olive eggers and a splash Ameracauna, but I was terrified I would cause them all to fight and wanted to one day put the hens all back with the regular flock. Plus all of the work of prepping the coops, but honestly I can put fence up myself it's just so much work and really kicks my butt.

Maybe this might work for you:

Choose the individual birds and/or separate just one breed for breeding true per year and leave the others together.

In your case this would mean, that either the BR or the Marans will be with the dominant senior rooster, so no fighting over hens and the breeding flock will not be molested or stressed.

The next year select the individual birds for your breeding flock, and the other young rooster will be under the guidance of your dominant senior rooster.

Ask some friends or/and neighbours to help you setting up the coops and fences properly, and in case they are interested, reward them with hatching eggs, chicks or even a hen or two. Others might prefer homemade cakes or a good old barbecue...

And of course, offer to help them in return whenever they will be in need of some extra hands.

 

[mccmeadows]

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!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Maybe this might work for you:

Choose the individual birds and/or separate just one breed for breeding true per year and leave the others together.

In your case this would mean, that either the BR or the Marans will be with the dominant senior rooster, so no fighting over hens and the breeding flock will not be molested or stressed.

The next year select the individual birds for your breeding flock, and the other young rooster will be under the guidance of your dominant senior rooster.

I'll try separating the Marans first since I can do more of a "rainbow" egg bunch and still have some pure bred Marans. That way if it doesn't work out, I will be less emotionally upset over him and tackling the coop that already has a run that has furnaces stored in it may be easier. I'll try not to hold out too much hope that things will calm down, but it will also give me a chance to figure out whats going to happen with the guineas and the BR rooster.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

So far I have made no course of action. The roosters have been on decently good behavior.... no more blood baths. I hope things continue to improve!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

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.

 

[LaFleche]

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.

Maybe ask a neighbour to help you clearing the coop.

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.

With each rooster having his own coop well separated from the others, free-ranging them together might work out well.

But it helps to keep them with their designated hens for a while prior to free-ranging all together , so they stay within their own group and will not fight over which hen belongs to whom.

Observe closely the friendships and aversions in your flock to be able to group them accordingly.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

With each rooster having his own coop well separated from the others, free-ranging them together might work out well.

But it helps to keep them with their designated hens for a while prior to free-ranging all together , so they stay within their own group and will not fight over which hen belongs to whom.

Observe closely the friendships and aversions in your flock to be able to group them accordingly.

I never considered this as a possibility! Because I have barred rock hens too and once humored the idea of keeping OG rooster with my main flock, barred rock with my two BR hens, and then my Marans hens and roo with a couple of my olive eggers and a splash Ameracauna, but I was terrified I would cause them all to fight and wanted to one day put the hens all back with the regular flock. Plus all of the work of prepping the coops, but honestly I can put fence up myself it's just so much work and really kicks my butt.

 

[mccmeadows]

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.