To many roosters, bachelor pen.

[Lidiapac730]

I would recommend pulling all the roosters and putting them in the bachelor pen unless you also have older hens in the flock. If this is just pullets and cockerels, separate the roosters from the pullets. The roosters mature faster than pullets and one or ten will just make the girls miserable.

Then after the girls start laying, you could decide on a rooster to be with them. Personally I have found chickens hate change, I would pick a rooster and leave him with the flock, unless for some reason - such as he is mean to the girls, or mean to me or my family, but then you would have a whole bunch more to choose from.

I would not rotate them in and out.

Mrs K

I think I am going to do that, just separate them all except one, maybe wait another month for their personalities to show more, at 4 months they are still pretty nice. Some of them like belly scratches…

 

[MROO]

There are some members in this forum that keep a bachelor pad and things seem to work fine for them. I know because I researched this issue some time ago when I was faced with having three cockerels in my last year hatch. (...)
So the conclusion is that bachelor pads work but it all depends on the dynamics of the roosters (or cockerels ) and the conditions they are in. Nothing is written on stone, it might work or it might not. All you can do is try and hope for the best.

I have a bachelor flock of four, with another who "visits." Apparently, Herman is non-threatening enough that he's accepted by everyone - maybe because he doesn't know he's a chicken! My boys are all pretty mellow, though, and all close to the same age (except for Herman,) so they all get along. I have one loner who just can't be with them, though. They beat the living daylights out of poor Feisty. I'm probably re-homing him. He's a show winner and a critically endangered breed, though, so I need to do some networking to find him a good place. Zheesh it's like adopting out children, sometimes, isn't it?

 

[Lidiapac730]

I have a bachelor flock of four, with another who "visits." Apparently, Herman is non-threatening enough that he's accepted by everyone - maybe because he doesn't know he's a chicken! My boys are all pretty mellow, though, and all close to the same age (except for Herman,) so they all get along. I have one loner who just can't be with them, though. They beat the living daylights out of poor Feisty. I'm probably re-homing him. He's a show winner and a critically endangered breed, though, so I need to do some networking to find him a good place. Zheesh it's like adopting out children, sometimes, isn't it?

You are right, I try the bachelor pad, and we will see if it works, I might have to rehome some roosters, but I want to do everything I can to keep them. When would I see aggression if such is to show? 4 month now, and they are fine.

 

[Lidiapac730]

There are some members in this forum that keep a bachelor pad and things seem to work fine for them. I know because I researched this issue some time ago when I was faced with having three cockerels in my last year hatch. In my particular situation things did not work, they had their own coop, run and yard and I covered the view of the hens. Everything was working well, they had to establish their own pecking order so there were some squabbles here and there but nothing serious. They lived together for several months until one day I came back home to find the three of them all bloodied. They had been fighting and it was bad. No way I could keep them together any more.
So the conclusion is that bachelor pads work but it all depends on the dynamics of the roosters (or cockerels ) and the conditions they are in. Nothing is written on stone, it might work or it might not. All you can do is try and hope for the best.

That's sad, I guess you never know, I had a rooster before Black jersey giant, and he was nice, ate from my hand and one day he woke up and decided that he hated the world and me especially... just attacked us every time he saw us (me and my boyfriend) but he was fine with dogs and cats being around, never attacked them... Sometimes he was chasing the cat because the cat was chasing the hens... So I know that things with rooters can change overnight... I am going to try separate run with a lot of room. If I see increasing aggression, I will look for homes for them. They are just sooo cute though. I hope I can keep them all.

 

[MROO]

You are right, I try the bachelor pad, and we will see if it works, I might have to rehome some roosters, but I want to do everything I can to keep them. When would I see aggression if such is to show? 4 month now, and they are fine.

You'll know when the honeymoon is over because the hormones will set in. It'll likely be over the next few months. My Silkies matured much later than my other breeds. We didn't even get a good, solid crow until almost six months. At 14 months, Herman still hasn't reached what I would call puberty ... and that's perfectly alright by me!

 

[Lidiapac730]

You'll know when the honeymoon is over because the hormones will set in. It'll likely be over the next few months. My Silkies matured much later than my other breeds. We didn't even get a good, solid crow until almost six months. At 14 months, Herman still hasn't reached what I would call puberty ... and that's perfectly alright by me!

and what is Herman?

 

[Lidiapac730]

You'll know when the honeymoon is over because the hormones will set in. It'll likely be over the next few months. My Silkies matured much later than my other breeds. We didn't even get a good, solid crow until almost six months. At 14 months, Herman still hasn't reached what I would call puberty ... and that's perfectly alright by me!

can I see photo of Herman? Sounds like an exotic rooster.

 

[MROO]

and what is Herman?

Herman the House Rooster. He's a hand-raised blue Splash Silkie who has no idea whatsoever that he's a chicken. Please allow me to introduce him to you ...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/is-there-a-rooster-in-the-house.74089/

 

[MROO]

can I see photo of Herman? Sounds like an exotic rooster.

Not exotic, just very spoiled and not very bright ... but we love him!

 

[Mrs. K]

To the original poster, I would suggest that you separate all of the roosters, then add one back to the pullets when they start laying. Adding a rooster is an easy integration. Pullets with immature, but randy roosters is a mess. The rooster is often bigger than the pullets and without bigger birds, often times turns into a bully, and can be quite mean to the pullets.

I would also recommend making a real effort ASAP to re-home as many of the roosters as possible, it would not be realistic to expect that many roosters to get along. Wishing just does not work, many on here will recommend culling them, not because they are mean or heartless, but rather, from prior experience, roosters are a crap shoot, and can go from the darling to the nightmare in a moment.

With roosters, you need a plan B set up, and ready to go, a way to separate fighting roosters, a place to put them when you do have them separated.

As AArt - a respected poster here, often says, roosters are where the romance meets the reality of chickens.

I would not expect that many roosters to work for the long term. And they will need a fair size set up.

MRs K