To many roosters, bachelor pen.

[HuskerHens18]

Thank you so much for all the info, I feel better now about my rooster flock, because for a moment there I was in tears... I will take all the suggestions and try to make it work. I am just looking at them all and they are getting along so nicely now, all hanging out together, sunbathing... creating one giant chicken pancake... lol It's hard to think they might turn on one another... I have another question, I have a couple of seramas, she just hatched 3 eggs a month ago, when she went broody I have her fake eggs, but I guess she had some of hers too... The chicks are now 4 weeks, Can you tell boys from girls?
Chick #1
View attachment 1554710 View attachment 1554711Chick #2View attachment 1554712 View attachment 1554713 Chick #3View attachment 1554714 View attachment 1554715 The pictures were taken at 4 week mark. (knowing my luck, they are all roos... lol)

Its too early to tell yet, wait until between 8 and 12 weeks old. They are absolutely adorable! Rooster flocks DO work and are quite fun to watch interact, don't listen to the rooster haters! If you ever have issues or need tips on rooster flocks feel free to PM me any time about them.

 

[Lidiapac730]

Its too early to tell yet, wait until between 8 and 12 weeks old. They are absolutely adorable! Rooster flocks DO work and are quite fun to watch interact, don't listen to the rooster haters! If you ever have issues or need tips on rooster flocks feel free to PM me any time about them.

Thank you so much, and yes, I am sure I will have some questions along the way. Actually I have one, is there ANY way that we can leave the roos with hens if we double the size of the run? Or 50/50 ratio never works?

 

[Dona Worry]

Do you have a local raptor rescue? Mine accept rooster donations, it's a great way to cull if you don't have the skill or desire to butcher them yourself.

 

[Mrs. K]

If they are kept in a run, I would say no, there is not a way to keep the roosters and pullets together. I am pretty sure I would say no, if you free ranged them over several acres, it is just a lot of roosters, not enough hens.

As they are juveniles, I would say no. Is there an older rooster, a mature rooster in the set up? Still in all and all - I would say no.

However, I would not keep that many roosters, and several people on here do and encourage it, so it will be interesting to see what they post.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Thank you so much, and yes, I am sure I will have some questions along the way. Actually I have one, is there ANY way that we can leave the roos with hens if we double the size of the run? Or 50/50 ratio never works?

Chickens will always establish a pecking order. That means in theory that there is one hen or rooster that gets to peck and bully all the other hens or roosters. It also means that there is at least one hen or rooster who is pecked or bullied by every bird in the flock. 50%-50% flocks means inter flock aggression.

In the free range past large farming concerns who kept gamefowl used their fields as a run or walk for their chickens. Back then there were a few trees left in the fields because the shade these trees provided was important for the mules used for plowing to stand under while they blowed or rested. It was also a good place for the field hands to eat their dinner under. It was also a good place for the farmer to run a game rooster and a dozen or two hens. The trees provided all the shade needed as well as a good place to roost. The renters or sharecroppers fed and watered the flocks in exchange for the eggs and pullets or spring chickens. It was common for each flock to have the run of 20 or more acres. Under these circumstances conflict between roosters were rare. So to answer your question a large enough run (10 to 40 acres each) will definitely PREVENT your roosters from coming into conflict with one another. The advent of the farm tractor coupled with a wide brimmed hat ended this practice.

 

[Lidiapac730]

If they are kept in a run, I would say no, there is not a way to keep the roosters and pullets together. I am pretty sure I would say no, if you free ranged them over several acres, it is just a lot of roosters, not enough hens.

As they are juveniles, I would say no. Is there an older rooster, a mature rooster in the set up? Still in all and all - I would say no.

However, I would not keep that many roosters, and several people on here do and encourage it, so it will be interesting to see what they post.

There is a mature rooster, but it's a serama. I adopted a couple of seramas a few months ago, a hen and a rooster, judging by his spurs he is a few years old, but I had to build a separate set up for them, because they don't like anybody. I let them interact with everybody (after being separated by a fence for 2 month, they could see each other) but rooster was chasing a few roosters he decided he hated, The hen pretty much didn't accept anyone. I think they were in a cage all their life, no socialized, and neglected.
I was just asking if it would work, because I see videos on youtube sometimes with bunch of hens and roosters together, so I was wondering how people do that?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

There is a mature rooster, but it's a serama.... judging by his spurs he is a few years old... they don't like anybody. I let them interact with everybody (after being separated by a fence for 2 month... but rooster was chasing a few roosters he decided he hated... I think they were in a cage all their life, no socialized... I was just asking if it would work...

I can assure you that roosters and hens as well don't decide anything for themselves, they only work on instinct. Sexual jealousy is the instinct that makes roosters aggressive towards other roosters. Hens become aggressive towards other hens in order to claim their fair share (and a little or a lot more than their fair share) of the resources available to the flock. In the same respect, or like it or not the hens are viewed by the roosters as resources. A roosters' aggression is affected by that roosters' health, age, sexual maturity. and heredity. It is in a roosters self interest to sexually dominate as many hens as he can serve because he is only interested in passing his DNA to the next generation of chicks. This is also why roosters forage for hens and call the hens when the rooster finds a yummy tidbit. When he turns these tidbits over to his harem he will usually cut his wing at or court the hen. Ritual feeding behavior is quite common in almost every avian species.

 

[Lidiapac730]

It looked great to me, more than enough for 12 roosters. How many feeders and waterers are you planning to have in it?

Adding new roosters is absolutely doable, though sometimes you have to keep them in a smaller pen within the bigger pen so they can get to know the other roosters a bit before introducing them.

Almost all of my chickens are rescues; it's very rewarding.
If you do end up rescuing some roosters, just remember to quarantine them for a month or two. I've had several that came infested with mites, which was rather unpleasant to treat. Also, always have a backup plan for roosters who don't do well with your rooster flock, especially if the rooster was previously a bully to other roosters.

A cockerel is a fully matured rooster at 1 year old. Usually, though, you can tell a bit earlier whether he'll be good with hens. Since a lot of your chickens are bantams(?) you should probably be fine for a bit, but I would try to build that run as soon as possible. 12 cockerels is quite a lot for 10 pullets.

Here is my solution to feeding time battles. Works like a charm, and it's cute too, I am getting more of these little buckets.

 

[aart]

I am getting ore of these little buckets.

Link, please?

 

[Lidiapac730]

Link, please?

oh, I got them on Amazon, just type 'hanging flower pots', they have tons of options.