too many Roos

[mctom]

Hi, I am looking for some advice about Roos. We have 1 Roo and 10 hens and everything is going along nicely. We keep our flock in a very large fenced area that includes a barn and their coop. Our hens have just hatched out 5 chicks. I assume that some will be Roos. We will not have enough hens for another Roo. We have 5 acres and are wondering if we could just turn out any and all males, once they are adults, to free range. We would give them a coop for night time and feed them, of course. I have heard that they can get along as a group of bachelors, raised together, when there are no hens for them. Is this a reasonable idea? Also, I am VERY concerned about aggressive Roos. Currently I ALWAYS take a broom with me into the chicken yard and I have no problem with our Roo. Forget to take the broom and he wants to fight. This is a manageable situation so not a problem. But, if we free range a group of Roos, are they still likely to be aggressive? Or is it having the hens that makes the Roo want to get aggressive? I really don't want to have to watch my back every time I go outside!!! Am I going to regret letting Roos free range? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Perris]

hello @mctom ! welcome to BYC
I expect more knowledgeable roo keepers will come along in due course, but I've experienced 3 to date so offer my tuppence worth of advice. If I were you, I would not keep your current roo, nor allow him to breed and make more aggressive roos. You've managed him with a broom so far, but it does not have to be like this. There are nice roos!
If you just 'turn out' roos among the new clutch, I think they will not just disappear into the woods but will instead keep trying to join your flock/access your hens. A bachelor pen or culling (i.e. removing from the flock, give/sell if poss, kill if not) are the best alternatives imo.

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree. If you free-range those young roo's, they will keep hanging out by where the hen's are at and will keep trying to get in there. If you wanted to keep the extra roo's, then best to pen them up where they are not within sight of where the hen's are at. You could also either re-home them, or send them to freezer camp for a future meal.

 

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

I hatched 9 babies this spring, 5 of them are roosters and I got another later on plus my big established too makes 7! So I feel your pain!!

I’m going to do the bachelors in one pen too. I definitely agree that you should pen them up, if you don’t it might make your current roo more aggressive.

The babies you have should grow up to love you if you handle them a lot during their younger days.

You need to get ahold of the current roo and hang him upside-down by his feet to establish dominance. I do that with mine and they’re my best buds

 

[ellenscoop]

I would be concerned that letting them free range unsupervised could lead to them getting killed by predators. However YES multiple roosters can get along fine without hens in a bachelor flock. Why not just build them another safe run to live in? Here are tips about keeping bachelor flocks - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-keeping-bachelor-flocks

 

[Roo5]

You shoulda never hatched from an aggressive bird,it doesn’t matter about be able to ward him off with a broom, do you seriously wanna have to do this till he’s dead(could be 5-8 years from
Now?), or until his next sons grown up and be the same way?

You can make a bachelor pad, but they need to be penned up otherwise you’ll have other issues like them constantly antagonizing the other male, and getting killed by predators.

I’d honestly rid of him, wait till his sons grow up and see how they turn out.

 

[mctom]

hello @mctom ! welcome to BYC
I expect more knowledgeable roo keepers will come along in due course, but I've experienced 3 to date so offer my tuppence worth of advice. If I were you, I would not keep your current roo, nor allow him to breed and make more aggressive roos. You've managed him with a broom so far, but it does not have to be like this. There are nice roos!
If you just 'turn out' roos among the new clutch, I think they will not just disappear into the woods but will instead keep trying to join your flock/access your hens. A bachelor pen or culling (i.e. removing from the flock, give/sell if poss, kill if not) are the best alternatives imo.

Thanks for the welcome and thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it. I think what you are saying makes sense and we will just have to step it up and put some in the freezer. We don't want another big chicken pen. We bought duel purpose birds for the meat and eggs but are new to it and have yet to butcher any. I guess its time for us to take that next step. Thanks again for the advice!

 

[mctom]

hello @mctom ! welcome to BYC
I expect more knowledgeable roo keepers will come along in due course, but I've experienced 3 to date so offer my tuppence worth of advice. If I were you, I would not keep your current roo, nor allow him to breed and make more aggressive roos. You've managed him with a broom so far, but it does not have to be like this. There are nice roos!
If you just 'turn out' roos among the new clutch, I think they will not just disappear into the woods but will instead keep trying to join your flock/access your hens. A bachelor pen or culling (i.e. removing from the flock, give/sell if poss, kill if not) are the best alternatives imo.

Thanks for the welcome and thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it. I think what you are saying makes sense and we will just have to step it up and put some in the freezer. We don't want another big chicken pen. We bought duel purpose birds for the meat and eggs but are new to it and have yet to butcher any. I guess its time for us to take that next step. Thanks again for the advice!

I agree. If you free-range those young roo's, they will keep hanging out by where the hen's are at and will keep trying to get in there. If you wanted to keep the extra roo's, then best to pen them up where they are not within sight of where the hen's are at. You could also either re-home them, or send them to freezer camp for a future meal.

I agree. If you free-range those young roo's, they will keep hanging out by where the hen's are at and will keep trying to get in there. If you wanted to keep the extra roo's, then best to pen them up where they are not within sight of where the hen's are at. You could also either re-home them, or send them to freezer camp for a future meal.

Thank you for the advice, its appreciated. I think its time for freezer camp!