Too Many Roosters!

[ZeeuwR]

Hey everyone, I am raising my first flock, and my chicks are now 6to7 weeks old. I have 6 polish and 7 silkies. So far I have confirmed 4 polish and 1 silkie roosters. Obviously this is far too many, and as I don't intend to breed at this time, I'm thinking about just separating them in to a rooster pen.

I have heard that you can keep a flock of roosters so long as they don't have hens to fight over. So, the question is, will they fight if the hens are in sight? Should my rooster pen be more than a few feet from the hen pen?

I do not plan to get rid of any roosters, so if this is not doable, I will be building them individual bachelor pad chicken tractors with mini coops.

Video for attention and cuteness.

 

[The Happster]

I would say, yes, they certainly would fight with hens in sight. Had just two lads together at one point. They were free-ranging and they got into my front garden and saw my broody hen in another pen. They started fighting then and there.
Couldn't put them together again after that. Kept them both but I was sad they had to be apart.
Those birds are so cute!

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I would keep them far away enough that they can’t see the hens or just get more pullets. The more the merrier they always say.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I sometimes use my grow-out coop and run as a bachelor pad while waiting for the boys to grow to butcher size, about 23 weeks.. This pen is right next to the rest of the flock. Fighting in that pen isn't a problem, even when the pullets there were running with sit right across the fence from them.

Most of the time my dominant rooster ignores those boys in that pen. But one time I had one rooster that tried to fight a cockerel through the fence. I mention this to point out you don't always get consistent results when you deal with living animals.

Even if you have a flock of all girls they will determine a pecking order. Sometimes that involves fighting, even with the girls. But usually it is not that vicious. But from what I've seen with the boys, not that much. Others say they have had different results.

I think one important part is that they are still chickens. The more room you give them the fewer problems you tend to have. If you do build a bachelor pad don't make it tiny.

 

[Jenbel]

Question....what if the rooster pen is substantially further away...say 50ft or even 100? I got 9 chicks from a neighbour but it’s looking like 4 are roosters. I would very much like to keep them and am willing to separate them. I’m just wondering if it’s doable with enough distance.