Too many roosters?

[Delsur]

We bought 10 chicks in September - 9 hens and 1 rooster. They're now around 12 weeks old and it's pretty obvious we have 2 roosters, not 1.

Will the two roosters fight? Become territorial? I had only planned on one but now I have two: a golden lace wyandotte and a Delaware and 8 hens. I'm a newbie and don't know what to expect.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Two roosters may get along, especially if they are raised together. I frequently keep multiple cockerels (in their own "bachelor area", and they get along fine, with only the occaisonal skirmish.

However, your hens may not like you having two roosters. Ideally, you want at least eight hens per rooster, or the hens will get overmated and stressed out. It depends on the rooster, though. Some roosters need even more than eight hens of their own to prevent overmating, and others will live happily with one or two hens, and never damage their feathers.

 

[Delsur]

Thanks for the info. I guess it's a "wait and see" situation.

 

[donnavee]

I actually had a similar experience. We had 24 hens and got some fertile eggs for a broody this summer. She hatched 3, and 2 turned out to be Roos. We decided we would keep both if they didn't fight or crow too much and weren't mean - felt that 24 girls were enough for 2 boys. The boys did little pretend fights with each other but never even touched - just hackle feathers up and faced off. They were 17wks old last week and the mating began - only problem was that when one went after a hen, the other got excited and wanted to join in. I sort of thought they would each pick their girls but maybe because a head Roo wasn't established it didn't work that way. I decided to rehome one and things are much calmer now.

Good luck with yours but be prepared to find a new home for one if things don't work out.