Two rooster same coop

Nheiles

In the Brooder
Jun 15, 2020
41
88
46
Utah
I got 14 Buff Orpington chicks that are close to 6 weeks old. Eight of them are cockerels and 6 are pullets. My plan is to butcher 7 of them once they get large enough (16-20) weeks old.

My coop is 64 sq ft. and I'll building a run that's around 120 sq ft. Plus they'll have time during the day to roam around my fenced yard.

While the cockerels grow up I waited to pick out the best rooster to keep, but today I realized there are two I really like. One is Big John who is the largest cockerel weighing 3-4 oz more than the others and has a decent disposition little more distant though. The other is Cluck Berry who has a great disposition, feathering and other qualities that make a good B.O. cockerel.

I know six hens for one rooster is okay, but would six between two work? If I got more hens would that make it more possible so I don't have to worry about rooster fights that dont end well? I'd love to know your thoughts.
 
You can build a separate pen and keep one or both roosters in it or buy more hens and see if they get along in a mixed flock.

It isn't just about them fighting, if there aren't enough hens the poor girls get over-bred and end up stressed with bare backs.
 
Since they grew up together you’ll be able to buy yourself some time. But definitely recommended to get more hens and separate them once you have enough for each rooster.

They won’t fight right away, but eventually they will even if they were raised together unless you get super duper lucky 😊
 
if it were me I would get more hens and keep both of them if that is feasible for you. I have 8roos and 39hens all in my main coop and 9roos in my batchler coop

Oh wow in the same coop? Were they raised together? One day I would like to move all my flocks together, but for now since I want certain breeds to stay together I have them separated.
 
Right now I have about 3 or 4 cockerels growing out plus my two 1 year old roosters with about 35 hens and pullets. All in the same coop and yard. I plan to weed out the cockerels after the batch of new chicks my hens are hatching grow out. I'm pretty sure I'll end up with a few more cockerels. I'll pick out the ones that have the best qualities and dispatch the rest.
 
Ten for two seems to be the sweet spot here at least.
It is rough having two young males even if you have ample hens, they just never seem to run out of gas when it comes to chasing the girls be it two or twenty.:)
Thankfully time takes care of a decent chunk of that excess gas.
 
I have successfully kept multiple roosters in the same coop, and I have had it blow up in my face. if it works then it works and no worries, if it doesn't work have a plan B ready to implement on the fly.

Just keep doing what you had planned to do and when you have problems its time to turn one or more into freezer filler or dinner that night. But it might be a good idea to have a back up coop/cage(s) if you are not ready to process a bird the moment a problem breaks out.

If your yard has good hiding spots that are not dead ends it allows passive cockerels to stay hidden from aggressive ones.
 
Your coop is almost large enough for seven or maybe eight birds, so keeping more, especially another rooster and more hens, will require easily double that space.
It won't hurt to keep your two favorite cockerels a bit longer, because removing the others, and more time, will change the flock dynamics, and the two remaining cockerels may also change, not always for the better. One and a spare, and see how things go.
Mary
 
Oh wow in the same coop? Were they raised together? One day I would like to move all my flocks together, but for now since I want certain breeds to stay together I have them separated.
Yes all in the same coop they have grown up together and all get along and my batchler coop is right next to my main coop i rarely ever have arguments between my roo's and if there is there has never been any blood shed i don't know what I do or how I do it I can only say I talk to them like they are my kids tell them to nock it off and they do. In my main coop i have 8roos 39hens 8ducks and 3bunnies in my batchler coop there's 9roos and I have 147quail in there own pen 60quail eggs in the incubater and 8chick eggs in the incubater
 

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