Two roosters in the same flock?

[Feathers n Fur]

I have seven 11 month old hens and I got seven more chicks the end of February. I suspect two are roosters. I should know in a few more weeks as they are only 6 and 7 wks old but comb and waddle are give aways plus the BCM has extra thick legs compared to the other two marans. If I am correct I will have a total of 12 hens and two roosters. Although I really didn't plan on roosters (not many people do) I am toying around with keeping them unless they are sooooo obnoxiously loud all hours of the day and night that my neighbors would have my head.

Here are my questions:

1. Can I have two rooster in a flock of 12 hens?
2. Can I have two roosters together period or will they fight?

Not sure if breed matters for temperament or whatnot but the suspected boys are a Black Copper Marans and a Silver Laced Wyandotte.

 

[Chick Charm]

Yes.
Yes & Yes.

Roosters that are raised together from chicks can coexist just fine. In many circles 2 roosters are preferred over one. One will likely be head roo. Let it play out and you will see for yourself if it works. There is always a solution if it does not work.

 

[Chickenlover20]

Yeah! they can live together, but make sure you have more hens for them.
I have 11 roosters that lives together, I have about 18 to 20 hens.

I have 2 Nankin bantam rooster, 2 Silkies rooster, 2 or 3 silkiesXnankin cockerels, and 4 Rhode Island Red cockerels.
They get along GREAT but my nankins roosters are TOP of peck order. I will see what going on between Rhode Island Red to Nankins, Hopefully they get along.


Make sure you watch them and see what happen. if they start serious fight without stop then you can put them alone in separate coop or give one away.

 

[cmoore333]

I was going to ask the th same question, I've had Frank for about six months (he's around two) now my babies just got moved outside and it looks like one of my black copper marans is indeed a roo..

 

[Feathers n Fur]

Ok, I'll wait and see. I just wasn't sure if there would be too much fighting since I will only have 12 hens. I am not interested in any more chickens at the moment - 14 is enough for now

The two boys come out of the coop together first and survey the area before the remaining 4 girls come out. They don't challenge each other yet but they are the ones who check out the "big girls" when they come close to their side of the run.

It will be interesting.....

 

[Chickenlover20]

My RIR cockerels and Silkie X Nankin cockerels have been "play fight" everyday now.

I think its best when raise them from chicks. That's what I did with my Nankins.

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, yes, and yes.

I have had as many as 18 cockerels AND seven adult roosters in my flock of 60 or so chickens. Now I have 50 hens and three roosters. I also have two ganders, 23 ducks and four turkeys and all range freely with each other. (Although the ducks do tend to hang with each other in groups away from the chickens.). A broody hen has hatched nine chicks today and I have 16 chicks in a brooder bin right now.

Anyway, out of all those roosters, 18 were "packing peanuts" shipped with goslings as heat for the trip. They weren't intended to stay, so they were sent to freezer camp when they began to crow.

I keep three roosters: dominant roo is an EE and he was the first, a Silkie roo, and a Brahma/Marans mix. In between, there were other adults I had to rehome when I moved here. Now I send cockerels to a friend's freezer Camp when they crow, to be raised until they are processed.

In all those roosters, i have had only one rooster which fought the others. He was really hard on hens, too, so he got the ax when he chased a beloved bantam rooster into a corner and tried to kill him.

Carl, Max, and Domino do not fight. Carl is Flock Boss, Max is his second in command and Domino is accepted by the other two but must not mount hens in front of Carl or Max, and he must get out of their way when it's Treat Time.

Edited to add: I will always have two roosters. One is a backup for the dominant roo. The third is just because he's a silkie and a hoot to have in the flock. Plus, I hatched him. (In an incubator, but that still makes him one of MY babies.)

 

[Zootopia]

I have 3 BJG roos, a Cuckoo Maran, a BCM, a Blue Barred Rock and a EE that all cover 40 or so free range hens. The 3 black giants came in as teenagers, the other roos grew up together last year. The dominate roo was a large CMxEE that was culled for people aggression while the giants were in quarantine. The giants came out of quar. And quietly took over. The feeders are spread out enough that the flock is usually pretty spread out too, unless we are feeding treats. We try to move around as we do that to tho. We did have a problem for about 2 wks in mid march when the 2 top roos, Simon and Shuster bloodied each other several times for no aparent reason, then it was over again as sudden as it started.
The CM, BCM and BR came out of breeding pens in Jan with barely a ripple. We will be turning the growout pens loose mid May and there will be a half doz or so cockrels along with the 30 odd pullets. No lie, it gets wild out there for awhile.
So 2 roos raised together. No sweat.

 

[Feathers n Fur]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement. So far they get along great but they are only 6.5 weeks old. Time will tell. No agression as of yet but the full effects of hormones have not kicked in so I'll hold out hope for a happy flock going forward.

 

[roostersandhens]

Brothers or any chicks that were raised togeather will almost never fight. I have 11 hens and 2 roosters close to your amount. This is all 1 flock. The roosters dont fight often and when they do I just break it up. Those 2 roosters were not raised togeather though. My 3 roosters that are still chicks are being raised togeather and they are all great freinds. 2 of the rooster chicks are even best freinds! I give my 2 roosters that werent raised togeather different perches. If your really worried about them fighting (They shouldnt if there brothers) get anotheperch b mak sure it is the same height as the other rooster's perch or they will fight over who gets the top perch. I dont know if brothers would fight over that but. Your qeustions awnsers:
1. Yes you can have 2 roosters in a flock of 12 hens.
2. Yes you can have 2 roosters togeather, they won't fight often almost never, espeacialy if they were raised togeather.
Good Luck!