Two roosters just started fighting -- any solution?

[SusanVT]

I have 17 hens -- two are bantams. There are two roosters. One is a two year old bantam, adopted in his first fall. The other's a one year old full size fellow, raised with this flock (we retired his papa to the freezer). Things were okay until the snow finally started melting a week ago and they were able to get out of the house and around the yard. The older, banty rooster started crowing almost nonstop, and 2 days ago they got into the full-out battle, bloody and crazed. I grabbed the banty and he's been in jail on the porch since then. Is there any hope? I would get rid of him immediately, but he's my daughter's, so if there's any way to keep both I'd like to try. I don't want to keep two separate flocks -- too much building and equipment. I'm an unsentimental old farm person, interested in having peaceful, well-treated chickens who lay eggs and don't require coddling.

 

[cackleberrycam]

Do they have a good mating ratio?

 

[SusanVT]

The banty has never been seen mating with anyone. We got the two banty hens with him
in mind, but he didn't get the hint -- or they didn't.

 

[cackleberrycam]

(A good mating ratio is 10 hens per rooster.) My point in asking if the mating ratio was good was if they had a bad mating ratio- They might fight for dominance over the hens.

 

[SusanVT]

It's fine, I think -- two roosters, seventeen hens. And I stand corrected about the banty's success with the ladies. He's popular --
I have just missed it, somehow.

 

[cackleberrycam]

It's fine, I think -- two roosters, seventeen hens. And I stand corrected about the banty's success with the ladies. He's popular --
I have just missed it, somehow.

Alright!

 

[cackleberrycam]

One solution for this would be to give each of the roosters their very own feeding and watering stations- (That way they do not have a need to fight over food and water.)

 

[SusanVT]

There have always been two feeders, but one waterer -- 140 sq ft chicken house. All was well until they suddenly had MORE room -- all our yard -- and the banty decided to be lord of all. Who knows why? Anyway, my daughter's back home and has moved the three banties down to the old, small henhouse, with the secure small yard. Can't keep that going all winter, but for now it should help. Here's my next question -- if anyone is still reading -- if we keep him separate for a period of time and let the big guy feel like boss, can we reintroduce him (say, in a month or two? or less? Is it like a reset for the whole hierarchy?

 

[cackleberrycam]

There have always been two feeders, but one waterer -- 140 sq ft chicken house. All was well until they suddenly had MORE room -- all our yard -- and the banty decided to be lord of all. Who knows why? Anyway, my daughter's back home and has moved the three banties down to the old, small henhouse, with the secure small yard. Can't keep that going all winter, but for now it should help. Here's my next question -- if anyone is still reading -- if we keep him separate for a period of time and let the big guy feel like boss, can we reintroduce him (say, in a month or two? or less? Is it like a reset for the whole hierarchy?

Hmmmmm......