Two Roosters, what to do.

[Deer lane farm]

I have two roosters and 12 hens. The roosters are young just 8 months. I noticed when one rooster is breeding a hen , the other comes over , tries to push him off then jumps on. Needless to say the girls are hating this. I don't want them to start getting hurt.
I want to keep a rooster to help with predators. Do I re-home one? Do i separate them both in their own house. The two roosters together? Then I have to get another coop. I would love to keep them both, but the girls come first.
I'm also incubating some eggs and could have more roosters. I would love to come up with a solution for all roosters.

 

[redsoxs]

Rehoming is an option. Here's the link for that https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/16182/animals-in-need-of-free-re-homing
If you're not particular about his fate, there Craigslist. Or eating him yourself if your okay with that.
Yes, you have one roo too many (some would say you have two too many but I like to keep one around). Plus, as you said, you will hatch out more. Good luck, whatever you decide!

 

[Mrs. K]

Roosters are a difficulty for backyard chickens. Too many is very hard on the hen flock. If you hatch, you have to plan that 50% + will be roosters. If your birds are your pets, this really becomes difficult. Reality is that you can't keep all the roosters in a backyard flock, some have reported that with very large flocks and large areas, they often times can keep several.

However, I have a set up for 10-16 birds. In the summer you can cheat a bit, but come fall, you really need to fit into your coop. Often times that means culling bird, or removing them from your flock.

Yep, you can keep them in a bachelor coop. If you have the space and room. I have kept ming about 4-5 months, so that the dual purpose birds are big enough for some meat on them. You can give them away, if you do so, do not ask questions. Once they are someone else birds, they decide. Or you can butcher them yourself. It is a bit hard at first but doable.

If this is your first year, I would cull both, and let the flock get some age on it. Keep a rooster for the flock out of the chicks you are hatching, and let him grow up under the older hens. They will teach him some manners.

Mrs K

 

[Deer lane farm]

Thank you all. I do have some hens that are 3 years old that the rooster is with. I think I'm going to get a small coop for the other rooster and keep him in there. I did butcher one rooster last year. I didn't like doing it but he was really mean attacked me all the time so that made it easier. If I have one Rooster living by himself can I add young roosters from the new hatch to his house? And should i put a couple hens with him or he is fine alone?

I did a little experiment this morning and removed both roosters. There were in a separate pen but could still see all the girls. One rooster could care less and he walked around pecking at the ground. The other rooster went nuts flying into the fence to get back to his girls. So he passed the test and now is happily back with them.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

...

I have two roosters and 12 hens. The roosters are young just 8 months. I noticed when one rooster is breeding a hen , the other comes over , tries to push him off then jumps on. Needless to say the girls are hating this. I don't want them to start getting hurt.
I want to keep a rooster to help with predators. Do I re-home one? Do i separate them both in their own house. The two roosters together?  Then I have to get another coop.  I would love to keep them both, but the girls come first. 
I'm also incubating some eggs and could have more roosters. I would love to come up with a solution for all roosters. 
[/quot

You will have to.Its a domunance things.My cockerals did that then nearly tried to kill eachother at about 9 or 8 months.

 

[aart]

I would eat any extra cock/erels pronto.....put any hatched males in that pen when they start causing trouble or you need extra space.
If you're going to be hatching its best to have 1 or 2 extra enclosures, secure from weather and preds.
I like to butcher extra cock/erels at 13-16 weeks, get it over with, birds are still young enough to put on grill (after rigor resting) and the grilled bones make great stock.

 

[chickens really]

I guess you can eat them if you want?
I sell or give them away to be butchered else where....

Cheers!

 

[Deer lane farm]

I got a smaller 2nd chicken coop yesterday and will put it in a separate fenced in pen. I will put one Rooster and 2 girls. The coop is small. If he over breeds them I will put them back with the flock. If I end up with more roosters. maybe i'll try to move the girls back to the big coop and make the small coop a bachelor pad? The rooster in the big pen seems very good so far. I saw him pick up food call the girls over and drop it for them. Atleast now i have options.