Two roosters

[nnheacox]

Well. It happened. This morning I heard our rooster crow. Then I heard ANOTHER crow from a different one. I had suspect that this different one might also be a rooster, but now I know for sure My question is, can they live together peacefully? One is a Lavender Orpington and the other is a Silkie. I haven't noticed any fighting. They actually stick pretty close to each other most of the time. They are about 4 months old and we have 14 total in our flock. We’re pretty attached to both, so it would be great if we could make it work!

 

[LaFleche]

can they live together peacefully?

Only time will tell, but lots of space in coop and run and letting them free range can help.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How big is your coop? How often do they free range? If your coop has extra space and they free range possibly depending on how they mature personality wise. If your coop is bare minimum space most likely not. At 4 months they are just starting to feel their hormones so they may not be friends still over the course of the next few months. I would be more worried about them stressing the hens out. 2 roosters for 12 hens gives them each 6 girls and that’s sometimes doable, but often not enough per rooster.

 

[nnheacox]

Only time will tell, but lots of space in coop and run and letting them free range can help.

They have a good sized run but we are planning on expanding it and the coop very soon. They also get supervised free range time.

 

[nnheacox]

How big is your coop? How often do they free range? If your coop has extra space and they free range possibly depending on how they mature personality wise. If your coop is bare minimum space most likely not. At 4 months they are just starting to feel their hormones so they may not be friends still over the course of the next few months. I would be more worried about them stressing the hens out. 2 roosters for 12 hens gives them each 6 girls and that’s sometimes doable, but often not enough per rooster.

We are building a larger coop over the next couple of weeks and expanding their run area. It’s already good size, but we want to make sure they have plenty of space (and for me to get more ). I was mostly concerned about my girls getting stressed by two.

 

[LaFleche]

They have a good sized run but we are planning on expanding it and the coop very soon. They also get supervised free range time.

More hens will be a must in case you decide to keep both males.

And maybe set up a second coop inside the soon to be expanded run so they will be able to each have their own and the females can choose where to go.

 

[Mrs. K]

It really just depends, supervised free ranging tends to be only occasionally - and really is not enough.

A larger coop/run, is always a good idea - add clutter to it too.

But really, there is no way of knowing or really no way of influencing cockerels behavior so that they get along, and are good to the hens. It is a crap shoot - sometimes it works, sometimes it works for a while and sometimes it is a wreck.

Rooster chicks, even ones raised together can become aggressive, even if they were darlings before hand. They can become aggressive to pullets and hens, to each other and to humans.

What you need is a plan B set up and ready to go. The bigger coop/run - that is plan C. But you need a dog crate, or something that you can separate them if they start to fight. It needs to be at hand.

Mrs K

 

[UpstateChickenDaddy]

My question was along these lines. Despite planning, the company sent two “free” chicks. One is clearly a hen. One I suspect is a rooster. I wanted one roo for a reason but now it appears I have two. I do have a “mini coop and run” within my larger run. I was going to use that for a broody hen in a few years time but now I am setting it up as an emergency second area Henry (his name) needs to be isolated from Charles. The breeds are fairly docile but I am concerned. Obviously I can’t be sure he is a roo but based on his comb and waddle development I’m willing to bet he is.

Assuming he is, and assuming he doesn’t get along with my desired roo (a lot of assuming I know) how sad would it be for him to live a life by himself within a larger run with others? I don’t want him to have a miserable life but I can’t free range (too many aerial and other predators) and I can’t build another giant coop/run. I live in farm country and pretty sure someone will take him, likely for a stewpot. I was not planning on killing any of them for food even after the hens stop laying so that prospect makes me sad.

Best laid plans (pun intended). I know there are always chances you get a roo instead of what you ordered but honestly they have created a problem I wouldn’t have had if they had just sent me the chicks I paid for.

Any suggestions would be welcomed.