We have a new set of chicks: If there is a Rooster in the mix, Can you have 2 roosters in a flock?

[Sunshine42]

Hello,

We have a current flock of chickens: 6 Plymouth Barred Rock Hens and 9 Buff Orpingtons (1 is a Rooster). We love them and this year got more. 4 Cornish X, 4 Black Astralopes, 2 RIR, and 2 Isa's. They are not sexed so I imagine we will get some roosters in the group. One is calling now so we think it is a rooster as that is what Nugs did when he was that age. Can we have more than one Rooster in the flock? I red the integration post but wondering, which way to integrate would be the best: free range, night time, run inside run, etc. The Coop is not set up to divide it. Thanks in advance for your help!


Rooster Lil' Nugs and the girls are now a year old


Part of the new flock in the brooder box.

 

[HEChicken]

As long as they grow up in the flock, yes, you can have multiple roosters. I currently have 4 mature roosters and 2 semi-grown cockerels and they all get along fine. I've also tried integrating one mature rooster into a flock that contained a mature rooster already and it was a disaster. Since then I raise cockerels up in the flock and haven't had any issues.

On the Cornish X.....just want to check that you do know they will only live about 8 weeks, right?

 

[Sunshine42]

Thanks for the information! Yes, we did get the Cornish X as meat birds and they will last about 8-12 weeks. Most of the birds we got are dual purpose except the Cornish X. So if the new set of chicks (other than the Cornish X) contain a rooster, I can integrate it with the existing flock that is about a year old?

 

[HEChicken]

Your results may vary depending on your set up, coop size, run space etc. Mine free-range over several acres and only get together to sleep at night but I've had no issues raising cockerels in the flock so I would hope your experience is similar

 

[Sunshine42]

Thanks! When you let them free range, how do you keep them safe from predators? We lost one of our Plymouth Barred Rock to a hawk. We have since put chicken wire on the top of the run but only let them free range when someone is outside or our dog cookie is there.

 

[HEChicken]

Same as you: my dogs

I selected poultry safe dogs when we adopted from a rescue (after a trial period). They sleep in the chicken yard at night and free roam the whole property by day. Their presence keeps predators away. In three years I've only lost a handful of birds to predators and all of them had strayed outside the area that the dogs can get to.

 

[Sunshine42]

Hello,
We kept Nugs and the new Roo. They get along well. I sectioned off the run until they younger ones were the same size about 16-20 weeks. I let the big ones out of the run and allowed the younger ones have free run in the coop and the run. It worked out well. Thanks so much for all the help!