Weird rooster behaviour

[roo63822]

I'm still a bit confused as to why the rooster does not respond. Might it be because the cockerels were chicks when he was the only male? I'm sure he's aware they're cockerels because they both crow, and I don't think he's deposed as the hens and the cockerels follow him usually, and he is the first to respond to any danger or treat.

 

[SIMZ]

Intense fighting usually results from throwing unfamiliar sexually mature males together. You normally won't see intense fighting from males that are raised together or raised with an adult male. Right now he's running the show and they seem to respect that. It could also be your current rooster's temperament. I run a mixed flock in the summer, and the younger cockerels usually keep their distance from the adult roosters and vice versa. I can have up to 15-20 cockerels of crowing age before culling (sorry, neighbors!) and only see some minor sparring. That's in a pretty big area with immature cockerels.

Again - you are going to have some major problems the older those young roosters get with only 2 hens. You may not have major fighting issues with the roosters, but without a doubt, you are going to have problems with the hens. Maybe it's the hens you want to separate and leave the roosters together - you can do it either way.

Problems start showing up the older the cockerels get and the more demand there is for the hens. It's also entirely possible for one of your cockerels to start challenging your head rooster and then you can see fighting. OR fighting between the two younger ones as they establish a pecking order among themselves under the head rooster.

 

[roo63822]

Okay, thanks. I think there already exists a pecking order between the two cockerels from when they were still chicks. I haven't seen any fighting between them so far though. I have, however, seen that one of the cockerels will back off from food if the other one moves to him. Strangely enough, the rooster sometimes lets him have a treat he found if none of the hens are around.

 

[SIMZ]

Okay, thanks. I think there already exists a pecking order between the two cockerels from when they were still chicks. I haven't seen any fighting between them so far though. I have, however, seen that one of the cockerels will back off from food if the other one moves to him. Strangely enough, the rooster sometimes lets him have a treat he found if none of the hens are around.

I hope that helped answer your question. You are probably right about the young ones pecking order. I've had roosters that are like that with young cockerels and chicks (giving them treats, etc.) - it sounds like he's still seeing them in the chick or hen category. That will end as they mature.

 

[chickens really]

Okay....
Cockerels are like teenage boys. Cocky and strut..As they mature they are always trying for higher rank in the flock. It's time to remove almost all Cockerels and have one and more Hens.
Roosters never tag team a Hen and share..They fight over who gets to breed her..
Time to Cull a few Roos or set up a bachelor pad..

 

[roo63822]

There certainly was a time when he saw them in the hen category, so much so he once tried to breed with one of the cockerels (this was before they could crow). I have not seen them so distressed as at that moment. Thanks for the advice; I will probably set the cockerels up with a bachelor pad and leave the rooster alone as hes nice to the hens.

 

[chickens really]

There certainly was a time when he saw them in the hen category, so much so he once tried to breed with one of the cockerels (this was before they could crow). I have not seen them so distressed as at that moment. Thanks for the advice; I will probably set the cockerels up with a bachelor pad and leave the rooster alone as hes nice to the hens.

Okay...You have a Mature Rooster too..My Lester was so stressed before his young Cockerels all left..They would battle and he would kick butts for acting up..Yep time to separate...